Asia, which he was forbidden to exercise at the commencement of this journey. Leaving them, however, for a time, he sails to Jerusalem to be present at the feast of Pentecost. From thence he comes up to Antioch, whence he had gone forth, and thus closes the second Apostolical Journey.

J. S.

MISCELLANEOUS COMMUNICATIONS.

HORE RABBINICÆ.-No. IV.

Several interesting papers which have appeared in the CHRISTIAN EXAMINER have mentioned a race of Christians called "the Chaldean Christians," inhabiting that part of Asia which lies about the junction of the Tigris and Sabbat; it has been observed that this race of Christians is very little known to the rest of the world ; that it is not easy to ascertain when Christianity was introduced into the country, nor why the people are called Chaldeans, not being so termed by any geographers, ancient or modern ;-for although two countries named Chaldea are mentioned by ancient geographers, yet one lay near the Euxine, the other, the Chaldea of Scripture, joined Babylonia, lying near the mouth of the Euphrates.+

On reading the article in the first Number of the EXAMINER, and inspecting the map which accompanies it, I recollected what I had read amongst the works of Rabbins, relative to the lost ten tribes of Israel. Finding some coincidences, I have imagined that possibly these "Chaldean Christians" might be found to be descendants from some of the lost tribes, to whom a saving light has opened up.

As this conjecture is not devoid of interest, I will make it the subject of the present paper, mentioning the circumstances on which I have founded it. The account in No. 1 of the CHRISTIAN EXAMINER was derived from Peter Simon Scheoris, Bishop of Gesira, an episcopal see of these Chaldean Christians. He says, that their country, called Chaldea, lies on each side of the Tigris, but principally on the east side, and not very far from its source; that it is bounded on the south by the river Zabat, and on the north by inaccessible mountains. In coincidence with this, Eldad the Danite says, in Sepher Eldad Haddani, that the lost tribe of Issachar dwells in a square, in the lower part of the country of the Medes and Persians, and speak Arabic, Hebrew and Persian. Now, on consulting a map of Mesopotamia, it appears that the country of

* Or Zabat.

+ See Christian Examiner, Vol. I. p. 36 and seq.

the Chaldean Christians is a square, or very nearly so, between the Tigris and the Zabat, and lies below Media. Eldad also says, that the tribe of Moses is encompassed by the river Sabbatjor.The map in the first Number of the CHRISTIAN EXAMINER shews the Chaldean Christians (in the northern part) to be surrounded by the Tigris and the Sabat.

The Rabbis Moshe Bar Nachman, Gedalja, and Gerson, speak of some of the lost ten tribes as living on the river Sabbatjor. Eldad says that the tribe of Zebulon dwell on the boundaries of the tribe of Issachar (before named) in the mountains.

the

By maps we see that the Chaldean Christians who live in square formed by the Tigris and Sabat are bounded to the north by mountains. The Bishop of Gesira says, that the Chaldean Christians live constantly with arms in their hands, (on account of the Arabs, Persians, and Turks, by whom they are surrounded,) and do not even lay them aside in their churches. To correspond with this statement, I refer to Eldad the Danite, who says that the tribes of Reuben (living behind the mountains), and Ephraim and Manasseh, in the mountains on the south, are very warlike. Rabbis Benjamin and Gerson, and the treatise Shalsheleth, mention the lost ten tribes as warlike. I ought to have before observed, that most of the Rabbins who have written on the subject believe the ten tribes to be in Asia.

The Bishop of Gesira states that his country is remarkably healthy, and that the plague never visits it. Thus Eldad the Danite seems to bear testimony to the healthfulness of the country wherein dwells the lost tribe which is encompassed by the Sabbatjor, saying that the persons of that tribe generally live to be upwards of an hundred years old. He also says that they are ignorant of the Talmudical doctrines. According to the author of the article in No I. of the EXAMINER, one of these Chaldean Christians, Hebed Jesu, Bishop of Loda, who lived in the sixteenth century, wrote a catalogue of all the books of these Christians down to his time.In the account of that catalogue given by the EXAMINER, no notice is taken of any Rabbinic or Talmudic works; whence I presume that it contains none such and if that be the case it agrees with what Eldad the Danite states, as before mentioned, The catalogue gives the canonical books of the Chaldean Christians; the Öld Testament books agree with the canon of the Hebrew Scriptures.

It is supposed that these Chaldeans were very early converted; and it would appear to me that some of the Rabbins had conceived the idea that the lost ten tribes had apostatized; for the Talmud Treatise Sanhedrin says, that the ten tribes have no part in eternal life. It will be remembered by all who have any acquaintance with Rabbinical doctrines, how very severe the Jews are in their denunciations against those who desert Judaism. This would not prove their being Christians, for the Talmudists exclude even the Karaites from eternal life, who are as far from being Christians as themselves.

Probably the secluded race mentioned by the Bishop of Gesira may have at first derived the name of Chaldeans from their ances

tors having so called themselves in memory of Abraham, who came out of Chaldea. The language of these Christians is a dialect of Hebrew, and is written from right to left like the Hebrew.

A colony of them emigrated at a very early period to the coast of Malabar, and planted churches among the Hindoos.

Some Rabbins, among whom is Rabbi Gerson, speak of some of the lost ten tribes as living in or near countries where the inhabitants will not kill an animal-this tallies with the Hindoos. They also represent some of them as living on the banks of the river Gosan, by which is understood the Ganges; though it must be owned that there is a confusion made in some of the Rabbinical writings between the Gosan and the Sabatjor. Indeed I do not think the Rabbins quite clear at all times in their geography; and for this reason I will not carry the inquiry further, as I have alrea dy stated every thing of importance that forms a coincidence between the Rabbins and the Bishop of Gesira. To proceed with researches into all that the Rabbins say of the lost ten tribes, would be to enter needlessly into a labyrinth of confusion, and indeed, in many instances, of contradictions. In the Rabbinical writings there are many names of places and cities, for which we may in vain ransack maps either ancient or modern-probably they have a geographical nomenclature of their own; but I am unacquainted with it, and think it better to pass over in silence names and localities to which I can give no clue, leaving them to abler pens.

To return to the lost ten tribes: Though it were to be established that the Chaldean Christians originate from them, yet I would not suppose that the whole ten and their descendants were confined to the one small spot. On the contrary, from their total disappearance, and the blank they have left in history, it is to be supposed that the majority of their numbers emigrated to a much greater distance from the most frequented parts of the then known world. Aaron Levi, a Jew, who travelled, A. D. 1644, under the name of Montesinos, affirms that a race of Jews (of the lost tribes) was hidden in the West Indies. Rabbi Menasse Ben Israel, in his work, "Israel's Hope," says, that some of the ten tribes are hidden in America, others in the West Indies. In confirmation of this assertion, the Jewish Expositor details many singular and, I may say, convincing coincidences between customs and opinions of the American and South Sea Indians, and the rites and observances, &c. of the Jews. A few of the most striking I shall mention here as examples. The American Indians bow in their religious dances in which they address hymns to Y Ohe wah (strongly resembling Jehovah.) In these dances they move in single files, dwelling in a sort of recitation, or singing, first on one syllable of the name, then on the next, as Y—O, &c. till they repeat the whole name Y O he wah together; and then they are said to break out into a quicker chorus, clearly repeating and reiterating the word Hal-le-lu-jah.

The reader will remember the religious dances of the Hebrews. The ark was brought up with dances; David leaped and danced before it; and the Israelites danced in worship round the golden

calf. This is even now practised by Jews in general, but chiefly by the sect called DTD, during their worship. Among the American Indians and the Caribbeans, the priests were anointed to their office with bear's oil. Thus the Jewish Priests were also anointed. The American Indians have the following feasts, which recall to memory the principal Jewish festivals, viz. the Feast of First Fruits, generally at the latter end of March and April, being the beginning of their ecclesiastical year, (the commencement of the Jewish year was Nisan or Abib, answering to our March and April.) At the end of their year the American Indians had a feast resembling the Passover; the feast for success in hunting, about the time of Pentecost; and the great feast for the expiation of sin, about the time of the ripening of Indian corn. Among some of the South Sea Islands the natives were found to have a chest or ark, the lid of which was neatly sewed on, and covered with palm-nut leaves; it was supported on little arches of wood, and fixed on two poles, and was called Ewharre no Eatua, i. e. the House of God. Compare this with the Ark of God in the Old Testament, which was carried by means of poles.

Acosta says, that the clothes of the South Americans resemble those of the ancient Jews, being a small square cloak over a little coat. The American Indians have a sacred evening feast, in which not a bone of the animal provided must be broken, nor a particular part of the thigh eaten ;* and if the family be not sufficient to consume it, a neighbour is invited, and any part left must be burned with fire before sun-rise. Compare this with the lamb for the Passover, (Exod. 12,) which was ordained to be eaten at night; and if too much for one family, the next neighbour to join, and any part that was left to be burned with fire. The American Indians' altar for sacrifices was of unhewn stone. Compare with Exod. xx. "And if thou wilt make me an altar shalt not build it of hewn stone."

of stone, thou

According to the Abbé Clavigero, the Michuans, an original nation of Mexico, had a tradition that there was once a great deluge, and that Tepzi, to save himself, embarked in a ship, with his wife and children, and many different animals, and several seeds and fruits. As the waters abated, he sent out a bird called aura, which did not return, as it remained eating the dead bodies. He then sent out other birds, which never returned, except the bird called flower-sucker, which brought back a small branch with it. This story exactly coincides with that of Noah, who sent forth the raven and the dove.

Both Acosta and Malvenda affirm that the Michuans celebrated a year of jubilee, like the Jews. To the above, mentioned in the Jewish Expositor, I may add two coincidences which struck myself. In some of the South Sea Islands, when a native is to be

VOL IV.

* Vide Genesis xxxii. 31 32.

buried, one of the attendants of the funeral used to be dressed up in a frightful manner, and carried a large club, garnished with shark's teeth he preceded the corpse, and with his club struck at every one who came in his way; for which reason every one who was not in attendance on the funeral avoided it. This I compare with a Jewish tradition, found in the Rabinnical writings, that the Angel of Death attends funerals invisible, and with his drawn sword strikes those who come in his way, and their decease soon follows: hence funerals were avoided by Jews who were not employed in them. If the inhabitants of America and the South Sea Isles be descended from the lost ten tribes, the person frightfully dressed, with the club, might have originated in a personification of the Angel of Death, at an early period, when the tradition was still known among the barbarianized descendants of Israel. The other coincidence is, that among the Caribs, when a man was jealous of his wife, he brought her to the priest, who, after a formula of prayers and invocations, presented the female with bitter water, which, by the form of incantation, was to prove her destruction if she were guilty: if no injurious effects appeared after her swallowing it, she was considered innocent. Compare this with Num. v. wherein it is ordained, that if a man were jealous of his wife, he should bring her to the Priest, with an offering; and the Priest, after an adjuration, should cause her to drink "the bitter water which causeth the curse;" if she were guilty the curse would take effect, and vice versa. For the Carib anecdote I am indebted to a deceased officer, who made the observation while on active service in the British army, among the West Indian Isles, during the Caribbean war. It is the opinion of several writers that the American Indians are descended from the lost Jews; and this certainly is a very plausible way of accounting for the peopling of the new world, and for some circumstances, such as customs and traditions, remarked among its inhabitants.

The newspapers of October, 1825, mention an attempt at a reunion of the Jews made in North America, at Grand Island, in Niagara river, State of New York, where it is said to be in contemplation to form a distinct community of Jews. In a proclamation issued by Mordecai Manasseh Noah, who heads the undertaking, it is recommended that measures be taken to make the North American Indians sensible of their origin, and to reunite them with their brethren, the chosen people.

To conclude: All that can possibly be now traced of the lost Ten Tribes, must be by comparisons and coincidences, for history is silent. The Rabbins are so completely in the dark as to any certainty of the fate of their elder brethren, that they confess their ignorance by striking symbols. Thus Rabbi Gedalja, in Shalsheleth hakkabala, says, that "after the destruction of the first Temple, the people of Moses being mocked by the Chaldeans, (vide Ps. cxxxvii.) were overshadowed by a cloud, and carried away by night." The cloud and night are allegorical of the obscurity that involves the fate of the lost Ten Tribes of Israel.