însuperable difficulties which obstruct the researches of the learned and curious inquirer.

It is about two centuries since the Chinese Jews have had any communication with Jews of other countries. In consequence of which, we are obliged to content ourselves with such facts as we have been enabled to collect; and for which we are indebted to the Jesuit missionaries who visited China at the commencement of the seventeenth century.

The learned D. Tychsen, a member of the academy of Rostock, essayed to open a correspondence with the Jews of Cai-fong-fau, in 1777, and 1779, through the interposition of a friend at Batavia, but received no answer. And recently another apparent oppor tunity has also been defeated. The English papers of the 16th and 17th of September, 1817, contain an extract of a letter written by one of the followers of Lord Amherst, ambassador of the king of England to China, which reads as follows:

"I was informed that at Cai-fong-fau, in the province of Honan, are some families called Te-dou-kin-kedow, or rather Tiao-kinkiae; and which, according to Brotier, means Law of Cutting the Nerves. Those families compose a sect whose religion obliges them to pluck out the nerves of the meat before it is accounted eatable. This sect have also their Le-pai-se, (temple of worship) and observe the eighth day as a festival; and this accords with

to the Latin word for China, Sine; and which, according to Fourmont, Bayer de Guignes, is derived from the frequent use the Chinese make of the monosyllables Sin, Tsin, &c. or directly from the word Sin, a name of an ancient kingdom of China. From the foregoing the aforecited passage of Isaiah is applicable to the return of the children of Israel O'D Myerets Sinim) from China. "Behold, those of a distance shall come; and behold, those from the North and South, and those from the coasts of China."

With the Editor of I. F., we suppose that China, the same as its Latin, Sinai, is derived from the name of a great-grandson of Noah. Sine the son of Canaan, the son of Ham, the son of Noah.-Gen. x. 17.

* N. Frigaltius S. J. de ......iana expeditione ad Sinas a sociatate Jesu suscepta part 1. chap xi. Le pare Math Ricci. Semedo relasione della China, part 1. p. 190 Lettres edificantes et curieuses, tom. vii. Brotier, dans sa dissertatione de Judoeis

sinensibus, dans la belle editione de Tacite, in 4to. Paris, 1771. tom. iii. page 567.Le pere Coagler, died in Pekin, in 1746.

Ign Koegleri S. J. Notiatio, SS. Biblior, Judoeorum in Imper sinensi, edit. ii Halae ad Salam, 1805. p. 9.

what Grotier says of the Jews;* and I am persuaded that the information I received here gives it a greater degree of probability. A Jew of London sent with us a Hebrew letter, a copy of which has lately been sent to the province of Honan; the forwarding of which was undertaken by a Chinese, on the promise of a reward should he find a man who could read and answer it in the same language. The Chinese (as he says) went to Cai-fong-fau, where he found one who read the letter, and promised to produce an answer to it in a few days. But being alarmed by reports which he feared would end in a rebellion, he left the place previous to receiving the answer."

The following is an abridgment of the account of the missionaries.

"The Jews established themselves in China about the year 202, and 195 before the vulgar era, in accordance with charters granted them by the founder of the Dynasty of Han. The number of families were seventy, from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi: they came from Persia. It is universally agreed that the Chinese Jews are of the captivity of Babylon, and not of the ten tribes, whose destiny is covered with an impenetrable veil : possibly they never saw the second temple;† and there cannot be any doubt but they were established in China before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans.

"It seems the Jews were formerly very much esteemed and respected in China, and held the first offices of the empire. They had establishments in Pekin, at Hang-tcheow, and at Ning-hia; but at present their number is very much diminished; and we only know of those established in Ning-po, and in Cai-fong-fau; which last is much the largest. It is the capital of the province of Honan, about one hundred and fifty leagues from Pekin. They are about one thousand souls; they have a handsome synagogue, in its form agreeing more with the temple at Jerusalem, than with the modern synagogues of either the East or West. It goes by

Histoire generale de la Chine. vol. de suppl, redige par l'abbe Grosieur, Paris. 1785. On ye trouve la relatione du pere gozani, p. 609, et suiv.

↑ De Guignes, Memoires de l'Academie des Inscriptions, 1808. tom. xlviii. in 4to. page 764.

the name of Li-pai-se; (place of ceremonies;) a name also commonly given to the Mahomedan mosques. Its entrance is through two large halls, situate at the further end of a grove of trees: on either side of which are several buildings, which serve for dwellings for the keepers, officers of the synagogue, chambers for the elders, the committee rooms, and the hall for the meeting of the congregation. One room, on the lower floor, is kept for the purpose of purifying (poarging) the flesh from blood and veins. The front of the vestibule is ornamented with a triumphal arch, on which is written, in Chinese, Kim-tien, (Temple dedicated to God.) Before the temple is an open space, whereon is erected, yearly, at the Feast of the Tabernacles, a large booth. The front of the temple is ornamented with a portico formed of a double range of four columns. The interior is sustained by a colonade. Under a dome, in the centre, is the chair of Moses, on which lectures are read in the law. The reader, or lecturer, has on a blue hat, beneath which is a cotton veil. He has two assistants to correct him should he mistake in his lecture. Opposite is a tablet, on which, in letters of gold, and in Chinese characters, is placed the name of the Sovereign, and beneath which is the verse" Hear, O Israel! the Lord is our God. The Lord is one."-Deut. vi. 4. And that which all Jews join to the foregoing, viz: "Blessed to all eternity is the name of his holy, glorious reign!" and which, by tradition, is attributed to the patriarch Jacob.* After these tablets is a triple arched vault or recess, on which is written, in gold, Hebrew letters, "Understand that the Lord is the God of gods; and the Lord is the great, mighty, and tremendous God."+

The furthermost part of the synagogue is a kind of sanctuary, in some sort answering the holy of holies of the ancient temple; and which the Jews call Beth-el. It is square without, and oval within. None are permitted to enter here except the principal of the synagogue. In this sanctuary are kept the sacred books, di

and loma.

* Talmud Pasach, fol. Ivi. qyı phyh wiɔh + This inscription, of which the following is a copy, is to be found in the disserta

instead בין כי" אלהי האלים ואדוני האל הגדול הגבור והנורא .tion of Brotier

of FatherKoagler, reads which D. Tychsen took for the initials of the words" 717 Blessed be the Lord continually: for, &c. See the work of Father Koagler aforecited.

vided into several classes; the book of Moses only bearing the name of Ta-king, or, Great Scripture.

f

There are two kinds of Ta-king: one intended for use in the synagogue, and are in rolls, written without points, and without any appearance of division, unless a blank line left between, and intended to mark the fifty-three sections réad on the several Sabbaths of the year. The others are such as belong to private individuals, placed for safe keeping in the Beth-el, because of a religious reverence for those sacred books, they scruple to retain them in their houses. Those last mentioned are written with the points,* and are divided into as many lessons (or parashes) as are to be read on each Sabbath. The books of private individuals are also placed in particular closets in the Beth-el, while those belonging to the synagogue are placed on tables covered with a curtain of silk stuff, and are thirteen in number, according with the number of the twelve tribes, and Moses; the Rowl consecrated to the memory of this great prophet, occupying a place of distinction among the rest. At the furthermost part of the Beth-el, at the extremity of the building, is represented the two tables of the law, containing the ten commandments, sculptured in letters of gold.

Attached to one of the columns of the temple is a list of lessons, or portions, for each Sabbath, as also for the new moons, both for morning and evening, not only of those read out of the Pentateuch, but even of those read out of the prophets; which latter lessons are called nearly as by other Jews. (8) This temple is frequented by the Jews on Sabbath, and holy days; and is never entered by any except barefoot,(9) and take their places on

* Here we have a well established proof in favour of the vowel points, as we find them in use among the Chinese Jews, who have no manner of communication with other Israelites: and if the system of Masclef and Father Houbignant was worth the trouble of refuting, we might here have an opportunity to combat them.

8 The Chinese Jews call those lessons taken from the prophets those of other parts distinguish it by the appellation of

Muftar; Mafter from the roet

BD Patar, dismiss, both understand thereby the portion which is read before the people are dismissed. (I take the word to be Chaldaic, or from the Chaldaic, E. J.)

9 This is the ancient custom,(vide Exod. iii. 5.) not being agreeable to the western climates, it is only observed in Europe, by the descendants of Aaron, while they bless the people.

the right and left of the chair of Moses, in order to be as near as possible, to hear the lecture, read out of the holy books. The interval between the chair of Moses and Beth-el, is inclosed with grates on both sides, wherein they perform orisons, (which they do facing the west, towards Jerusalem) for the same reason that the Jews of Europe face to the east, during prayer, (1 Kings, viii. 44-48.) Daniel vi. 2. They wear no particular dress in the Synagogue, except the chief alone, who has on a red silk scarf. They chant the reading of the pentateuch nearly like the Italian Jews, as we are told by Father Gozani.

The Chinese Jews possess the pentateuch which appears to be complete, as also the two books of Samuel, and the two books of Kings; but the Psalms are not collated: the other canonical books are incomplete, or entirely lacking. The five books of the Pentateuch have the same name as is given them by the western Jews.

We should not be surprised at their Sacred books being incomplete; the synagogue of Cai-fong-fau met with several accidents. In the year 1446, of the vulgar era, it was overthrown by an inundation, and many books were lost or spoiled by the water, insomuch that they were obliged to use a Ta-king (rowl of law) brought from Ning-po to correct and complete the other books. And in the year 1573 and 1670, their synagogue and books were destroyed by fire; after which they purchased a Taking which formerly belonged to one of their brethren, at Canton, and which is now held in great estimation, as the others are only copies it was preserved in the inundation of the year 1642, of which it now bears the marks, having been palpably damaged by the water of the last inundation, caused by the bursting of the dykes which confined the waters of Hoang-ho, whereby the greatest part of the town, together with the synagogue, was destroyed, and twenty-six volumes were lost. The memory of this event is preserved by two inscriptions in the Chinese language, made in the years 1515 and 1663, by two Mandarins of the empire. They contain the principal epochs of Sacred history, and of the establishment of the 70 Jew families in China. In that of 1515, the Mandarin pronounces the following eulogy on the Sacred books: "These books," says he, "not only concern Jews, but all man