indignation against the holy people" is near at hand. The strongest argument to press upon the mind of a Jew, at this period, is to explain to his conviction Daniel's period of 1260 years; and then to shew the analogy which it bears to the period of the Evangelist John, concerning the Papal and Mahomedan powers; with the state of which the Jews are well acquainted. "I passed through the burial ground of the Jews the other day. Some of the tombs are handsomely constructed, and have Hebrew inscriptions in prose and verse. This mansion of the dead is called by the Jews Beth Haiim, or "The House of the Living."

Being much gratified with my visit to the Jews of Malabar, and desirous to maintain some communication with them, I have engaged a very respectable member of their community to accompany me with his servant to Bengal, and to remain with me in the capacity of Hebrew Monshee, or teacher, until my return to England. Observing that in the houses of the White Jews there are many volumes of printed Hebrew, mostly of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, which are rarely met with in England, I have employed Misrahi, that is the name of my Monshee, to collect some of the most valuable."

At the beginning of the following year (1808) the Author visited Cochin a second time, and proceeded afterwards to Bombay, where he had an opportunity of meeting with some very intelligent men of the Jewish nation. They had heard of his conferences with the Cochin Jews, and were desirous to discuss certain topics, particularly the prophecies of Isaiah; and they engaged in them with far more spirit and frankness, he thought, than their brethren at Cochin had done. They told him, that if he would take a walk to the Bazar in the suburb, without the walls of Bombay town, he would find a Synagogue without a Sepher Tora, or Book of the Law. He did so, and found it to be the The Minister and a few of the Jews assembled, and shewed him their Synagogue, in which there were some loose leaves of prayers in manuscript, but no Book of the Law. The Author did not understand that they disapproved of the Law; but they had no

case.

copy of it. They seemed to have little knowledge of the Jewish Scriptures or history. This only proved what he had been often told, that small portions of the Jewish nation melt away from time to time, and are absorbed in the mass of the heathen world. Nor is this any argument against the truth of the prophecy, which declares that they should remain a separate and distinct people; for these are mere exceptions. Conversions to Christianity in the early ages would equally militate against the prediction taken in an absolute

sense.

THE TEN TRIBES.

The Tribes of Israel are no longer to be inquired after by name. The purpose, for which they were once divided into tribes, was accomplished when the genealogy of the Messiah was traced to the stem of David. Neither do the Israelites themselves know certainly from what families they are descended. And this is a chief argument against the Jews, to which the Author never heard that a Jew could make a sensible reply. The tribe of Judah was selected as that from which the Messiah should come; and behold, the Jews do not know which of them are of the tribe of Judah !

While the Author was amongst the Jews of Malabar, he made frequent inquiries concerning the Ten Tribes. When he mentioned that it was the opinion of some, that they had migrated from the Chaldean provinces, he was asked to what country we supposed they had gone, and whether we had ever heard of their moving in a great army on such an expedition.

It will be easy perhaps to shew, that the great body of the Ten Tribes remain to this day in the countries to which they were first carried captive. If we can discover where they were in the first century of the Christian Era, which was seven hundred years after the carrying away to Babylon, and again where they were in the fifth century, we certainly may be able to trace them up to this time.

Josephus, who wrote in the reign of Vespasian, recites a speech made by King Agrippa to the Jews,

wherein he exhorts them to submit to the Romans, and expostulates with them in these words: "What, do you stretch your hopes beyond the river Euphrates? Do any of you think that your fellow-tribes will come to your aid out of Adiabene? Besides, if they would come, the Parthian will not permit it." (Jos. de Bell. Lib. ii. c. 28.) We learn from this oration, delivered to the Jews themselves, and by a King of the Jews, that the Ten Tribes were then captive in Medea under the Persian Princes

In the fifth century, Jerome, author of the Vulgate, treating of the dispersed Jews, in his Notes upon Hosea, has these words: Unto this day, the Ten Tribes are subject to the Kings of the Persians, nor has their captivity ever been loosed. (Tom. vi, p. 7.) And again he says, "The Ten Tribes inhabit at this day the cities and mountains of the Medes." Tom. vi, p. 80. There is no room left for doubt on this subject. Have we heard of any expedition of the Jews "going forth from that country, since that period, like the Goths and Huns, to conquer nations?" Have we ever heard of their rising in insurrection to burst the bands of captivity? To this day, both Jews and Christians are generally in a state of captivity in these despotic countries. No family dares to leave the kingdom without permission of the King."*

Mahomedanism reduced the number of the Jews exceedingly: It was presented to them at the point of the sword. We know that multitudes of Christians receiv. ed it; for example, "the seven Churches of Asia;" and we may believe, that an equal proportion of Jews were proselyted by the same means. In the provinces of Cashmire and Affghanistan, some of the Jews submitted to great sacrifices, and they remain Jews to this day but the greater number yielded, in the course of ages, to the power of the reigning religion. Their countenance, their language, their names, their rites and observances, and their history, all conspire to establish

*Joseph Emin, a Christian well known in Calcutta, wished to bring his family from Ispahan; but he could not effect it, though our Government interested itself in his behalf.

the fact.* We may judge, in some degree, of the number of those who would yield to the sword of Mahomed, and conform, in appearance at least, to what was called a sister Religion, from the number of those who conformed to the Christian Religion, under the influence of the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal. Orobio, who was himself a Jew, states in his History, that there were upwards of twenty thousand Jews in Spain alone, who, from fear of the Inquisition, professed Christianity, some of whom were Priests and Bishops. The tribes of the Affghan race are very numerous, and of different casts; and it is probable, that the proportion which is of Jewish descent is not great. The Affghan nations extend on both sides of the Indus, and inhabit the mountainous region, commencing in Western Persia. They differ in language, customs, religion, and countenance, and, have littleknowledge of each other. Some tribes have the countenance of the Persian, and some of the Hindoo; and some tribes are evidently of Jewish extraction.

Calculating then the number of Jews who now inhabit the provinces of ancient Chaldea, or the contiguous countries, and who still profess Judaism; and the number of those who embraced Mahomedanism, or some form of it, in the same regions; we may be satisfied, "That the greater part of the Ten Tribes, which now exist, are to be found in the countries of their first captivity."

RESTORATION OF THE JEWS.

THAT many of the Jews, when liberated from their state of oppression, will return to Judea, appears pre bable from the general tenor of prophecy, and from their own natural and unconquerable attachment to that country but we know not for what purpose they should all return thither; and it is perfectly unnecessary to contend for the fact, or to impose it as a tenet of faith. We perceive no reason why they should leave the nations in which they live, when these nations are

*Mr. Foster was so much struck with the general appearance, garb, and manners of the Cashmirians, as to think, without any previous knowledge of the fact, that he had been suddenly transported among a nation of Jews. See Foster's Travels.

no longer heathen. Nor is it possible, in numerous cases, to ascertain who are Jews and who are not. It is also true, that before Judea could nourish the whole body of Jews, even in their present reduced state, the ancient FERTILITY, which was taken away according to prophecy (Deut. xxviii. 23, and 38.) must be restored by miracle. But we have no warrant to look for a miracle under the finished dispensation of the Gospel. We possess "the MORE sure word of prophecy,' (2 Pet. i. 19.) and look not for signs and wonders. We expect no miracle for the Jews, but that of their conversion to Christianity: which will be a greater miracle, than if the first Temple were to rise in its gold and costly stones, and Solomon were again to regin over them in all his glory.

Much caution is also required in stating to them our opinions concerning a MILLENNIUM; or period of universal truth and felicity. It was prophesied to Israel, about seven hundred years before the coming of the Messiah, that a time should be, "when nation should no longer lift the sword against nation, neither should men learn war any more :" when the "knowledge of the Lord, which was then confined to Judea, should cover the earth as the waters cover the sea;" and when they should not teach every man his neighbor, saying, Know the Lord, for ALL should know him from the least to the greatest." These prophecies were fulfilled generally when the Messiah appeared. The Gospel of Peace was preached to men, and "the sound thereof went to the ends of the earth." The last prediction, which is the clearest and strongest of all, "They shall not teach every man his neighbor, saying, Know the Lord, for ALL shall know him, from the least to the greatest" is expressly quoted by the apostle Paul (Heb. viii. 11.) as having been already fulfilled by the manifestation of Christ, who abrogated the old covenant with Israel, which was confined to a FEW, and made a new covenant with the world, which was extended to ALL.

It is believed, however, that the predictions above recited will receive a more particular accomplishment hereafter, and that the glory even of the primitive Church shall be far surpassed. But it does not ap