An Historical Account of the Ten Tribes settled beyond the river Sambatyon in the East, etc

Front matter

AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE TEN TRIBES, SETTLED BEYOND THE RIVER SAMBATYON, IN THE EAST; WITH MANY OTHER CURIOUS MATTERS RELATING TO THE STATE OF THE ISRAELITES IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE WORLD, ETC, ETC, ETC. TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT, AND COMPILED BT THE REV. DR. M. EDREHI, NATIVE OP MOROCCO, Member of the Talmudical Academies of London and Amsterdam; Professor of Modern and Oriental Languages ; Private Tutor to the University of Cambridge ; Author of " The Law os Life," " The Hand of Moses," etc. LONDON PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR. BOSTON REPRINTED FOR HIS SON, ISAAC EDREHI. 5 618. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1855, By ISAAC EDREHI, in the Clerk's office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. Ceo. C. Rakd k Avert, Piunters, 3 Cornuill, Boston.

DEDICATION. TO THE ILLUSTRIOUS PUBLIC. I TAKE THE LIBERTY TO DEDICATE THIS SMALL WORK TO THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL, TO MY FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES, AND MORE PARTICU- LARLY TO THE SUBSCRIBERS. Gentlemen, — The intention of those who dedicate their works is, in general, to obtain some favor or benefit, and not for glory or justice ; and I am one of those. From the time I began this work, my intention has ever been to dedicate it to some great, humane, and charitable personage, who, by some heroic action, would be willing to render me some assistance to pay the expenses of printing it. But the misfortunes attending human life have deprived me of such a favor, in spite of all my efforts ; and although it may not be necessary to declare or explain in this Work such intention or desire, I do it for my satisfaction, and for the comfort of my life, following at the same time a proverbial maxim, which says, chap. xii. 25, Heaviness in the heart of a man maketh it stoop, but a good word maketh it glad.

If a person is surrounded by the sorrows and anx ieties attending human life, he must relate them to his friends in order to get consolation, and that he may forget his sorrows and troubles ; as in this case he will forget or banish them from his mind and heart. As I am ignorant who are my friends or enemies to whom I might relate my anxieties, I do it to the public in general, in order to comfort myself, and to obtain the consolation of selling my work, that I may realize enough to pay the expenses of printing, and leave some profit for the prosecution of my journey to the holy land of my fathers, Jerusalem, where I may spend the rest of my life with my family, devoting the whole of my time, with divine assistance, to the service of God. It has always been my intention to go there and establish myself in that land ; but my circumstances and many family afflictions have not permitted it ; so that I have been obliged to remain in captivity, unable to settle myself in any part of the world ; and as the journey is long, troublesome, and very expensive, and in order to reduce part of the great loss which I experienced, in consequence of the accidental fire at the Italian Bazaar in Paris, on the 1st of January, 1825, in which all my property, to the amount of sixteen thousand francs, was burned, which reduced me DEDICATION. to the greatest poverty.

Preface

In the name of the Blessed God, Amen ! Blessed be his Holy Name, for he is God of Gods, the Holy One and true God ! He is mighty and powerful, ever mercifully protecting and watching over us with compas sionate eyes, and performing great miracles on our behalf. Though we are captives and strangers dispersed through other countries, yet the Almighty One has never forsaken us ; nor, according to his promise, will he ever forsake us ; and of this we have abundant proof. His love was manifested to our forefathers, inasmuch as they obeyed his commandments ; and his hand is still stretched out to deliver us from the dangers and accidents of this life. To exhibit his wonders and admirable works, as manifested unto the Ten Tribes of Israel, and to the Children of our Teacher and Prophet Moses, who have dwelt and are still dwelling in Sambayton, a place of miracles, is the design of the following very ancient and true history, the details of which will be found to be extremely curious and interesting to those who wish to become acquainted with the wonders and greatness of God in his marvellous works, and who believe and revere his laws, and keep his holy precepts, &c. In the year A. M. 5047, a letter was received at Jerusalem in a singular manner from that place ; and that letter is still in existence in the Holy Land, in the custody of the principal Rabbins, and is preserved, with other curious writings, in the Hebrew Library belonging to the Academy of Jerusalem ; and the facts relating to that letter can be fully substantiated on the evidence of many witnesses, copies' f it having been transmitted to the various Israelitish congregations in Europe.

It was during the author's residence in Amsterdam that he met with a copy of that letter, in the celebrated library of the profoundly learned Rabbi Solomon Dobna. It may not, perhaps, be thought presumptuous in the author to state, that he has from his youth upwards been devoted to study, both in his native land, Morocco, and other countries in which he has sojourned, and has spent much time and labor in collecting many curious and useful manuscripts, which are still in his possession. He has studied divinity, and the Talmud, for twenty-four successive years, in the grand Talmudi eal Academies of the Portuguese Jewish nation, in Amsterdam and Lon don, and possesses numerous certificates of his abilities and literary attainments ; in addition to which he has recommendations signed by three hundred of the principal learned men and governors of the various places

PREFACE.

. through which he has travelled, in England, France, Holland and Ger many. It is known by a great many of the public, that he has also published many curious and important works in Hebrew, &c. At the close of the present work will be given a list of the Hebrew and other authors, who make mention of the River Sambatyon, and the Ten Tribe?, copied from the work of the celebrated Haham Menasseh Ben Israel, printed at Amsterdam, in the year A. M. 5407, in the Spanish language. In translating the work now before the public, from the original Hebrew into English, I have adhered as strictly as possible to the words and meaning of the authors, not being willing to offer any opinions in matters so highly interesting to the religious world. I have, therefore, given my author's own words ; and particularly so, as the eminent and learned Rabbi David Raphael Sodo was not disposed to enter largely upon mirac ulous proceedings, so very common with ancient writers when treating of wonderful circumstances.

He, like other learned men of his time, was willing to collect every information possible relating to the establishment of the Ten Tribes, which spirit of inquiry is not extinct even to this moment, as the names of many eminent divines, and other distinguished literary characters, subscribers to my work, evidently prove. The author, therefore, in addition to his own researches, made himself acquainted with every writer that came to his knowledge, who wrote upon this important subject, and particularly as he was led by his ancestors to believe that he himself was a descendant from the tribe of Naphtali. His father was also a man of letters, and was employed in an embassy in the East. At all events he has quoted the great historians, of different ages, who have devoted their time to such pursuits ; and being so little disposed to enter upon marvellous matters, great credit may be given to his state ments.

With respect to the religious observances, as regards their ceremony, &c, nothing has been noticed by any but our author. It is supposed that those learned historians were contented to prove the existence of such nations, without paying any particular regard to their religious ceremonies ; in this case our author has been more explicit, as will appear in this work ; and the particulars he mentions certainly carry something with them of an authentic appearance. His last statement bears date, Anno Mundi 5388, corresponding with 1628. x The list of the authors and writers upon this subject will appear at the end of this work, which are known to the literary and learned of the public, sacred and profane, which will be a great advantage to the religious world, as well as infinite satisfaction and pleasure to the author. M. EDREHI. London, October, 1833.

Part I. An Account Of The Ten Tribes Of Israel, Their Residence

BEYOND THE RIVER SAMBATYON, IN THE EAST, AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD ; AND LIKEWISE AN ACCOUNT OF THE WONDERFUL RIVER OF SAMBATYON. In a famous Book, called Sepher Johasin, or the Book of Genealogies, written by Rabbi Abraham Zechut, of the family of Zacuto, D. G-. M., which was printed at Amsterdam A. M. 5477, or A. D. 1717, fol. 117, page 2, it is thus written: — " Attend, and you shall hear something new, which I have found, in a book called Sepher Behenat Holam, or Book of the ways of the World, composed by Rabbi Abraham Prizole, of G-. M. It is to comfort the hearts of our brethren, who are in captivity in different countries, and various parts of the world; and because other nations despise them, they say, ' We have lost our hope ; we have no king and no prophet.' But ye who believe not the truth as it is, open your eyes and read, in the 2 Kings, xviii., where mention is made of the ten tribes, whom he led and brought to a place called Malah, and Habor, and the Mountains of Gozan and Media, by which it is clearly proved that the Tribes were brought to those places," &c. They are many who see the truth, but will not believe it.

The same author describes, in his Book, the Ninth Chap ter of Perkey Abbot, a great and wonderful country, with deserts and many great and fortified and high cities, as well as many curious animals, of which there are some in this country, some of them being very wild. He also writes of a great many sorts of birds, and of there being two roads in the Wilderness, and in the woods, that lead to the north, a place called Sequetena Eestera, where there are a great many long mountains and numbers of Jews living there ; this is the opinion of the historians and writers before mentioned. He also gives an account, in the fourth chapter of his book, of the relation of a man who came from those parts far from the countries before mentioned. " There arrived," he says, " an Israelite, named David Reobeny, from the tribe of Reuben, in his time, more than forty-five years past ; the place from whence he came is called Habor in the desert ; that there are two tribes, and that the greater part have (Aohalem) tents, likewise called Bassaa myore, and not far from thence live the remnant of the ten tribes ; that they are near to the Deserts, to go to a place called Alameka, which is near the Red Sea ; that these Jews have many kings and princes, and are innumerable like the sands of the sea."

Now this is the blessing with which the Almighty blessed our Patriarch Abraham, as is observed in Genesis, xxii. 17, where he says — "And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, which shall not be numbered for multitude," <fec. There grow spices, and other drugs, and every good thing that you can desire in the world, amongst the Jews at Habor, before coming up to the other eight tribes, who are far off. In the middle there is a nation of Ishmaelites, Mahometans, who are very strong and powerful, and have their kings, who would not allow the Jews (for they are their enemies) to pass through, in order to go and visit their brethren of the other eight tribes, although very anxious to do so ; but a time will come when, according to the word of God, they will all come together. Moreover, in the fourth chapter of his book, he says as follows : but we can give the particulars only briefly, for it would occupy much time to write everything respecting the Sea of (Husa) India, and that of Okyanus and what comes from the land of Great India.

In order to tell the particulars respecting it, we must turn to the commencement. After the passage of the above-named gulf, the travellers go to the borders of Lameka, which is near the Indian Sea, and if they should wish to go up, and travel by land, they will there find many great deserts and woods, and also many cities, with a great many Jews who live in them, near the large river called Ganios or Gozan. It is the river Gozan, of which we have already spoken, which is written of in many books, and known by many Europeans. It is mentioned in the holy Bible, mountains of Gozan. At the end of the book it is said, that Kelikut is the place where all sorts of spices and incense grow, especially those that are brought from afar, and come from the isles about the Great Sea, an account of which is to be found in those books of the times, according to which there are fifteen hundred isles inhabited by a great many Jews.

Thus it is, that in those parts around the borders and beyond the deserts on the borders of Mika, and also above the deserts of Kalikut, there are many Jews living who have their kings and governors, are respectable and very rich, and reside far from one another. At a great distance from the road of Kalikut are deserts, where there is near a million of Jews. But in the isles just mentioned, it is impossible to count the •number of wealthy Jews, who live there with their kings and governors, of whom there are more than in Europe ; they carry on a great trade by land and sea ; and there are many neighboring nations who pay them an annual tribute, of which mention is made by various authors in their works. They possess diamonds, gold, jewels, and silver, besides divers kinds of merchandise, and particularly fine-smelling spices.

And thus wrote a wise philosopher, in his book, entitled, Holam Hadas, or the New World, which was printed in Venice many year,s ago ; there are numbers who, through jealousy, do not like to write or publish; but the world cannot keep or conceal what there will, some day or other, be published openly, with the help of Providence. This author, in the second chapter of this book on the New World, says, " It was told us, regarding the Jews who are in the places we mention, that they are in great numbers, are rich, have kings, princes, and governors of themselves ;" and in the same chapter of his book, he relates concerning the cities and places around India ; and so we declare respecting the River Sambatyon, on the borders of India Upper, beyond the River Ganges, which is in our language called Gozan, as declared in 2 Kings, xvii. 6, " about Halah and Habor, mountains of Gozan and Media."

Now, kind and honorable readers, I, the author of this Work, declare, on my word of honor, that I have heard it said by many respectable and trustworthy persons, that they saw at Rome, amongst many other curious things which are there, a sand-glass, the sand of which was taken out of the River Sambatyon. The sand runs all the week, and stops on the Sabbath-day. It has also been seen at Leghorn ; consequently, my friendly reader, with the understanding God has given you, you will judge, by this wonderful history, that it is true and certain, and moreover, that it is a thing which is written in the Talmud, &c. Some ignorant people there are, who believe nothing; and so perverse as to be unwilling to be convinced, letting every thing fall to the ground. With their bawling unbelief, and pride, such persons close their hearts against understanding or knowing the Sacred Bible ; and they shut their eyes to the light of the Holy or Sacred Talmud, called Tora Shebaal Pee (Mental Law) ; they are even ignorant of any ancient or modern authors, profane or sacred.

For such unbelieving persons I will bring, in support of what I say, the testimony of an author who has obtained belief and credit in all nations, and it is Joseph Ben Gurgun, the Great, called in their language, Joseph de Bella Judaica, or Josephus, who, in his History of the Wars of the Jews, last book, thirty-fifth chap ter, says in the following manner: "The Emperor Thetos, returning from Paras and Maday (that is Persia and India), met with the Jews on the other side of the River Sambatyon, and it being Sabbath, he rested, and then crossed with his army, and was received by the Jews with honor and respect ; and, when he left, he gave the name of Sabatino to this river, which means, reposing on the Sabbath-day." This author, speaking of the River Sambatyon, adds, that there are many millions of Jews, that they have their kings, princes, and governors, as formerly, when they were in the Holy Land ; that the only thing wanting is the sacrifice, which they cannot have till the temple is built for the third time, as will happen, with divine assistance, according to the prophecies of Ezekiel and others.

The above-named author (whom I have quoted more at length in my book, called Vecouah, or Magen Abra ham) continually speaks of it. That is true, which the great and wise masters have said and related, besides what is related by the before-named celebrated author in a book printed in Venice, wherein he says, that there were found in Kalikut great numbers of Jews, who were very rich, and traded in all kinds of valuable merchandise, spices, &c. ; and that these Jews are the ten tribes. Between the mountains of Gozan and the rivers of Media, and beyond all these rivers, is the river Sambatyon, called Sabatino, which separates India from the desert of Habor on the side nearest to us ; and on the farther side are these Jews, who have their territory and cities among the mountains of Gozan and the rivers ; and among those who reside in Habor, which is below Arabia Felix, there are many cities filled with Jews, and many Ish maelites (and) Mahometans, who, as we have formerly observed, prevent the latter from joining their brethren.

This author, moreover, says in his Book, chap. 25, thus : " I have found written in divers authors, and in a Book called The New World, chap. 55, Alesbona is the beginning of the King dom of Portugal, as far as Kalikut in Asia, on the borders of India, making a distance of three thousand five hundred miles, or one thousand five hundred and four, of our miles." It is a journey of sixteen months, at least if the weather be good (that is to say, middling) in going and returning ; and thus in this chapter he says, " that it is asserted by the Portuguese, as we have heard all our lives their priests say, that the Blacks who arrived there every day, know for sure that Jews live with them in their towns ; and they related a great deal respecting their power and greatness. They also make mention of the clergy, and pilgrims, of whom there is a So ciety of three hundred established in Rome; and I have heard it from persons entitled to respect and credit who had been at different times at Kalikut, and it was also related before the Duke Erkelus in the city of Ferrara, where I was ; and I have heard all the accounts of these parts of Kalikut, and Lamek, and Porteguyane, and the Jews who live there, and their kings, and their affairs, and their trades," &c. He also says, in chapter twenty-six, thus, " I have seen it written in different books, and particularly one called Rogueo Saka, and also in Ptolemy and Kaketeas Regeo Lat, that, in that part of India, near the boundaries of India Mestera, is the kingdom of Baliol, which is the end of Arbea ;" and all this is written in the book, that gives an account of the many Jews who are shut up in those places, which book also contains the follow ing maxim : — Happy is he who comes here and has learned all that has been in his power.

This maxim is in reference to the departure of a person from this miserable and wretched life ; and when the soul is ushered into the presence of the Deity and the tribunal of Justice, and asked what did he employ his time in when in this life ; if he is judicious, and employs his time to the best advantage, he is accordingly rewarded ; but if, on the con trary, he spent his time in the follies and pleasures of life, he goes to Abaddon or perdition. But, as this is not the place to insert the whole of this discourse, we will return to our subject, that is to say, this book of mine contains the cream of all that has been written on the matter in hand, and in consequence, I have given it the title of Mahasay Nisim, Book of Miracles. This work speaks of the miracles which the blessed God wrought in our behalf, and which he still performs every moment for us, and particularly those in favor of the ten tribes who exist at the present day, and who have great wealth ; and kings, princes, governors, lands, and cattle, are given them by the assistance of God: it also treats of the letter which was sent from Sambatyon in a very wonderful manner (proofs of which I will bring in the proper place.)

And I pray that I may find such favor in the eyes of the Almighty, as will dispose him to let me return to Jerusalem, to join my family and brethren, for I wish to go and die there and be buried there, all which will take place with the will of God, not my permission ; and therefore I have composed this book to find grace in his eyes, and those of the public, for whose instruction it is written, and also that their days and my own may be prolonged in this life, and that we may enjoy the next. And, moreover, I pray that he will enable me to print other books, which I have made on various precious, and, to the public, instructive subjects, as may be seen in the books composed and published by me, called Torat Haim, or the Law of Life, printed in London, in the Year of the World, 5550, or 1790; and also in a book published in Amsterdam, in the Year of the World, 5559, or 1799, called Yad Moseh, the Hand of Moses.

And so, I pray the Almighty and blessed God of Israel to assist me to meditate in his Holy Land, as well as my seed and generation after me, with health and prosperity. TESTIMONIES. The first testimony to prove the existence of the River Sambatyon, is the Targum of Jonathan Ben Oziel, the Chaldee of Jonathan, the son of Oziel, in the Targum on Exodus xxxiv. 10, saying, " Behold I make a covenant ; before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation. And all the people amongst which thou art, shall see the work of the Lord, for it is a ter rible thing that I will do with thee. This means, ' I will place my covenant amongst them, and will not abhor them nor mix them with other nations ; but from them there shall arise many just and good people ; and I will make signs and do wonders among them when captives in Babylon, and deliver them and conduct them to the other side of the River Sambatyon.

And I will do unto you what I have done unto no other people nor country, and in its terror and greatness it shall surpass everything that was done before.' " The above is the commentary of the Targum Jonathan, the son of Oziel. Secondly, in the book called Caphtor Vaferah, p. 36, it speaks thus : — It happened to the Emperor Tornosrefos, that he met with Rabbi Akiba : he asked him " WThat difference is there between the Sabbath and any other day in the week ? " Rabbi Akiba replied : " And who are you amongst men ? " Tornosrefos said : " What was my question, and what is your answer ? " Rabbi Akiba replied : " You asked me the differ ence between the Sabbath and any other day ; and I ask you in return, what difference is there between Tornosrefos and anybody else." Tornosrefos then said : " God has been pleased to honor me above men, by making me king over them."

Rabbi Akiba said : " God wished and commanded that his people Israel should honor the Sabbath, for on that day he rested from his labors." Tornosrefos replied : "If so, why does God work therein ? " Rabbi Akiba asked : " What work is it that God does therein ? " Tornosrefos replied : "He causes the wind to blow, and the rain to descend." Rabbi Akiba then said : " You ought to know, that according to the law given by God to our prophet Moses on Mount Sinai, if we leave our houses on the Sabbath, it should only be to perform the Erob, (a ceremony enjoined by the Law of Moses,) or to journey a distance of 2000 yards." However, this is a very long account, and I must, for brevity's sake, shorten it. Rabbi Akiba said to Tornosrefos : " By our holy and Divine Law, if there be two persons who live together in a house, if the one has performed the ceremony of the Erob, and the other has not, the latter may, nevertheless, go about the house and move the furniture from one part to the other, in a limited and marked manner ; but if a person live by him self, he may move about with a load, though the house were as great as a forest or province ; and, in a similar manner, God likens himself to a house, by his prophet Isaiah, lxvi. 1 : ' The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool ; where is the house that ye build unto me, and where is the place of my rest?' and as he asks permission of no one, so can he do what seemeth him right on the Sabbath."

Then said Rabbi Akiba to Tornosrefos, " I will bring be fore you another proof of the honor rendered to the Sabbath by God : — When the children of Israel were in the desert, the manna fell from heaven every day except the Sabbath. Another proof is : the River Sambatyon, which flows every day, is still on the Sabbath. " But should you still tell me, that the River Sambatyon is so far off that you cannot go and see for yourself, I will furnish you with another proof, clear and conclusive : — You must know that the wicked, for their misdeeds, go to hell, and suffer torments in that dreadful place every day, but are ex empt and free from them on the Sabbath. Again, if you wish to see the holiness of this day more manifestly, go to the grave of your father ; you will there observe, that every day in the week a smoke arises out of it, but on the Sabbath it does not."

Tornosrefos went as he was desired, and found it to be true. The whole account is much longer ; but my object is solely to prove the existence of the River Sambatyon, as I have already proved from the Targum of Jonathan Ben Oziel, so also from the Talmud, the case of Rabbi Akiba with the Emperor Tornosrefos, &C, &c. The third and greatest proof is the declaration of an Israelite of the tribe of Dan, named Eldad Hadani, who came from those parts, and who published an account of it in a book to which he affixed his own name, printed in the City of Brin, in Germany, in the year of the world, 5543, named Eldad Hadani. ' This account, as that book says, had been printed, at Con stantinople, for the first time, 200 years before ; it then goes on as follows : " And near the place where dwell the children of our prophet (and master) Moses, is the great River Sam batyon, so called from their having fled from idolatry; and that river surrounds them so that no one can enter except on the Sabbath ; other nations call it Sabteno.