Jews
HEBREWS, or ISRAELITES, a people whose ancestors appear very early in the written history of mankind on the banks of the Euphrates, Jordan, and Nile, and whose fragments are now to be seen, in large or small numbers, in almost all the cities of the world; and though thinly scattered, both among the rudest and most civilized nations, preserving through thousands of ages common features, habits, religion, literature, and the same language -a phenomenon unparalleled in history. Descended from Abraham, the Jews were at first called Hebrews, from the alleged ancestor of that patriarch, Heber. After the time of Jacob, their first appellation was replaced by the word Israelites , from Israel, a surname of Jacob. The term Jew, derived from Judæus, dates from the captivity in Babylon. The Jewish people assign their origin to Abraham, to Abraham , whom they designate the father of their race. After Abraham, Isaac, his son, , his son , became their chief; then Jacob, or Israel, the son of Isaac. Jacob had 12 sons, among them Judah, the ancestor of David and of Jesus Christ. The descendants of Jacob multiplying very rapidly, they were eventually divided into 12 tribes, each of which was regarded as having been founded by one of the children of Jacob. In the closing years of his life Jacob settled in Egypt , in the land of Goshen. His posterity, powerful at first, were afterward enslaved and persecuted by the Pharaohs. Moses delivered them from their bondage in Egypt, and put himself at their head to conduct them into the land of Canaan. Under his leadership, the Jews miraculously passed the Red Sea, when Pharaoh and all his host were drowned .
After wandering for 40 years in the desert, where Moses died, they reached the Land of Promise, their leader being Joshua, who had succeeded Moses.
Joshua established the Jews in the Land of Promise and, dividing the country into 12 parts, gave a portion to each of the 12 tribes. After Joshua, the government was confided to a council of elders, JEWS then to judges; subsequently it became country. The Board was represented in then to judges; subsequently it became monarchial. Saul was the first king of the Jews; David succeeded him, and was followed by Solomon. These three kings established the dominion of the Jews throughout the ancient land of Canaan, and, for a short period, the kingdom extended to the Euphrates and the Red Sea, on which Solomon possessed the port of Elath. But on the death of the last king, the 12 tribes were divided, and from that schism sprang two kingdoms. The kingdom of Judah remained faithful to the lineal descendants of David, and offered allegiance to Rehoboam, son of Solomon; the kingdom of ; the kingdom ki of Israel elected for its sovereign Jeroboam.
These two kingdoms, weakened by perpetual warfare and discord, were in the end enslaved. The kingdom of Israel was destroyed by Shalmaneser, King of Assyria, and the kingdom of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar, who first carried captive to Babylon a great part of the inhabitants, and afterward took Jerusalem by ass assault, destroyed the temple, and reduced to slavery the whole of the people .
After a captivity of 70 years, the Jews obtained from Cyrus permission to reestablish themselves in Jerusalem, where they were governed by high priests. high priests .
After the fall of the Persian empire, the Jews passed successively under the dominion of Alexander; of Ptolemy, King of Egypt; of Seleucus Nicator, King of Syria; and after once more falling under the sway of the kings of Egypt, were subsequently enslaved by the Syrians. Against these the Jews rose, under the leadership of Maccabæus, and threw off their yoke. The Maccabees became the hereditary sovereigns. Subsequently, the Romans interfered in the internal affairs of the Jewish kingdom and placed Herod I. on the throne of the Maccabees, 37 B. C. It was under the reign of Herod that our Saviour was born. After the death of King Herod , Palestine was distributed among his sons, and divided into four portions, called tetrarchies (Judæa, Galilee, Abilene, Ituræa) but in a few years the Romans sent into the country a pro-consul, who governed in their name, and shortly afterward Rome was sole master of the whole kingdom.
It was under The Jews, impatiently supporting the Roman sway, revolted many times. The Emperor Titus took Jerusalem in the year 70, after a fearful siege of five months, as was prophesied. The city was again taken, under Adrian, in the year 135: the Jews were in great part exterminated; those who survived being driven forever from Jerusalem. From this period the Jews, ceasing to form an independent nation, have been scattered vere permi uvate com In Chri we had to u cion. They in 1290 and fron In Germa Etter foo Spanish do In Fra at Bay 1784 poll Unite 5,000 ater-m diver y prese eature, of squilin Semitic simitive Mi nom desert began to 5, and a senes. were inst handing nd in almd strious nts of bus JEWS over the earth. When Christianity became the religion of the Romans, their condition became 418, military service was interdicted condition became very miserable. In interdicted was them; in 610 the Emperor Heraclius persecuted them with many cruel enactments. Islamism treated them less rigorously. Under the reign of the Caliphs, the Jews of Asia, of Africa, and of Spain, were permitted to live in peace, and to cultivate commerce, letters, and the sciences.
In Christian Europe, especially during the period of the Crusades, the Jews had to undergo every form of persecution . They were driven from England in 1290, from Central France in 1395, and from Spain and Sicily in 1492. In Germany, they bethe emperors and the nobles, who bought and sold them at their pleasure.
The Inquisition was a particularly bitter foe to the Jews, especially in the Spanish dominions. In condition became much improved. In France they were allowed to settle at Bayonne and Bor- 1784 they were relieved from the poll tax which had hitherto been imposed on them. Shortly afterward the other European States, following the example of France, treated them in a more liberal spirit.
The Jews are spread quarter of the globe, being exceedingly over every numerous in Russia, Germany, Poland, and the N. of Africa.
There are over 3,000,000 in the United States. One 11,000,000 throughout the world. Though inter-mixed for 1,800 years with so many diverse nations, the Jews have not only preserved their religion, as already said, but a certain national type of feature , of which the most salient points are a thick lips, and an aquiline nose.
Jews belong to the Semitic race, as is The dark skin, proved by their language, which is allied with the Arabic, the Syriac, and the Chaldean. Their primitive life was patriarchal, pastoral , nomadic, perhapscertainly so in the desert between their departure from Egypt and entrance into the Land of Promise.
In addition to the Old Testament they possess a literature which chiefly consists of legends, songs, . After their return from captivity in Babylon, philobegan to take their rise among the Jews, and a number of sects sprang up, such as the Pharisees, . During the Middle Ages the Jews were instrumental, like the Arabs, in handing down the learning of antiquity.
In our own day and in almost every country they have illustrious representathey have illustrious representatives in all departments of business ac- JEZEBEL tivity, and in the professions. Their the professions. religion is founded entirely on the Old the divinity of Jesus lowers to believe in the coming of the Christ; but nevertheless teaches its folteaches is fol- Messiah, who will collect the scattered Jewish people and found a great empire.
The Jews admit no other revelation than that of Moses and the prophets; they time the same ceremonies which the ancient Hebrews practiced-the celebration of the Sabbath, the Passover, the abstinence from certain viands which are termed unclean.
With the ancient Jews all the priests the name of Levites, which, at the pres- were of the tribe of Levi; they thus bore ent time, is changed to rabbis. After Jews, during the reign of Adrian, the principal doctors of religion assembled at Tiberias, where they formed a grand council, or Sanheschool which became the nursery of their rabbis. These last composed, under the title of the Talmud, a work, designed to contain the oral work was completed in the year 500 of law and traditions of the Jews. This the Christian era; and, with the greatest portion of the Jews, it became the basis of their faith; some, however, refused to accept it. Hence arose the division of mudists, or Rabbinists, who follow the the Jews into two rival sects-the Tal- Talmud; and the Caraites, who follow See ANTI-SEMITES. the strict letter of the Old Testament.
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