"From this isle of ancient fame, the Hindoos and the lone isles of the Pacific and Atlantic Seas, again receive their Vedas and sacred scrolls. "The uplifted shell sounded from this Arctic isle, will gain the ear of the wakeful Spirits of peace within it, and upon either Continent; of those watchers of the world, who listen to gather and transmit to all kindred and nations, the grateful sounds fraught with good tidings, which ascend ever and anon, as the all-presiding God calls them forth from some one of his train on Earth."1 XXXVIII THE CENTENARY of thE BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY THOSE Who wish to read the full record of the Society's work can do so in the two delightful volumes of Mr. William Canton. In his History of the British and Foreign Bible Society (London, Murray, 1904) he tells, in fine style, the story of the first half-century of the Society's career. When the Society began its work, that is to say at the beginning of the nineteenth century, "all the Bibles in the world in all languages and in every land, printed or in MSS., did not greatly exceed 4,000,000 copies, and of the forty or fifty languages into which the Scriptures have been translated, several, like the Anglo-Saxon of Bede and the Maso-Gothic of Ulfilas, were extinct tongues." But now how stands the matter? "Under its auspices and mainly at its charges, scholars have been employed in translating the Scriptures into over 300 languages, including all the great vernaculars of the world. Neither expense nor labour has been spared in making these versions as perfect as possible; and when completed they have been printed, and thus placed within the reach of the poorest of those for whom they were intended. In 100 years over 180,000,000 copies of the scriptures, complete or in part, have been issued by the Society; and at the present time more than 6,000,000 copies per annum are being put into circulation." The well-known scholar, Dr. Israel Abrahams, after quoting this passage in the Jewish Chronicle, March 4th, 1904, rightly remarks: ". . . the Society is doing a noble work, with much of which Jews must completely sympathise. With some of its work we do not sympathise; but this reservation does not prevent us from offering cordial congratulations to the Society on its centenary,.. This is our point of view with regard to non-Jewish activities on behalf of Zionism, as well as on behalf of the Bible. " 1 A Call to the Christians and the Hebrews. By Theaetetus. ... London MDCCCXIX. 8°. 1 1.+35 pp. [B. M.] pp. 16-17, 33-34. I XXXIX LORD KITCHENER AND THE PALESTINE EXPLORATION FUND DR. SAMUEL DAICHES read a paper on the 7th February, 1915, to the Jews' College Union Society about Lord Kitchener's work in Palestine. Sir Edward Pears, who is a member of the Council of the Palestine Exploration Fund, presided. Dr. Daiches pointed out that there was an early period in Lord Kitchener's life which provided him with work in which he developed his great capacities-the period of his work in Palestine-nearly forty years ago, when he was engaged for four years (from 1874 to 1878) in exploration work in the Holy Land. He first took up the work (at the age of twenty-four) as secondin-command under Lieutenant Conder, and later, owing to the ill-health of Conder, took command of the survey party of the Palestine Exploration Fund. The lecturer made it clear that the real underlying motive which induced Lord Kitchener to take up this work was a love for the Bible and the land of the Bible. Kitchener left for Palestine in command of the Survey in January, 1877. By the beginning of July the survey of Galilee was completed, 1000 square miles having been added to the map. Four weeks later he went with a reduced party to the south country and surveyed 340 square miles in the desert around Beer Sheba. The survey of the whole of Western Palestine was thus completed. Then the revision work was done. In January, 1878, Kitchener was back in England, and after a short leave he joined Conder at the South Kensington Museum, and arranged and wrote the Memoirs for the sheets of the map executed by himself. In September he formally handed over to the Committee the whole of the Maps and Memoirs complete. As a result of the work of Conder and Kitchener we now have the large map of Western Palestine in twenty-six sheets, three volumes of Memoirs on the topography, orthography, hydrography and archæology, and the volume of Arabic and English name lists. A volume of Special Papers (vol. v. of the series) contains contributions from Conder and Kitchener. Kitchener's contributions concerning the ancient Synagogues in Galilee are very valuable, and his reports show a sympathetic understanding of Jewish traditions in Palestine.1 1 Lord Kitchener and his work in Palestine. By Dr. Samuel Daiches. London 1915. (8°. 88 pp.) XL BONAPARTE'S CALL TO THE JEWS (1799) Gazette Nationale ou Le Moniteur Universel. No. 243. Tridi, 3 prairial an 7 de la république française une et indivisible. [Page] 987. Politique. Turquie. Constantinople, le 28 germinal. "Bonaparte a fait publier une proclamation, dans laquelle il invite tous les juifs de l'Asie et de l'Afrique à venir se ranger sous ses drapeaux pour rétablir l'ancienne Jérusalem. Il en a déjà armé un grand nombre, et leurs bataillons menacent Alep." No. 279. Nonidi, 9 messidor etc. [Pages] 1136-1137. De la conquête probable de-l'empire ottoman par Bonaparte. "... Attendons la confirmation de ces heureuses nouvelles. Si elles sont prématurées, nous aimons à croire qu'elles se réaliseront un jour. Ce n'est pas seulement pour rendre aux juifs leur Jérusalem que Bonaparte a conquis la Syrie; ...” (David.) XLI [A ZIONIST] LETTER, ADDRESSED BY A [FRENCH] JEW TO HIS CO-RELIGIONISTS IN 1798 "Brothers, "You who have groaned for so many ages under the weight of the cruelest persecutions, do you not wish to burst from the state of degrading humiliation in which intolerant and barbarous religions have placed you? Contempt accompanies us everywhere. Our sufferings are unpitied and despised. The unshaken constancy with which we have preserved the faith of our ancestors, far from procuring for us the admiration due to such a conduct, has only increased the unjust hatred which all nations bear towards us. It is only by affecting the exterior of baseness and misery, that we are enabled to secure our property and preserve our unhappy existence. It is at least time to shake off this insupportable yoke-it is time to resume our rank among the other nations of the universe. Vile robbers possess that sacred land which our ancestors were compelled to yield to the Romans. They profane the holy City which we defended with so much courage. Posterity has preserved a dreadful remembrance of the struggle-we, surely, have not forgotten it. That courage has only slumbered: the hour to awaken it is arrived. O my brethren! let us rebuild the temple of Jerusalem! "An invincible nation, which now fills the world with her glory, has shewn us what the love of country can perform. Let us implore her generosity-request her assistance; and we may be assured that the philosophy which guides the chiefs of that nation, will induce them to give our demand a favourable reception. "We are more than six millions of people scattered over the face of the earth; we possess immense riches: let us employ the means that are in our power to restore us to our country. The moment is propitious, and to profit by it, is our duty. The following are the means best suited for carrying this holy enterprize into execution :-There shall be established a Council, the members of which shall be elected by the Jews, who are spread over Europe, Asia, and Africa. [Here the writer divides the Jews into the 15 following tribes, viz. The Italian, Helvetic, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Northern, British, Spanish, Gallic, Dutch, Prussian, German, Turkish, Asiatic, and African. These the author proposes shall each form a body of electors in the capitals of the respective districts; and then he proceeds.] "The fifteen deputies of these tribes shall form the Council, which shall hold its sittings at Paris. When they shall have assembled to the number of nine, they may begin to deliberate on the object of their mission. Their decisions will have with all the Jews the force of laws; they shall be obliged to submit to them. The Council shall appoint an agent, to communicate to the Executive Directory of France the propositions which it may think proper to make to the French government." "The country we propose to occupy shall include (liable to such arrangements as shall be agreeable to France) Lower Egypt, with the addition of a district of country, which shall have for its limits a line running from Ptomelais or Saint John D'Acre, to the Asphaltic Lake, or Dead Sea, and from the South point of that Lake to the Red Sea. This position, which is the most advantageous in the world, will render us, by the navigation of the Red Sea, masters of the commerce of India, Arabia and the South and East of Africa; Abyssinia, and Ethiopia, those rich countries which furnished Solomon with so much gold and ivory and so many precious stones, will trade the more willingly with us, that the greater part of their inhabitants still practise the law of Moses. The neighbourhood of Aleppo and Damascus will facilitate our commerce with Persia; and by the Mediterranean we may communicate with Spain, France, Italy, and the rest of Europe. Placed in the centre of the world, our country will become the entrepôt of all the rich and precious productions of the earth. "The Council shall offer to the French government, if it will give us the assistance necessary to enable us to return to our country, and to maintain ourselves in the possession of it, "1. Every pecuniary indemnification. 2. To share the commerce of India, &c. with the merchants of France only. 'The other arrangements, and the propositions to be made to the Ottoman Porte, cannot yet be rendered public: we must, in these matters, repose on the wisdom of the Council, and the good faith of the French nation. Let us choose upright and enlightened deputies, and we may have confidence in the success of this undertaking. "O my brethren! what sacrifices ought we not to make to obtain this object? We shall return to our country-we shall live under our own laws-we shall behold those sacred places which our ancestors illustrated with their courage and their virtues. I already see you all animated with a holy zeal. Israelites! the term of your misfortunes is at hand. The opportunity is favourable-take care you do not allow it to escape."1 This appeal-a prototype of Pinsker's Autoemancipation and of Herzl's Judenstaat-produced a deep impression, but since the whole expedition proved a failure, Jewish opinion-not on the principle, but on the opportunity and the means-was divided. XLII "TRANSACTIONS OF THE PARISIAN SANHEDRIM," BY DIOGENE TAMA TRANSACTIONS Of The Parisian Sanhedrim, Or Acts Of The Assembly Of Israelitish Deputies of France and Italy, Convoked At Paris By An Imperial And Royal Decree, Dated May 30, 1806. Translated From The Original Published By M. Diogene Tama, With A Preface And Illustrative Notes By F. D. Kirwan, Esq. London; . . . Published by Charles Taylor, Hatton Street. 1807. (8°. xvi +334 pp.) [I. S.] 1 The Restoration of the Jews the Crisis of all Nations; ... Second Edition. By J. Bicheno, M.A. London:... 1807.... (8°. 2 ll. +235 pp. (I. S.]) pp. 60-62. |