Early Travels in Palestine: Comprising the Narratives of Arculf, Willibald, Bernard, Sæwulf, Sigurd, Benjamin of Tudela, Sir John Maundeville, de la Brocquière, and Maundrell
History
Early Travels in Palestine: Comprising the Narratives of Arculf, Willibald, Bernard, Sæwulf, Sigurd, Benjamin of Tudela, Sir John Maundeville, de la Brocquière, and Maundrell
Middle East -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800; Palestine -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800
Upon inquiries after the Ghuzi, the Caphar Tarac or infidel Turks, the
Jews made answer: "Verily they are our allies, and whoever seeks to harm
them we consider our own enemy." The two men returned and reported this
to the king of Persia, who became much afraid, and particularly so when,
after a lapse of two days, the Jews sent a herald to offer him battle.
The king said, "I am not come to make war against you, but against the
Caphar Tarac, or infidel Turks, who are my enemies; and if you attack me
I will certainly take my vengeance, and will destroy all the Jews in my
own kingdom, for I am well aware of your superiority over me in my
present position; but I entreat you to act kindly and not to harass me,
but allow me to fight with the Caphar Tarac, my enemy, and also to sell
me as much provision as I want for the maintenance of my host." The Jews
took counsel among themselves, and determined to comply with the request
of the king of Persia for the sake of his Jewish subjects. The king and
all his host were consequently admitted into the country of the Jews,
and during his stay of fifteen days he was treated with most honourable
distinction and respect. The Jews, however, meanwhile sent information
to their allies, the Caphar Tarac, and made them acquainted with the
above-mentioned circumstances; these took possession of all the mountain
passes, and assembled a considerable host, consisting of all the
inhabitants of that desert and when the king of Persia went forth to
give them battle, the Caphar Tarac conquered, killing and slaying so
many of the Persians, that the king escaped to his country with only
very few followers. One of the horsemen of the retinue of the king
enticed a Jew of that country, named R. Moses, to go along with him; he
carried this man with him into Persia, and there made him a slave. Upon
a certain day, when the king was the spectator of sports carried on for
his amusement, and consisting principally of the exercise of handling
the bow, among all competitors none excelled this R. Moses. The king
thereupon inquired after this man by means of an interpreter, and was
told what had happened to him, and how he had been forcibly carried away
from his country by the horseman; upon learning which the king not only
immediately granted him his liberty, but gave him a dress of honour,
composed of silk and fine linen, and many other presents. A proposal was
also made to R. Moses, that if he would renounce his religion for that
of the Persians, he should be treated with the utmost kindness, should
gain considerable riches, and be made the king's steward; but he
refused, and said, "I cannot make up my mind to any such step." The
king, however, placed him in the house of the rabbi Sar Shalom,
of the Ispahan congregation, who in the course of time became his
father-in-law. This very R. Moses related all these things unto me.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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