Menasseh ben Israel's Mission to Oliver Cromwell: Being a reprint of the pamphlets published by Menasseh ben Israel to promote the re-admission of the Jews to England, 1649-1656Manasseh ben Israel
History
Menasseh ben Israel's Mission to Oliver Cromwell: Being a reprint of the pamphlets published by Menasseh ben Israel to promote the re-admission of the Jews to England, 1649-1656
Manasseh ben Israel
Jews -- Great Britain
Neither is there weight in the Argument which some have brought to me,
if they be in the world, why doe we not know them better? There are many
things which we know, and yet know not their original; are we not to
this day ignorant of the heads of the four Rivers, _Nilus_, _Ganges_,
_Euphrates_, and _Tegris_? also there are many unknown Countryes.
Besides, though some live in knowne and neighbour Countrys, yet they are
unknown by being behind Mountains; so it happened under the reign of
_Ferdinand_, and _Isabel_, that some Spaniards were found out by
accident, at _Batueca_, belonging to the Duke of _Alva_, which place is
distant but ten miles from _Salamanca_, and near to _Placentia_, whither
some Spaniards fled, when the _Moors_ possessed _Spaine_, and dwelt
there 800 years. If therefore a people could lie hid so long in the
middle of _Spaine_, why may we not say that those are hid, whom God will
not have any perfectly to know, before the end of days?
And these things we have gathered concerning the habitations of the ten
Tribes, who, we beleeve, do still keep the Jewish Rites, as in 2 _King._
17.26. when the Israelites were carryed captive by _Salmaneser_, and
those of _Cuthah_ came in their stead, an Israelitish Priest was sent by
the King, to teach them, because Lyons infested them, for that they were
ignorant that there was another worship used in the land: but when the
Priest saw that it was impossible to take that people wholly off from
Idolatry, he permitted them to worship divers gods, so that they would
acknowledge one, to be the mover of all things. The same is also
sufficiently proved out of all the Histories which we have alledged. And
our brethren do keep the law more zealously out of their land, then in
it, as being neither ambitious, nor contentious (which hath sometimes
happened with the family of _David_) by which means they might easily
erre in the true Religion, not acknowledge _Jerusalem_, and withdraw
that obedience, which is due to the Lord, and to his Temple.
_SECT._ 22.
Wee learne out of the first of _Ezra_, that none of the ten Tribes
entred the second Temple; for it is said that only some of the Tribe of
_Judah_, and some of _Benjamin_ did returne. _Ezra_ also saith the same
in the first of _Chronicles_, that _Salmaneser_ carryed the ten Tribes
to _Hala_, _Habor_, and _Hara_, and to the river _Gozan_ to this day: so
that you may gather that at that time they were there. So likewise
_Josephus in Antiq; Ind. lib._ 11. _c._ 5.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account