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they have adopted some of the manners and customs of the mountain tribes, differ materially from the natives, through their inclinations, their moral purity, and their predilection for a quiet, settled mode of life. They consider themselves descendants from the Crimean Caraites, who emigrated in the sixteenth century, from Fanagoria, in the Crimea, and settled among the transcubanic tribes. They were at first well received, as they were experienced gunsmiths, and were acquainted with the preparation of gunpowder. But, as they settled themselves in single families, they were soon reduced to a state of servitude. It was usual to meet with, near five or six of the natives, one or two Jewish families, who were compelled to labour for the mountaineers. But a worse fate awaited them. The Mahomedan prophet, Sheich Mansur, who excited the inhabitants of Tchetchentzia, in the last century to rebellion, came also to the forests Abchasia. It then occurred that first the heathens, then the Christians, and again the Moslems, obtained the superiority. The Turkish merchants, whose trade was diminished by means of the cleverness of the Caraites, excited the people against the Jews, many of whom died under tortures, even suffering death at the burning stake.

But there arose a certain Joseph Kadi, the son of a smith, and himself a smith. When a boy, he had been sold as a slave to Tchetchentzia, and he had lived in servitude in the highlands of Fartam. He possessed a glowing and enterprising spirit, left at length his master, and roamed about from village to village, during a period of ten years, as a Tchetchentzian smith. In these wanderings he beheld the servitude of his brethren, and the thought to deliver them became the aim of his life. But cautious and experienced as his active life had rendered him, he kept his resolve locked up within his own bosom, sharpened quietly the daggers of the mountaineers, and polished their arms. But, all of a sudden, the Jews rose up at his call, made their escape from their oppressors, and marched, upon his invitation, to the rocks of Sogdia, in Abchasia. Within five months, Kadi succceeded in bringing together in that neighbourhood several thousand of the unhappy Caraites; and in the course of two years he organised his new state in such a manner that, even now, those resident in that vicinity admire him, and the Jews, but just before reduced to servitude and despised, are now respected, and meet with a friendly reception among the mountain tribes. Kadi knew well the ignorance of the latter, and the dexterity of the Caraites in all manner of handicraft, and trans

formed every house of the three villages inhabited by them into a workshop. The mountaincers now came forward and bought powder of them, had clothes made by them, and their muskets cleaned. The Jews treated them friendlily and hospitably, but always with cautious suspicion. Even in the most important mercantile transactions, no more than nine mountaineers are permitted to come at one time into one of the villages of Sogdia, and these, even, must be unarmed; at the same time sentinels are always posted, and no Jew is ever permitted to leave the vicinity of his village under penalty of perpetual banishment.-Orient.

MAIMONIDES.

THIS is a name that very frequently meets the eye of the readers of The Herald, and other publications relating to the Jews. The following brief account of Maimonides is from Dr. Da Costa's well-known work, “Israel and the Gentiles."

Equaling Aben Ezra in the extent and variety of his knowledge, though perhaps his inferior in character and genius, Maimonides, his contemporary, has, without doubt, made a more forcible and decided impression upon the whole views of posterity, especially among his own nation. When we have given a few particulars concerning his character and biography, we will endeavour to point out the nature of this influence, and the kind of feeling that was awakened in the synagogue by the theology of this doctor.

Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon, or, with the Greek termination that has since been affixed, Maimonides, and among the Jews, by a peculiar species of abbreviation with which they are familiar, "Rambam," was born at Cordova, in Spain-at that time in possession of the Arabs-1139.

His father, Maimon, held the dignity of Judge of the Jews, in his native city, as other members of the family had done for some centuries previous. (His genealogy is found in one of his works, ascending in the male line thus:-Moses, the son of Maimon, the Judge, son of Joseph the Wise, who was the son of Isaac, son of Joseph, son of Obadiah, son of Solomon, son of Obadiah-all Judges.)

The Jews are accustomed to designate their chief rabbis and writers, by composing a word formed of the initial consonants of their names, prefixing the initial of their title of Rabbi. Thus Moses Ben Maimon is called by them Rambam-a name we must distinguish from Ramban, the similar abbreviation of Rabbi Moses Ben Nachman.

Moses himself, born of his father's first marriage with a woman of inferior rank, was in childhood treated with contempt by the rest of the family, and by his father with a degree of severity, on account of his apparent stupidity. Having been for a time confided to the charge of Rabbi Joseph Aben Megas, or, according to some, to his son, Rabbi Meir Ben Joseph, at Lucena, he returned to his father's abode, so much improved in learning and polished in manners, that contempt was exchanged for admiration.

From that time, he applied himself to the study of Arabic, astronomy, and medicine, under the celebrated Averroes. In the science of medicine he afterwards excelled, and published several works on the subject. From this learned Arab the son of the Hebrew Judge received his knowledge of Aristotle, whose works were brought into Europe by the Arabs, where they gained an influence which for many centuries pervaded the whole of Christendom.

The events which happened both to Averreos and Maimonides, and nearly at the same time, bore a singular coincidence. Averroes, first placed at Cordova as magistrate, by the African prince of the Mohadites, commenced delivering in that city a public course of instruction, by which he gained many personal enemies. Accused of having spoken with disrespect of the Koran, he was stripped both of his dignity and fortune, in 1163.

In this distress he sought a refuge among the Jews of Cordova, some say even in the house of Maimonides. Soon after this escape, he fled from that city and took refuge at Fez, in Africa, where he was compelled to undergo a humiliating penance at the door of the Mosque, and to recant some of his opinions, considered adverse to the religion of the Koran. He afterwards returned to Cordova, where he was soon reinstated in his former office of professor, which he continued to exercise during the space of forty years. About the same time Maimonides was compelled by persecution to quit his Spanish fatherland. A party among the Jews, discontented with African rule, sought an alliance with the Christian sovereigns, especially King Alphonso VIII., of Leon and Castile. Maimonides, at all times disinclined to look favourably on Christians, and alas! also on Christianity itself, preferred remaining on the Saracen territory in Spain, and consented to an outward conformity with the rites of Islamism, in preference to seeking refuge in a Christian country.

As soon as a favourable opportunity presented itself he escaped to Africa, and after a short residence at Morocco, estab

lished himself in Egypt. There, for some time, he traded in precious stones and metals. When the Turks, after completing their conquests in Asia, overthrew the reigning dynasty in Egypt, and established their dominion in that country, Maimonides attached himself to one of their generals, to whom he became both physician and counsellor.

By this means he was soon brought to the notice of Salaheddin Yuzaf Ben Ayub, formerly vizier of Bagdad, who became, after the year 1171, Sultan, or (as he was more usually called) King of Egypt, and taken into his service. He filled the same post at the court of this prince, and consequently remained at Cairo till the day of his death, in 1208, with the exception of a few years spent in disgrace and exile, caused by the odious accusations of his enemies, that he had attempted to poison the Sultan. He is said to have spent all the time of his banishment in a cave; at all events he devoted it entirely to his studies, the fruits of which have filled many volumes. He was afterwards recalled, and reinstated in the favour of the Sultan. He has given us a sketch of his way of life during forty years, when his time was divided between his practice as a physician, his employment at the court of Egypt, and his diligent and extensive labour in his study. It is preserved in a letter written by him to Rabbi Samuel Aben Tibbon, the diligent translator of his Arabic works into the Hebrew tongue :

"The residence of the king and my abode are situated at some little distance. Every day I am obliged to appear at court; if the Sultan, or one of his wives or children are ill, I remain there the greater part of the day. If all are well, I return home, but never before noon. Then having dismounted and washed my hands, I find the house filled with people; Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, merchants and magistrates, friends and enemies await me.

"I request their permission to take some food, which I only do once in the twenty-four hours.

"After that, I converse with each of my visitors, and prescribe medicines for them. Meanwhile, people are continually coming in and going out, so that it is generally two hours after dark before all the attendance ceases; I then throw myself on a couch, exhausted with fatigue, and take a little repose. You may imagine that, during all this time, no Israelite can come to me for private intercourse on religious sub

The family of the Aben Tibbons are distinguished, from father to son, by their translation of the Arabic works of those learned Jews, who, for many years, wrote chiefly or entirely in Arabic.

jects. It is only on the Sabbath, when the greater part of the Synagogue come to me after prayers, that I can give them any directions for their conduct during the week. Then we read together a little until noon, after which some return to me, and we read together again till the time of evening prayer. This is my usual way of life. Do not think, however, that I have completely described it. When, by the help of God, you may be able, after having finished the translation for the use of your fathers, to come and see me here, you can convince yourself, by your own eyes, of the truth."

How this learned Jew, in the midst of such overwhelming occupation, could find the leisure requisite to collect and digest materials for the numerous and voluminous works which have flowed from his pen is indeed astonishing. His books amount to more than thirty in number, and some of them are of great magnitude. To name a few of them will give an idea of the wide field of his studies, and the variety of subjects on which he wrote. A commentary on the Mishna was the labour of his youth, begun while he was yet in Spain, and concluded in Egypt in his thirtieth year. This book was written in Arabic, and soon after translated into Hebrew by several learned Israelites. Ten years later, he composed, in very elegant Hebrew, his "Hakazakah" (the powerful hand), which contains the whole doctrine of the Talmud methodically arranged, in fourteen books. Of a later date is his "Moreh Nevochim" (guide to the doubtful), a work in which he brings forward his whole interpretation of the Law and the Talmud with the greatest clearness.

We shall soon have occasion to notice the effects produced by this work on the synagogues during its author's lifetime, and the succeeding generation.

His writings are various, on many subjects besides Jewish theology; some have been printed, and others still remain in manuscript. They treat of medicine, natural history, and astronomy; one, entitled "A Letter to the Jews of Marseilles," appears written to controvert the opinion which then prevailed concerning the influence of the heavenly bodies on the events of life. His work on Logic has since found a commentator and admirerin Moses Mendelssohn, who, six centuries after Maimonides, was, in more than one point, the upholder, and apparently the successor to his views. We possess, besides, the voluminous and interesting correspondence of the Rabbi of Cordova.

Maimonides died in 1208, at Cairo, universally looked up to during his lifetime, and regretted at his death by all the syna

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