particularly obnoxious to the Jews by attacking the Talmud in a bitter
spirit. He wrote: "Greuel der Verwüstung des heiligen Jerusalem durch
den jüdischen Talmud," Cassel, 1681. "Lästerungen der Juden gegen
Christum," _ib._, 1682. A theological treatise: "Jesus Christ und Sohn
Gottes nach Kabbalistischer Art erwiesen," Rinteln, 1697.
CHRISTHOLD, Christian Albert, born in 1687, was baptized when young with
his mother. He had great talents, so that at the age of 23, in 1700, he
was appointed Rector of the Gymnasium in Oettingen, when he wrote a
Latin treatise advocating toleration and liberty to the Jews. He was
afterwards a faithful minister of the Gospel till his death in 1772.
Schulze said of him, "I have hitherto not found anyone like him."
CHRISTHOLD, Christiane Sophie Magdalene (Judith), a relative of the
above, followed his example.
CHRISTFELS, Philipp Ernst (Mordecai), born at Neuhaus, 1671, son of
Moses Shemaja, received a good rabbinic and German education. Being of a
disputatious disposition, he very often in his wanderings disputed with
Christians on religious subjects, amongst whom was the well-known
Wagenseil. A learned rabbi, by the name of Hirsch Froman, once advised
him to read the New Testament. Another Rabbi, Abraham Reviga, Kabbalist,
with whom he studied, intimated to him that under the attribute called
Binah is to be understood the Son of God. This made him restless, but at
the same time enquiring. He was finally, after nine months' instruction,
baptized in 1701. Christfels was the author, before his baptism, of a
book in Hebrew, entitled "Rephuah Hanephesh," "Soul-Medicine," and after
he became a Christian, the Pentateuch with the Targum's and Rashi's
commentaries were printed under his supervision.
CHRISTIAN, Gottlob Meyer (Abraham Meyer), baptized by Schulze (the
celebrated missionary of Callenberg Inst.), in 1769. He afterwards
studied Theology.
CHRISTIANUS, Paulus, embraced Christianity about the beginning of the
eighteenth century, together with his son. The latter suffered martyrdom
(de le Roi, i. 131).
CHRISTLIEB, Johann Ludwig Karl Friedrich (Aaron Mendel), was baptized by
the Court preacher Kern, in the eighteenth century.
COHEN, Dr. Medicinalrath, a convert, at Posen, between 1830-40, took a
lively interest in the evangelization of his brethren, and encouraged
the missionaries Händler and Bellson in their labours.
COHEN, Esther, baptized at Constantinople in 1873, was a deaconess at
Mildmay, and was sent in 1885 to Jaffa as a missionary.
COHEN, Rev. James, was all his life an ardent supporter of missions to
the Jews, and for many years a member of the L.J.S. Committee. As far
back as 1849 he delivered an address to the students in the Hebrew
College. He was for many years Rector of Whitechapel, where he
eloquently preached both by word and pen. Later he was Vicar of Heston.
COHEN, Joseph Philipp, born in Prussia, was converted at Swansea, a
narrative of which he gave in a little tract, entitled "The Sweetness of
Christianity," London, 1845. It was chiefly owing to his being of a
serious turn of mind that he felt the need of redemption from his sins,
and that made him study diligently the Old Testament. Afterward a lady
gave him a New Testament, and the first passage that met his eye was,
"Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest." He was later a missionary of the British Society until 1873.
After that time he continued his calling independently.
COHEN, J. John Baptist, after much suffering on account of his
conversion to Christianity, was employed by Lewis Way as an evangelist
in Smyrna, and remained there when Lewis Way left the station in 1837.
CORAL, J. N., a native of Rhodes, embraced Christianity in Jerusalem
some time between 1860 and 1870. He was a very earnest and loving man,
an acceptable preacher of the Gospel in Judæo-Spanish and in Hebrew to
his Sephardic brethren. He did excellent work when he used to visit with
the writer the towns of Palestine in 1871-2.
CORESH, Daniel, a convert, mentioned in Wolff, Bibliotheca Hebraica 3.
N, published at Amsterdam a Latin treatise in 1727, under the title
"Quinque aperti flores collecti ex horto malogranatorum et in fascicula
digesti." He states there that he had then lived in Amsterdam as a
Christian for fifteen years, so that he must have been baptized in 1712.
DA COSTA, Isaac. Much has been written about this great son of Abraham,
and the following is a short account of his conversion from his own
pen:--
"You request of me, dear brother, some account of my conversion to the
Christian religion, and to the faith in Jesus Christ; and I cannot
refuse to tell the things which the God of our fathers has wrought in my
soul. I will cheerfully join my testimony with that of my brethren, both
by nature and in grace, who endeavour to instruct others and to teach
their hearts by retracing the ways of God towards them in His providence
and His grace.
"To set His dispensations towards me in a clearer light, I must refer to
many long past events. A son of Israel is constantly reminded that his
personal history is closely linked with that of his fathers. I must then
crave indulgence for prefacing my account with some particulars
respecting my parentage, which I derive from one of the Jewish families
that have for several ages dwelt in the Spanish peninsula. Some of my
ancestors in that country professed Catholicism, first by compulsion;
and afterwards (a case by no means uncommon in the history of our people
in Spain and Portugal) from conviction, or, at least, in sincerity.
Humanly speaking, we might still have inhabited that country, and
professed the Romish faith; but one of the members of our family, Canon
Tresonis, of the collegiate church of Oporto, gave up, in consequence of
his doubts on religion, his office and his country to return to the
Synagogue of his ancestors.
"We learn from various biographical works[11] the history of Gabriel
(_Judaic_ Uriel) da Costa (Latin,'a Costa') who with his younger
brothers, was circumcised at Amsterdam, where, after falling into
complete infidelity, he ended his life very unhappily. It is from one of
these younger brothers, Joseph da Costa, that I take my descent, by the
direct male line. My family belonged, during two centuries, to the
Spanish and Portuguese synagogue in Amsterdam, where it enjoyed all the
privileges which Holland then presented to my nation in its exile and
tribulation. My father, who shared in the sentiment of devotedness to
the house of Orange, so common amongst the Jews, and who was therefore
very inimical to the revolution, educated me in the same principles. He
was a very upright man, and gifted with a large share of good sense; and
my education was to him an object of the most affectionate care and
solicitude. His religious principles were by no means those of a strict
Jew, although he maintained a decorous respect for the outward
ordinances of religion. My mother was much more inclined to the
religious observances of modern Judaism.
[11] "Exemplar Vitæ Humanæ," printed at the end of the "Colloquy of
Limborch with Prabio"; Bayle, "Dict. Historique," art. A. Costa; Wolff,
"Bib. Rabbin," &c.
"From childhood my mind had been partially influenced by a sort of
religious instinct, a vague desire to know and to serve God, whilst I
was, at the same time, involved in doubt and uncertainty, both as to
Revelation itself, and with regard to the ordinances, and the oral
traditions of the rabbis. At times I strenuously addicted myself to the
devotional use of the prayers, the rites and commandments of my
religion; at others, I relapsed into doubt, and gave way to a distaste
for all these outward observances. The scoffing and irreligious
philosophy of the eighteenth century inspired me with horror; and my
attention was earnestly directed to the acquiring of an intelligent
conviction respecting the existence and government of God, and the
immortality of the soul. But the books I consulted in my search into
these high interests failed to afford me satisfaction. Their arguments
were not of sufficient weight fully to convince me of their truth, nor
did their reasonings fix me in complete incredulity. Materialism
alarmed, distressed, and shocked me. But the subtleties of Plato, of
Mendelssohn, and others, could not reach my heart, nor warm it. My mind
was at that time far from being convinced of the historical fact of
Revelation, or of the veracity of the Old Testament, of Moses, and the
Prophets. And although in the midst of this uncertainty, I still clung
to the great recollections of my nation from a feeling of natural pride,
my commerce with unbelievers, and my study of philosophers, had wrought
in my mind so far as to exclude the idea of an immediate and positive
revelation. I had formed a sort of deistical system, in which were
mingled rabbinical and Mosaic principles. I looked upon Jesus Christ as
a light proceeding from Israel for the illumination of the Gentiles:
meanwhile the vanities of the world and sin ruled in my daily life. Such
was the state of my mind when in the providence of God two events
occurred which had a marked influence on my future course.
"My father, perceiving my inclination for study, destined me to the
career of jurisprudence, a pursuit which, though formerly closed to the
Jews, had been partially opened to them since the revolution of 1795.
From the age of thirteen to fifteen years (1811-1813), having attended
regularly the Latin classes in my native city of Amsterdam, I began a
course of lessons with the Professor of Antiquities and Literature, a
man of learning, and possessed of a highly refined taste. His historical
lectures gave him ample opportunity for asserting and setting in a
conspicuous light the truth and high authority of the writings of Moses,
and he earnestly vindicated those records from the sophisms and
fallacies of Voltaire, and the other sceptics of the age. The idea of a
_positive revelation_ was now awakened in my mind; I began to believe in
the divinity of the Old Testament, and this great truth gradually
developed, was to me as a beacon amidst doubt and obscurity. Revealed
religion, the divine authority of the Bible, is an historical fact.
"My study of the Bible history was soon followed by enquiries which
originated partly, I must own, from national pride. In the midst of the
contempt and dislike of the world for the name of Jew, I had ever
gloried in it. I began, therefore, to study the history of our families,
and of our nation, in Spain and Portugal, in respect to its
theology--its poetry--its attainments in science--its political and
diplomatic position, taking a general review of its prosperity and of
its astonishing calamities. Throughout their history, both ancient and
modern, I perceived something so extraordinary as to be quite
inexplicable, unless we view the Jews as the subjects of remarkable
privileges, and of as remarkable a downfall; of a special election of
God, and of an enormous crime on the part of the elect people. It was
thus that the consideration of Judaism prepared me for the knowledge of
that religion, which alone is the solution and the fulfilment of the
pure and divine Judaism of the Old Testament.
"Another circumstance in my life tended to my further enlightenment. The
perusal of the ancient classics, the political events of 1813 and 1815,
even the study of the history of my fathers according to the flesh,
awakened in my soul the faculties of poetry. As a youthful poet, I was
presented by a learned Hebraist of our nation to the greatest of our
Dutch contemporary poets, the celebrated Bilderdyk, who died at the age
of 75 years in 1831. He was a remarkable man in all respects, and one
whose political and religious convictions, and originality of mind and
character, had armed all this present age, at least in his own country,
against him. Misunderstood, persecuted, banished in 1795, and harassed
by all sorts of misfortunes, he had found from his youth, strength and
consolation in the Gospel of Christ. Attached in heart to the truths of
the confession of the Reformed Churches, he had besides early perceived
the glorious future, announced by the prophets to the ancient people of
God, and how their conversion to the Messiah, crucified by them, would
be one day to the nations at large like life from the dead. From thence
arose a particular attachment to Israel for their fathers' sake, and for
the love of Christ, who sprung from Israel according to the flesh. Very
naturally, I felt strongly drawn towards this extraordinary man, I
became his disciple, and also his intimate friend for eighteen years to
the day of his death. It is to him, under the hand of God, and through
His adorable grace, that I saw the light which led me to the Christian
religion, and to the faith in Jesus, my Saviour, and my God. Not that
Bilderdyk ever sought to make a proselyte of his young disciple. With a
wisdom which I can attribute to nothing but the direction of the
Almighty, he rather endeavoured not to sway my mind by the influence
which his superior intelligence gave him over me. He only endeavoured to
render me more of an Israelite than is consistent with the wisdom of the
present age. He spoke to me of the Old Testament; he directed my
attention to the prophecies, to the promises given to the fathers, to
the portions of revealed truth, preserved even in the traditions of the
Rabbis (Messiah ben David and Messiah ben Joseph, &c.) Especially he
tried to make me feel that the true Christian shares in the hopes of
Israel in regard to a glorious reign of Messiah upon the throne of
David; and that on the other hand (it is thus that he expressed himself
in a piece of poetry which he addressed to me in 1819), the sincere Jew
is a Christian in hope.
"Soon the hand of God led us further on. It was in 1820. Bilderdyk and I
were engaged in a deeply serious conversation on the things of God and
of truth. In the ardour of discourse he happened to say to me, that the
ancient Jews themselves had acknowledged a plurality of persons in the
ineffable unity of God. That God seeing Himself, contemplating Himself,
reflecting Himself, begot His Son from all eternity; and that the Son is
He whom Christians adore in the person of Jesus Christ crucified.
"Then did my eyes perceive the first rays of new light. I began to read
the New Testament; I read that unspeakably sublime and blessed word (St.
John i. 6-14), 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God, and the Word was made flesh.' I began to feel
an abhorrence of sin, for which the Saviour Himself manifested in the
flesh, had suffered the death of the cross. I perceived the fulfilment
of the prophecies of Isaiah, xi., liii., lxi., and in Psalms xxii., cx.,
&c. I adored--I believed, and by degrees this faith operated upon my
conscience and my practice. Religion was no longer merely a sublime
speculation, or a great national interest; I found that I must become
the property of Jesus Christ, that I must live to Him, and by Him.
Twenty years have elapsed since that period. Shame in the sight of God
and before men befits me in recording so holy an obligation. But He who
called me from the midst of darkness is faithful. He will not suffer me
to quit this life without having truly glorified Him with my lips, and
in my life, by the faith which alone saves. During the early days of my
convictions I had, though with some hesitation, opened my mind on the
subject, to my friend Capadose. We soon entered into a full discussion
of it--and our conversations were more and more directed to the great
questions of the truth and salvation; we read and examined together. A
third enquirer into the Scriptures and the truth in Christ, was soon
after joined with us. God gave me, in 1821, a wife whose choice from the
first communication we had together on this all-important subject, was
in accord with my own. By a remarkable providence of God, Hannah
Belmonte, my cousin, betrothed to me in 1820, had been, through a train
of family circumstances, brought up in a school of Christian young
ladies. Having been admitted to share their religious instructions, she
became acquainted with the catechism of Heidelberg, and had heard the
blessed name of Jesus before I did. From the time I imparted to her what
was passing in my own mind, she became to me a beloved sister in Christ,
as well as a faithful companion in the trials of life, and in the search
after eternal life through faith in our great God and Saviour. Together
with our friend Capadose, we were baptized the 20th October, 1822, at
Leyden; and the Lord afterwards added to us three other members of our
family. We kept up a good understanding, and uninterrupted communion of
feeling with my mother-in-law Belmonte, and her eldest daughter, Esther;
though we were far from anticipating the happy change and renewal of
heart and life, which quickly developed itself. By the Divine blessing,
a conversation that my mother-in-law and I had together, one evening,
was made the means of arousing her to a serious concern for the
salvation of her soul, and this example was soon followed by her
daughter. Both displayed great eagerness for Christian instruction, and
shortly after they openly confessed the name of the Lord Jesus, and
were baptized by the venerable and pious Pierre Chevalier (pastor of the
Walloon church in this town)--who is now with them before the throne of
the Lamb.
"Our mother, then aged sixty-eight years, survived her baptism two
years, a period which she devoted almost entirely to prayer and studying
the Scriptures, especially the New Testament, her previous reading
having been confined to the most frivolous publications. Perfect peace
was the portion of her latter days, and her last words were, 'Come, Lord
Jesus!' Her daughter Esther, who afterwards married the worthy son of
the Walloon pastor, our intimate friend and brother, Monsieur J.
Chevalier, after a most edifying course of devotedness to her Lord and
Saviour, died in her confinement in June, 1840. Her soul also reposes in
peace in the bosom of Abraham, and in the full fruition of His presence
who redeemed her with His blood.
"Another member of our family, who had become a disciple of Christ, and
had been baptized some time after us (but quite independently of us),
had preceded our dear sister in death; delivered from the depths of sin
by the healing grace of the Lord, he had found pardon and eternal life
through the new and living way of the blood of Christ. After having
studied theology, he was about to assume the pastoral charge of one of
our churches, when he was called to his rest.
"To God the most holy, be thanksgiving and praise for his unspeakable
mercies in life, in death, and throughout all eternity. Amen."
After Bilderdyk's death Da Costa was generally recognized as his
successor among the Dutch poets. He wrote fifty-three longer and shorter
poems. Amongst his other works are--"Israel en de Volken" (2nd ed.
Haarlem, 1848-49), a survey of the history of the Jews to the nineteenth
century, the third volume dealing with the history of the Spanish and
Portuguese Jews. The work was translated into English under the title,
"Israel and the Gentiles," by Mary Kennedy (London, 1850), and into
German by a friend of God's Word (Miss Thumb), published by K. Mann,
Frankfurt, A/M. 1855. He also wrote two papers, "The Jews in Spain and
Portugal, and the Jews from Spain and Portugal," in 1836; "The Von
Schönberg (Belmonte) family," in the "Jahrbuch für Holland," 1851; and
"The noble families among the Jews" (Navorscher, 1857).
DAHAN, Job, a Jew in Mogador, baptized by the L.J.S. missionary
Ginsburg, about 1872-3, had to experience, like St. Paul, stripes and
imprisonment, yet remained steadfast in the faith and laboured for the
Master.
DANIEL, David, laboured as a pioneer missionary at Safed, in 1849,
amidst great difficulties and personal dangers. As soon as one enquirer
came forth to make a public confession of his faith in Christ, Daniel
was exposed to ill-treatment from his unbelieving brethren, and at last
compelled to return to Jerusalem. Later he laboured among the Jews in
Frankfort, and the rest of his life he spent as a lay-worker at
Wadhurst, in Sussex. He was a true servant of Christ.
DARMON, Solomon, born in Algiers in 1850, baptized by Ginsburg in 1872,
laboured with tokens of Divine approval in Mogador. A Jewish widow, who
had declared that if angels from heaven were to tell her that Jesus is
the Messiah she would not believe, was convinced at length through the
testimony of Darmon. His own wife later followed his example.
DARMSTADT (Rabbi Schittenhoven), was baptized in Switzerland, in 1749,
by Pastor Augusti.
DARMSTADTER, son of a learned Jew, was baptized in Darmstadt, in 1680.
Concerning him, there appeared in Breslau, in 1713, a little book by
Deakonus Caspar, entitled "Geschtillte Sehnsucht eines wahren Israeliten
nach dem himmlischen Jerusalem" ("The longing of a true Israelite after
the heavenly Jerusalem satisfied"). To show the Jews that Christianity
was a matter of deep concern with him he abstained from food for several
days, and by his whole life and conversation he exercised a salutary
influence upon them.
DAVID, Andreas Friedrich, born at Altofen, in 1750, was baptized in
Vienna about 1785. Superintendent Folk reports of him in that year that
he was a sincere man and the first Jewish convert received into the
Evangelical Church in Austria ("Kalkar Israel," 203).
DAVID, Fanta, a Falasha convert in Abyssinia. Concerning him, Argawi
wrote on March 14, 1889, that he had accompanied him on a long journey
on foot to Monkullo, in order to be able to send a letter from there to
their friend, Mr. Flad, in Germany.
DAVID, Ferdinand, born in Hamburg, in 1810, was baptized in Berlin by
Pastor Schultze, in 1828. As a musician and composer he associated with
Mendelssohn. He died at Klosters, in Granbündten. His sister Louise,
born in 1811, also embraced Christianity and died in London as Madam
Dulken, in 1850.
DAVID, Georg Nathan, son of a Jewish merchant, was born at Copenhagen in
1793, and after receiving a good education, embraced Christianity. He
became Professor at the University of Copenhagen, founded the newspaper
"Fäderlandet," which advocated the political rights of the people. He
was also director of a bank. He died in 1874.
DAVID, Hakim, physician and learned Talmudist, was baptized by the
L.J.S. missionaries at Bagdad, in 1850.
DAVID, J., laboured as an evangelist among the Jews in Hamburg and
Holstein about 1875.
DAVIDSON, Benjamin, a native of Posen, embraced Christianity in London,
probably under the ministry of Ridley Herschell, who had known him at
home. In 1843 they both belonged to a Hebrew Christian Prayer Union,
which used to meet once a month for prayer. In 1847 Davidson was
appointed Principal of the Missionary Training College of the British
Society for the Propagation of the Gospel among the Jews. He also used
to instruct enquirers. He was the author of an "Analytical Hebrew and
Chaldee Lexicon," "Syriac Reading Lessons with Analysis," and "Chaldee
Reading Lessons," an English edition of Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar. He
assisted in the editing of the "Englishman's Hebrew Concordance." His
chief literary work, however, was posthumous--a Concordance of the
Hebrew and Chaldee Scriptures. Davidson was also actively engaged from
time to time in missionary work. In 1866 he laboured in Vienna and had
much intercourse with students. In Bordeaux he stirred up an interest in
the Jews among evangelical Christians, so that they founded the "Societé
d'amis d'Israel." In 1871 he became Superintendent of the Home for Aged
Converts and for Orphans, where he died the same year.
DAVIS, Joseph, a native of Poland, was baptized in 1819, in Edinburgh,
and was probably the first convert of the Edinburgh Jewish Missionary
Society, which was founded the year before. He afterwards laboured as a
missionary among his brethren.
DAVIS, Rev. Nathan, was one of the first missionaries of the Free Church
of Scotland. He was sent to Tunis in 1830, where he raised a spirit of
enquiry amongst the Jews, and baptized some of them. In 1848 he was
transferred to Gibraltar.
DENNIS, Rev. Dr. M. J., worked first as a missionary in Palestine. Later
on he left the Holy Land and joined Mr. Freshman's mission in New York,
but his station was at Boston.
DESAIR, Ludwig (Leopold Dessauer), born in Posen in 1809, embraced
Christianity. He is known as one of the greatest Shakespearian actors of
the nineteenth century.
DETMOND, Johann Hermann, son of the Court physician at Hanover, born in
1787. The whole family embraced Christianity, and Detmond, junior,
became a member of the German Parliament in 1848. ("Jewish
Intelligence," 1856, p. 329).
DEUTSCH, Christian Solomon, born at Temesvar, in Hungary, 1734. Up to
his twentieth year he studied scarcely anything but the Talmud at home
and in Prague. The Bible was a sealed book to him. He had married, as
the custom was then, very young, and had his board and lodging with his
father-in-law, so that he could apply all his energies to Talmudic
study, till he should be a light in Israel. In 1760 his wife died, and
after four months he married the second daughter, and was kept again. In
the same year he received from the Grand Rabbi of Moravia, the title of
Moreinu or D.D. However, he was not happy; he had read a passage in the
Talmud, tract Megillah 24 b, which troubled him. It is thus: "R. Jose
said: I was vexed all my life in not being able to understand the
prophecy in Deut. xxviii. 29. 'Thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind
gropeth in darkness,' until one dark night I met a blind man carrying a
burning torch, and asked him, 'What good is that torch to you?' He
replied, 'Although I cannot myself see, yet others can see and take care
of me that I fall not into a pit or among thorns and briars." This
awakened serious thoughts in Solomon's mind. He felt that he was not
even like the blind man, for he had neglected the Word of God in the Old
Testament, and as for the New, he, living in a Roman Catholic country,
had never heard of it. So he began to practise penitence by wearing a
garment of horsehair over his body, fasting and castigations. At night
he often used to weep over his sins, and his wife could not console him.
Then she reproached him that he had some secret which he kept from her.
To this he replied, "I will confess the truth to you; we must choose
another way and get out of the darkness in which we are living, if we
wish to escape from hell." He had been already meditating about
embracing Christianity, and this he betrayed somewhat by his behaviour,
and the result was that he was compelled by the rabbi to divorce his
wife. When three Roman priests heard of this affair, they visited him,
and one of them assured him that he had prayed to the Virgin for his
conversion, therefore he ought at once to join the Church. But Solomon
refused, and left his home in 1762, praying on the way for guidance in
the name of Jesus. This prayer he records in full in his autobiography.
He came to Prague and then to Saxony, studying the Scriptures on the
way. Here in "a prominent town" (probably Dresden) he visited the rabbi,
and they enjoyed themselves in a discussion over some knotty Talmudic
subtleties. On October 24, he read for the first time Isa. liii. and
asked the rabbi concerning whom the prophet spoke. Then the rabbi
appointed an hour and a private place where he would speak to him about
this chapter. When they met together he was astonished to hear the rabbi
revealing as a secret his belief that the chapter was fulfilled in Jesus
of Nazareth. Thence Solomon went to Leipzig, Berlin, Amsterdam, and at
last to London, where he was very ill. After his recovery in 1763, he
returned to Holland. On his way by ship to Arnheim, he met a Swiss
Christian, who took a great fancy to him, and in a conversation
expressed a wish that the Lord might enlighten his eyes as he did Rabbi
Jechiel Hirschlein who had been baptized at Zurich. In short, after much
instruction, Solomon was baptized at Amsterdam, on June 25, 1767, after
handing in a written confession of his faith under the title, "Jehovah
Glorified through the acknowledgment of the true Messiah Jesus Christ,
proved from the writings of the Prophets, Evangelists, and Apostles,"
consisting of 175 pages, and printed at Amsterdam. He then studied
theology and became Pastor at Mydret in 1777, where he laboured
faithfully till his death in 1797. His chief literary work was,
"Israel's Verlosinge en eeuwige Behoudenis" (Israel's redemption and
eternal salvation), 3 vols., Amsterdam, 1769-93.
DEUTSCH, Ignaz Friedrich Gottlieb, a native of Perskretscham, and
evidently a relative of the next, was baptized in Berlin in 1825.
DEUTSCH, Siegmund Herman, was a remarkable personality. He was born in
Perskretscham, Silesia, in 1791. As usual he had an early Talmudical
education. Then he went to the Gymnasium, and then to the University of
Breslau, where he studied mathematics and astronomy. In 1815 he served
as a soldier in the Prussian army, took part in the war, and was
promoted to be an officer and teacher in the military school in 1817.
Then he had a duel with some one and was imprisoned in a fort. There he
was converted to Christianity, and afterwards served as an artillery
officer in the Greek liberation war.
Returning to Berlin in 1824, where he attended the ministry of the
celebrated Gossner, he associated with the convert Lachs, who was a
teacher in a school for deaf and dumb, sat under the theological
teachings of Neander, and was thus spiritually prepared for being called
to labour for the Master among his own people. This call came from Dr.
McCaul, and after a little more preparation in the Hebrew College in
Palestine Place, he was sent by the L.J.S. as a missionary to Warsaw in
1828, where he laboured (with a short interval at Breslau) till 1833. He
then was stationed in Bavaria. He died in 1864, leaving a MS. (not yet
printed) on the future of Israel.
DISRAELI, Benjamin, Earl of Beaconsfield, born in London, December 21,
1804, died there April 19, 1881. Of this preeminently distinguished man
in the nineteenth century there are many biographies and lasting
monuments. We need only record very briefly here that he was one of
England's greatest sons and statesmen, and the greatest ornament of the
Jewish people in modern times. An ardent lover of his nation, a genuine
English patriot, a friend of his great Queen, a thorough Protestant
Churchman, yet with liberal tendencies, and a true believer in
Christianity, which he regarded as completed Judaism. His works are
these: "Vivian Grey," 1817; "The Infernal Marriage;" "Ixion in Heaven,"
and "Popanilla," 1828; "Contarini Fleming," and "The Wondrous Tale of
Alroy," 1832; "The Young Duke," about that time; "What is he?" 1833;
"Revolutionary Epic," 1834; "Coningsby," 1844; "Tancred," 1847; "Sybil,"
1845; "The rise of Iskander," "Vindication of the British
Constitution," "Venetia," "Henrietta Temple," "The Tragedy of Count
Alarcos," and "Lothair," were all productions of his great intellect at
different seasons. Benjamin's mother, his sister Sarah, born 1802, his
brother Ralph, 1809, and his brother James, 1813, were all Hebrew
Christians.
DISRAELI, Isaac, left the synagogue in 1817. Though we have no definite
information about his baptism, we may reasonably assume that he was a
member of the Church of England. This appears from his having his
children baptized, from his pamphlet, "The Spirit of Judaism," in which
he vindicated himself for the step he had taken, from his articles on
"The Talmud," "Psalm Singing," the Pearl Bibles and six thousand errata
in his "Curiosities of literature," &c., all shewing that he was an
earnest student of religious subjects and of the Scriptures, and that he
endeavoured to spread the light of truth.
DUCAT, H., a native of Warsaw, embraced Christianity, together with his
wife, about the middle of the nineteenth century. He was a saintly
Christian man, laboured as missionary for some time under the British
Society, was one of the founders of the Hebrew Christian Prayer Union
and of a Loan Fund for needy converts. His sons-in-law are the Rev. Dr.
Flecker and the Rev. John Schor.
DUSHAW, Amos I., spent the greater part of his youth in Jerusalem,
Palestine, where he attended the school of the London Jews' Society.
Here the seeds of Christian truth were sown in his young heart. He
afterwards came to London, where he was brought into close connexion
with the members of the above-mentioned society, and the germs of truth
gradually grew, budded, and blossomed into faith in our Lord as his
Messiah.
Dushaw went to America in 1895. The following year he was baptized, upon
confession of his faith in Christ, in the Fourth Congregational Church,
at Hartford, Conn.
He followed Horace Greeley's advice, "Young man, go West." He was
determined to obtain a classical education. After a hard struggle, that
perseverance and determination to conquer all obstacles always a
component of the Jewish character, enabled him, in 1901, to graduate
from Redfield College, South Dakota. He afterwards returned to New York,
and entered the Union Theological Seminary, from which he graduated in
1904. June 12, 1905, he received a preacher's license from the New York
Presbytery.
While pursuing his regular academic course he made a speciality of
sociology, literature and history. Especially was he interested in
Hebrew history and the present social, religious and political status of
Israel. He supplemented this study by personal observation as a worker
on the East Side of New York. This training enabled him to write for
"The People, the Land and the Book" some very choice articles. Several
secular papers quoted from one of his articles, "Moses and Jesus."
The production of this article was due to the following incident. Dushaw
called upon one of the leading reformed rabbis to discuss the general
condition of the Jews in the Ghetto. This rabbi was so much impressed
with his insight into the situation, and also with his information on
many facts pertaining to Israel's development, that he advised him to
return to the Hebrew ranks. Israel, he said, would appreciate his
ability, whereas the Church would simply cast him out, because he was a
member of Israel. He thought Dushaw was foolish to waste his time in the
Church. On separating, the rabbi gave him a lecture, "Moses and Jesus,"
delivered in his temple. Dushaw then decided to write one on the same
subject, from his own point of view. We quote from it.
"If Solon belongs to Athens, Lycurgus to Sparta, Moses belongs to
humanity. He is the greatest among the great, the deliverer of his
people, the world's legislator, and the apostle and prophet of
Monotheism...."
"I wonder how much Jesus, the brother and pupil of Moses, did to make
Moses as popular as he is to-day? It was Jesus who inspired the men to
translate the writings of Moses into so many tongues. Yet this does not
in any way belittle Moses. What if the pupil is greater than the master!
Surely Moses would not envy Jesus if he accomplished more. Moses, the
most unselfish man that ever lived, would be only too glad to see a
brother the Saviour of the world. Did he not wish that all Israel were
prophets? What right has the Jew to reject Jesus? Has he not made Israel
the most known people? What if his followers did persecute Israel?
Persecution is contrary to the spirit of Jesus.
"Jesus has proved Himself to be the greater Moses. He has been a light
to the nations, guiding them to Moses, to the prophets, and unto God.
Wherever Jesus is proclaimed, there the Monotheism of Moses is
established, and the ethic, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,'
is given a wider interpretation."
The article "The Ghetto and Its Relation to Jewish Missions." The
substance of this work was delivered at the "First International Hebrew
Christian Conference," held in Mountain Lake Park, Md., July 28-30,
1903.
The article, "Hebrew Christian Literature," was written at the request
of the editor.
As he came in contact with both cultured and uncultured Christians, and
discovered how little they appreciated the work of Israel, he was led to
write the two articles, "Salvation is of the Jews--Jesus," and "Let
There Be Peace." We quote from the first one:
"I am anxiously awaiting the hour when there will be a new nation--'a
nation born in a day'--when the martyr nation, the suffering nation of
Isaiah, will awake from its cruel slumber and perceive that for the last
nineteen hundred years a fountain of life has been flowing for it from
the heart of one of its own sons--the best son of Israel--Jesus Christ.
What a spiritual revolution will then take place in the world! Heaven
and earth shall resound with joy! For Israel, the Prince of God, shall
clothe himself in robes of righteousness and go forth in the might of
Jehovah to conquer the earth for the Lord--to set up everywhere the
banner of social, political and spiritual freedom. Then, and not till
then--when every one shall serve his brother faithfully; when all
barriers now separating Jew and Gentile shall be no more; when every man
shall dwell unmolested under his fig-tree; when God shall be worshipped
in the Spirit of Jesus; when the old order of things shall pass away and
the whole earth shall be known as the temple of God,--then shall
Israel's mission end. For then there will be no more Jew, but all shall
be called children of God and brothers of Jesus."
DWORKOWITZ, Rev. Paul, a native of Russia, baptized by the L.J.S.
missionary Dr. Klee, in Berlin, about 1864 or 1865. He then studied at
Basle, and laboured as a missionary of the British Society, and Pastor
in Warsaw, the Baltic Provinces, Breslau, Munich and Hamburg, with much
blessing upon his labours. He is a gifted man, and above all, an
"Israelite indeed."
EBERS, George Moritz, born in Berlin, 1837. He became first Professor on
Egyptology in Jena in 1868, and then in Leipzig in 1870. He travelled
for eighteen months in Spain, North Africa, Egypt, Nubia, Arabia Petrea.
The result of his Archæological and scientific investigations he
published in several works--1. "Eine ägyptische Königstochter"
(Stuttgart, 1864), which describes Egyptian life at the time of the
Persian conquest. This was translated into English by Gore (London,
1870). 2. "Disquisitiones de Dynastia xxvi. regum Æg." (Berlin, 1855).
3. "Aegypten und die Bucher Mosis, ein Sachlicher Commentar zu Genesis
und Exodus" (Leipzig, 1868). 4. "Durch Gosen zum Sinai aus dem
Wanderbuche und der Bibliothek" (Leipzig, 1872). 5. "Ueber das alt
aegyptische Schrift System" (1875). 6. "Papyrus Ebers," his chief work,
which is in the University of Leipzig. 7. "Ein hieratisches Handbuch
Altaegyptischer Arznei Kunde," 2 vols. (Leipzig, 1875). 8. "Giarda,"
"Homo Sum," "Josua," "Aegypten in Wort und Bild" (Stuttgart, 1878).
EBERTY, Georg Friedrich Felix, born in Berlin in 1812, studied law, and
in 1851 become Professor at the University of Breslau. He wrote "Die
Gestirne und die Weltgeschichte, Gedanken und Raum, Zeit und Ewigkeit"
(Breslau, 1846-47). This work was translated into English. "Walter
Scott," 1860, also translated into English. "A Biography of Byron"
(Leipzig 1862). "Geschichte des Preussischen Staates," 7 vols. (Breslau,
1866-73).
EDELSTEIN, Rev. S., after finishing his theological course at Leipzig,
went to Canada, and was ordained by Bishop Hellmuth in 1880 and
appointed to a church at Eagle, Ontario.
EDERSHEIM, Rev. Dr. Alfred, born at Vienna, March 7, 1825, died at
Mentone, March 16, 1889. We give the following extract about him from
the Memoir of Dr. Saphir, by Rev. G. Carlyle: "In 1847 young Edersheim
became a student at the University of Buda-Pest. He had been brought up
luxuriously in Vienna, and was one of the leaders of fashion. He was
highly educated, spoke Latin fluently, knew Greek, German, French,
Hebrew, Hungarian and Italian. When Cremieux, the head of the French
bar, paid a visit to Vienna, the synagogue presented him with an
address, and deputed young Edersheim to deliver it. Cremieux was so
pleased with his eloquence that he offered his father to take his son to
Paris, and provide for him for life, but his parents would not give him
up.... Before the winter was over, Edersheim was under the teaching of
the Holy Spirit, and had glorious views of the Deity of Christ. Trusting
in His One Sacrifice, and filled with the peace of God, he gave himself
up to be His servant in any way it might please God to direct him. He
opened a class to teach the students English on the condition that the
Bible should be their only lesson book. Baptized, and now full of life
and vigour, it was resolved that he should go to Edinburgh, to the Rev.
Professor Duncan, to complete his theological studies. Edersheim, after
his ordination, was missionary first in Jassy, Roumania, and then
minister for many years at the Free College Church, Old Aberdeen, and
then at Torquay.... He then joined the Church of England and became
Vicar of Loders in Dorset."
He resigned his living in 1883, and settled at Oxford, where he held the
position of Grinfield Lecturer of the University. He was also Warburton
Lecturer of Lincoln's Inn, and "Select Preacher" of the University of
Oxford.
Dr. Edersheim was a voluminous author, and his works are extremely
valuable from the fact that he was able to deal with his subject both
from the standpoint of a learned Jew and a learned Christian. It may be
as well to state here his total output, from which it will be seen how
wide and extensive was his range of study and scholarship. He was
Translator and Editor of the "History of Speculative Philosophy from
Kant to Hegel, from the German of Dr. Chalybäus, with introduction by
Sir Wm. Hamilton" (Edinburgh); "Kurtz, History of the Old Covenant (vol.
1) with condensed abstract of Kurtz's Bible and Astronomy"; "Lange,
Bible Commentary on St. Matthew" (2 vols.); "Kurtz, History of the
Christian Church, with emendations and additions" (Edinburgh, 1860);
Author of "History of the Jewish Nation from the Destruction of
Jerusalem to the Establishment of Christianity in the Roman Empire" (T.
and T. Clark, 1856. Revised by Rev. H. A. White. Longmans, 1896); "The
Golden Diary of Heart-Converse with Jesus in the Book of Psalms"
(R.T.S.); "Elisha the Prophet, his History and Times" (R.T.S.); "The
Jubilee Rhythm of St. Bernard," and other Hymns, chiefly from the Latin
(J. Nisbet and Co., 1866); "The Temple, its Ministry and Services as
they were at the time of Jesus Christ" (R.T.S., 1874); "Sketches of
Jewish Social Life in the days of Christ" (London, 1876); "Bible
History," 7 vols. (R.T.S.); "The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah," 2
vols. (Longmans, 1884; eighth edition, 1894); "Jesus the Messiah," an
abridged edition of the foregoing; "Prophecy and History in relation to
the Messiah, being the Warburton Lectures for 1880-84" (8 vols.,
Longmans, 1885); "Commentary on Ecclesiasticus," in "The Speaker's
Commentary on the Apocrypha" (J. Murray, 1888); "Tohu-va-Vohu (Without
form and void)," a collection of Fragmentary Thoughts and Criticisms,
edited by his daughter (Longmans, 1890), and various articles from time
to time in the "Edinburgh Review." He was also editor of "Israel's
Watchman" in 1877.
EDUARD, Julius Anton, born in Lissa (Posen), in 1785. When still a young
boy he felt drawn towards Christianity. In order to prevent this
tendency developing further, his mother and stepfather, then living at
Breslau, sent him away to relatives at Lissa. But in due time he
embraced Christianity, and friends helped him to study theology at
Berlin, and he was ordained in 1816, and laboured for many years as a
faithful and beloved Pastor at Breslau. His name occurs often in the
reports of the L.J.S. as one who took a great interest in the mission to
the Jews, and as having also accompanied the missionaries on their
journey to Poland.
EGSIABHER, Debtera Gebra, a very learned Falasha convert, labouring
among his brethren in Abyssinia in 1874, when Mr. J. M. Flad met some of
the converts at Kassala.
EHRLICH, Herman, born at Cracow in 1837, of a family locally designated
as Anshey Emeth (men of truth). He was baptized in London by Dr. Ewald
in 1856. After working as a lay-helper for three years, he was appointed
missionary by the London City Mission, under whom he has laboured
faithfully ever since. He was one of the first organisers of Sunday
services in theatres, and he founded the Hebrew Conference Hall, Old
Montague Street, Whitechapel, where he is [1909] doing evangelistic
work.
EISENSTEIN, Ferd. Gotthald Maxim, born in Berlin, 1832, died there 1852.
Though only twenty years old at his death, yet he was a Ph.D. teacher in
the Academy and a notable mathematician.
ELIYAHU, Rabbi Mullah, of Bushire, is recorded, together with Eliyahu of
Bagdad, as having been baptized at Bagdad in 1852. The father of the
latter had lost his occupation among the Jewish community on account of
that, and this Eliyahu afterwards accompanied Stern on his journey to
Mosul and Kurdistan.
ELKANA, Rabbi Paulus, of Prague. Superintendent Olarius, who wrote a
preface to a Hebrew translation of the Augsburg confession prepared by
Philipp Gallus in 1888, reports of the above rabbi who had been his
teacher, that he was converted to the Christian faith through reading a
Hebrew translation of the Gospel by St. Matthew and of the Epistle to
the Romans.
ELVIN, Johannes, carried on missionary work among the Jews in Hamburg in
1850, under great political difficulties.
EMIN, Pasha (Edward Carl Oscar Theodor Schnitzer), born at Oppeln,
Prussian Silesia, in 1840; killed at Kinena Station, Congo Free State,
October 23, 1892. When he was only six years old his parents had him
baptized in the Protestant Church at Neisse. Whether this famous
explorer remained a Christian or not is uncertain, but his parents must
have either embraced Christianity before or at the time of his baptism.
EPPSTEIN, Rev. John Moses (Levi, such was his name at first), was born
at Memel, in Prussia, Feb. 24, 1827, being the son of Elijah Levi and
Rose, his wife (_née_ Eppstein). Soon after his birth his father died,
and he was brought up by his grandfather, Rabbi Benjamin Eppstein, who
retired to Jerusalem when his grandson was nine years old, adopting him
as his son, and making him take the name of Eppstein. Until he was
sixteen years old Moses was taught little else than Hebrew and the
Talmud. About this time several friends of his became Christians. At
first the only effect on him of their conversion was to make him more
bigoted; indeed, he went about with a dagger for some time in the hope
of killing his cousin Lauria, a rabbi who had become a Christian. At
last, through the latter, he was led to study the Prophets, and
eventually the New Testament. After this his eyes began to be opened to
the truth as he saw fact and figure, and type fulfilled in Jesus of
Nazareth, who must have been the promised Messiah. The Talmud was put
aside for the whole written Word of God; this he studied at the risk of
being killed, the reading of even the Old Testament causing suspicion.
He had therefore to resort to all sorts of contrivances to enable him to
search the Scriptures. His own words tell out his feelings at this
time:--"My convictions deepened daily, and I longed to openly confess
the Lord Jesus; but I had not the courage to give up all for Him. All
sorts of thoughts swayed my mind, and often, when my conscience troubled
me, something would whisper to my troubled heart, 'When you grow up and
get your property you will be free to embrace Christianity, now your
wisdom is to hide your convictions.' But I was not happy, and continued
praying, and the Lord heard my prayer, for I was soon compelled to take
refuge with the Society's missionaries. In the house where I lived there
was a small synagogue. I was the only Levite in the congregation, so
that on days when the Law was read I had to read after the priest; as I
was going up to the desk my sash caught, and the tracts I had in it fell
out. The bystanders stepped forward to see what they were; on finding
their contents, 'Apostate,' they yelled, 'with these about you, you
desecrate our place of worship, and dare even to go up to read the Law!'
The whole congregation began beating me, and would probably have
murdered me, had it not been for one of them. As soon as I was free from
my persecutors, my only safety was in flight. I went to my room, and
committed myself in prayer to the Lord, and then went straight to the
house of Mr. Nicolayson." After a course of instruction he was baptized,
July 13, 1844, by Bishop Alexander.
After his baptism he found a situation in Cairo, in which he stayed for
several years, until he felt the missionary call. His employer did his
best to prevent him leaving, even to offering him a share in his
business. But his mind was made up, and he entered the Protestant
College at Malta, as a theological student, spending five years there.
He then offered himself to the Society, and in 1854 entered the Hebrew
College in Palestine Place. In 1857 he was appointed a missionary of
the Society at Bagdad. The results of his work are summed up in his own
words, "The mission was a great success, not from the number of
baptisms, but from the large numbers to whom we preached Christ." In
1867 he commenced his great work at Smyrna, where, through his labours
during eighteen years, many Jews were born again, and were baptized. In
1885 he left Smyrna. One who knew him and his work there wrote after his
death, "Mr. Eppstein will ever be remembered by thousands of Jews living
at Smyrna, and in the interior of Asia Minor. When his death became
known many Jews said, 'He was a good man, and loved our people.' He had
friends amongst the rich as well as the poor, whilst learned and
unlearned looked up to him for his great learning and Talmudical
knowledge."
In 1885, on the death of Dr. Stern, he was appointed head of the
Society's mission in London, a post for which he was singularly fitted.
He knew English, German, French, Hebrew, Yiddish, Spanish, Greek (both
modern and classic), Latin, Syriac, Chaldee, Felachi (the Nestorian
dialect of Chaldee), Persian, Italian, and Turkish. In 1893 he removed
to Bristol, in charge of the "Wanderers' Home." Here his work was
greatly blessed, as many as eighty-two Jews being baptized by him up to
1902. During his missionary career he baptized 262 Jews and Jewesses.
At last, in May, 1903, his call came to higher service. Shortly before
his death, though suffering greatly, he said he was "the happiest man in
the world," and again, "I thank God that He enabled me to lay hold of
the Pearl, and to lay hold of it with both my hands." The Society
suffered a great loss when Mr. Eppstein passed away to his eternal rest.
As a missionary he was to the end most able and faithful, and his life
and life work will ever be remembered with heartfelt gratitude to the
Almighty God for all that he was able to do through a life so fully
dedicated to His service, as was that of the late John Moses Eppstein.
EWALD, Rev. Dr. F. C.[12] In the middle of last century there was no
name more familiar to the friends of Israel than that of Dr. Ferdinand
Christian Ewald; and no missionary to the Jews was more highly honoured
for his work's sake than this distinguished son of Abraham.
[12] "Biographies of Eminent Hebrew Christians," W. T. Gidney.
It is somewhat difficult to write a memoir of one who was too modest and
retiring to say or to write much about himself: and who left but few
materials from which to frame a biography, for it was his express wish
that no lengthened life should be written. He felt that his record was
in Heaven, and that his works would follow him. As he has been at rest
for over thirty years, we think that the time has come when an account
of his life should be added to that of other labourers in the same
field, in which he was by no means the least conspicuous worker.
Ewald was born of Jewish parents, on September 14th, 1801, at the
village of Maroldsweisach, near Bamberg, Bavaria. His parents were poor,
and the education which the village offered was all they could command.
Such, however, was his ability that his friends raised a fund sufficient
to send him and his brother (mentioned on page 215) to a better school,
where he evinced a great aptitude for languages. Later on he entered the
missionary college at Basle. Whilst there he was baptized, in 1824, at
the age of twenty-three, by the Rev. Dr. Von Brunn, adding the name of
Christian to his patronymic. He remained at Basle for a few years
longer, during which the Society paid a part of his training expenses.
He subsequently graduated at the University of Erlangen. In 1829 he was
accepted as a student in the Society's College, and in 1832 he entered
the service of the Society. He took Lutheran orders in the same year,
being ordained at Lörrach, near Basle, by the Decanus Hiltzig. These he
subsequently laid aside, when he was ordained by the Bishop of London,
in 1836.
In the early part of 1832, he visited his native country for the purpose
of seeing his mother, his sister and her husband, who resided at
Bischberg, near Bamberg, and were still of the Jewish faith. His sister
told him, before he parted from her, that she believed that Jesus was
the Messiah and Redeemer. His brother Dr. Paulus Ewald, had already
renounced Judaism, and was Lutheran Pastor at Merkendorf, Bavaria.
Ewald's missionary career naturally falls into three periods: the first,
1832-41, spent in the Barbary States; the second, 1841-1851, in
Jerusalem; and the third and last, 1851-1874, in London. His work was
thus both wide in extent and lengthened in duration.
Ewald commenced his work in Africa on September 17th, 1832, by opening
a mission at Algiers. The Rev. John Nicolayson, of Jerusalem, having
visited that city in the spring of that year, and having met with a
cordial reception, came to the conclusion that the newly-emancipated
Jews (_i.e._, from the Moorish to the French dominion in 1830), were
ripe for a missionary effort. Consequently Ewald was sent out in the
autumn. His reception, however, was chilling in the extreme.
The moment he landed he was told by the Custom House authorities, when
they saw the Bibles which he had brought with him for distribution, "You
have chosen the worst part of the world for your good intentions; there
is nothing to be done in that way here." His answer was, "This book, the
Bible, has already done great things, and I trust the Lord will bless it
also in this country." Discouragement crossed Ewald at every turn, for
he wrote: "All those whom I met with, and to whom I stated the object of
my mission, told me that there was nothing to be done here, because the
people are too bad--that the Jews are the worst set of people that exist
in the world--and that most of the Europeans who have come over are the
outcasts of human society. I believe this to be true, but I think,
because this is true, I am in my proper place; the Gospel of Christ is
able to convert man, to convert even publicans to righteousness."
Ewald commenced to work amongst the Jews speaking to them and selling
his Hebrew Bibles. On one day he sold as many as nineteen copies for
twenty-six francs, a large sum from poor Jews; but they would not take
the New Testament. He also hired a house, intending to have services
there for Jews, when the French Governor-General sent him a letter
forbidding him to preach. This was a great blow, virtually suspending
missionary operations, and Ewald left Algiers.
His next attempt to found a mission in the Barbary States was more
fortunate, and he had the honour of establishing the Society's mission
in Tunis, in 1833, laying the foundation of the extensive and
encouraging work now carried on by the Rev. C. F. W. Flad, the son of
the Society's veteran Abyssinian missionary, Mr. J. Martin Flad.
At the time of Ewald's appointment to Tunis, which was before the days
of the French occupation, the Jews were greatly oppressed by the native
population. Indeed his very first experience, gained before his actual
arrival, gave him an insight into the way in which this persecution was
carried on. At Goletta, the port of Tunis, he met more than 300 Jewish
men, women and children, who were seeing some of their friends off to
Jerusalem. He says:--
"I saw a specimen of the cruel treatment the poor Jews meet with in this
country. Some of those who accompanied their brethren to the Goletta sat
down upon a bank, from which they could look to the ships where they
embarked for Jerusalem; but soon there came a Moor with a stick in his
hand, and drove them away. An old Jew, with a white beard, spoke some
words to the man which I could not hear, as I was standing too far off;
on this the Moor got into a passion, and smote the poor Jew repeatedly
in his face. I cannot express what I felt when seeing this--'O! that the
Salvation of Israel would come out of Zion; O! that the Lord would bring
back the captivity of His people; then,' and only then, 'will Jacob
rejoice, and Israel be glad!' Now poor Israel is oppressed everywhere
more or less."
Ewald made a very successful beginning amongst the Jews of Tunis, and
found an open door in that dark and benighted country. Within three
months he had sold 398 Bibles, New Testaments, and portions in Hebrew,
Arabic, Italian, Greek, Spanish and French, for in so many different
languages had the work to be carried on.
He instituted a service on Sunday, and had much intercourse with Jews,
including several rabbis, one of whom was excommunicated for visiting
him. Ewald used to visit the Jewish quarter with his pockets full of
tracts.
In July of 1834 Ewald visited Monastir and Susa, at both of which places
he was able to proclaim the Gospel to numbers of Jews. He was back at
Tunis in September, and at once resumed his intercourse with Jews. He
says:--"I have from morning till night every possible opportunity for
preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ Jesus our Lord to Jews and
Mahometans, sometimes in my own dwelling-place--at other times in their
habitations, or shops, synagogues, or in the market-place. The desire to
read and to possess the Word of God is daily increasing among the
remnant of Israel in this country. Even the very poor save a few
shillings in order to buy the pearl of great price. Others who are even
too poor to follow their example, made an agreement to pay a few pence
every week. Doors have been opened for the circulation of the Scriptures
along the coast and in some places in the interior."
In 1835 Ewald visited the Jews along the northern coast of
Africa--Solimon, Nabal, Hammamet, Susa, Monastir, Medea, El-Djem, Sfax,
Gabes, Menzel, Shara, the Island of Gerba, and Tripoli were visited, and
the Gospel preached to many thousands and thousands of copies of the
Bible were placed in their hands, and tens of thousands of tracts
circulated. Most interesting records of this visit remain, to one of
which we cannot refrain from referring. Ewald was preaching on the wild
shores of Gabes, where the Jews had never so much as heard of Christ,
but where the general cry was, "Give me a Bible; give me a Bible; here
is the money for it!" so that he had none left for other places, at
which the poor Jews cried out for the Word of God, like children
perishing with hunger.
In 1836 Ewald made a visit to England for ordination, but was soon back
at his work again. We cannot follow this devoted and faithful missionary
in his untiring efforts for the lost sheep of Israel in Africa, and must
be content with giving his own summary of his labours. On the last day
of the year 1838, he wrote:--
"I have now been since 1832 on the coast of Africa. It has been my
privilege to proclaim the Gospel of salvation to many thousands of the
sons of Abraham during that period. To thousands I have been permitted
to present the oracles of God, and tens of thousands of tracts have been
put into circulation among the great mass of the Jewish population of
this country. The effect produced by these various means of grace may be
thus described: The greater part of the Jews know now that Christianity
is not a system of idolatry, but a revelation of God built upon the
Scriptures; that the precepts of the Gospel are very good and beneficial
to mankind. They acknowledge, for the most part, that the only
difference which exists between the Christians and the Jews is, that the
former maintain the Messiah is come, and Jesus Christ is the Messiah,
whilst the latter deny both, which may, however, fairly be decided by
the Word of God. They perceive that true Christians are not the enemies
of the Jews, but, on the contrary, their well-wishers, who provide them
with the Scriptures, and pray for their real welfare. The greater part
of them are now acquainted with the written Word of God, and we are able
to appeal with more effect to the testimony of Scripture without being
constantly told, 'These passages do not occur in our Bibles, but are a
fabrication of yours, in order to make us believe that Jesus is the
Messiah.'"
For three years more Ewald carried on the work, and then, owing to
repeated attacks of ophthalmia, he had to return to England in 1841,
after a residence of some eight years in the Barbary States.
He did not, however, long remain idle, for he was within a few months
appointed to assist in the Society's Mission in Jerusalem, and he and
his wife were members of the party which accompanied Dr. Alexander, the
first Anglican Bishop, to the Holy City. They sailed from Portsmouth on
December 7th, 1841, and reached Jerusalem on January 21st--being six
weeks on the journey, which is now accomplished in nine or ten days.
For ten years Ewald laboured earnestly in the work of the conversion of
the Jewish inhabitants of Jerusalem, being also chaplain to Bishop
Alexander during that prelate's occupation of the see.
One of the most interesting incidents connected with Ewald's labours in
the Holy City was the instruction and baptism of certain rabbis. Three,
named respectively, Abraham, Benjamin, and Eliezer, had placed
themselves under Christian instruction. A deputation from the Jews of
Tiberias arrived to enquire whether the report was true, that fourteen
rabbis of Jerusalem had embraced Christianity. The Jews of Jerusalem,
very much exasperated on that account, did all in their power to avoid
coming in contact with the missionaries, and removed all the books which
they had previously received through the mission, in order that they
might not be suspected.
Shortly afterwards two of the rabbis, Eliezer and Benjamin, known
henceforth as Christian Lazarus Lauria and John Benjamin Goldberg, were
baptized with two other enquirers, Isaac Paul Hirsch and Simon Peter
Fränkel. The Rev. John Nicolayson, the head of the Society's mission,
referring to the event, wrote: "It is not a small thing, that the
apparently impenetrable phalanx of rabbinism at Jerusalem has thus
actually been broken into; and two Jerusalem rabbis been incorporated
into the restored Hebrew Christian Church on Mount Zion. How sore the
Jews felt on this occasion you can easily conceive. They were, in fact,
after all, taken by surprise, and felt sadly disappointed in having to
yield up at last any lingering hope they might have had of their
return."
Of the third rabbi, Abraham, Mr. Ewald said: "There was, indeed,
something which marred my joy on that occasion, which was the absence of
rabbi Abraham. For years had he been the faithful companion of rabbi
Eliezer and rabbi Benjamin; he had the same convictions, but he could
not leave his wife; the struggles between natural affection and
spiritual blessings were too hard for him, and he returned." Ewald
witnessed other interesting missionary events at Jerusalem, which had a
great bearing upon the subsequent history of the Society; namely, the
baptism of John Moses Eppstein, and the ordination of Messrs.
Tartakover, A. J. Behrens, Sternchuss, Murray Vicars, and Henry Aaron
Stern.
During the early part of his sojourn there, Ewald had the great
misfortune to lose his wife, who died on January 16th, 1844. He brought
his motherless children to London, but returned to Jerusalem in 1846,
just after his second marriage. In the same year he published a "Journal
of Missionary Labours in the City of Jerusalem, during the years
1842-4," which are exceedingly interesting reading, even after this
lapse of time.
It is striking to note that at that time the Jewish population of
Jerusalem was only 6,000, out of a total of 18,000; whereas the Jewish
population now [1909] numbers 60,000, out of a total of 80,000.
Ewald was compelled to leave the East, owing to ill-health, in 1851,
when he became the Society's senior missionary in London. He at once
made his way into the hearts and homes of many Jews, and founded, in
November, 1853, an institution for poor enquiring Jews, called "The
Wanderers' Home." Such was its success that within five years 303 Jews
and Jewesses had availed themselves of its benefits, no less than 150
being baptized; 76 entered the Operative Jewish Converts' Institution,
and six went to the Society's College. In 1858, owing to lack of
financial support, the Home was closed. It was, however, re-opened in
1860, and has, under Dr. Ewald's and successive management, been the
means of influencing large numbers of Jews in a Christian direction.
Ewald's reports of his work are full of encouraging missionary facts. He
was in labours "most abundant," both for the Society and the "Wanderers'
Home." For nineteen years he was at the head of affairs, and at least
forty Jewish families in London were brought through his means to faith
in Christ. He was one of the ablest missionaries who ever served the
Society.
In 1858 Ewald thus wrote of the work: "Certainly, mighty changes have
taken place amongst those Jews to whom the missionary has not been
debarred an access. If you go into their houses, you find on their table
the Bible, the Old and New Testament, just as you see it on the table of
Christians, and I have seen the authorized version of the Bible not only
in private houses, but in the synagogue. When you converse with
intelligent Jews, you soon observe that they have read the New
Testament, and other Christian books and that they know what the
fundamental doctrines of Christianity are, namely: the fall of man; the
redemption of mankind through the Lord Jesus Christ; the atonement; the
Deity of Christ; the doctrine of the Trinity, &c.; and they know also
that every true Christian believes these doctrines. Then, much of the
animosity towards converts has been gradually removed, by the number of
Jews who have embraced Christianity. You cannot meet with many Jewish
families who do not count among their relatives some converts. I have
myself heard Jews defending their friends, not for having embraced
Christianity, but from the alleged imputation of having embraced it
through impure motives. The more Christianity gains ground in the Jewish
community, the more will friendly feelings arise towards those of their
number who conscientiously look upon the Lord Jesus as the Christ.
Amongst fifty thousand Jews in England we reckon three thousand
converts. In London alone there are eleven ministers of the Lord Jesus
Christ who are converted Jews, preaching the Word of Life to perishing
sinners, whose ministry the Lord owns by granting them many souls for
their hire. These thousands of converts are as a salt in the earth, and
through their instrumentality a work is carried on silently and quietly
in this country. They have all acquaintances and friends, to whom they
speak occasionally of the Lord Jesus; and thus true religion is spread
among the Jews."
When, in 1870, Dr. Ewald, owing to increasing years, retired from the
mission, he could thankfully look back upon a successful career, whether
passed in North Africa, Palestine, or London. During his residence in
the metropolis hundreds of Jews were baptized, out of some thousands
instructed by him.
Dr. Ewald died at Gipsy Hill, London, on August 9th, 1874, at the age of
73 years.
Ewald published in 1856 a German translation of "Abodah Zarah"
(Idolatrous Worship), the name of one of the treatises of the Mishnah,
of the Tosefta, and of the Babylonian and the Palestinian Talmud, for
which his University conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy. A distinction which he valued still more highly was the
degree of Bachelor of Divinity, which honour was conferred upon him by
the Patron of the Society, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in
consideration of, as the diploma stated, his proficiency in the study of
divinity, of Hebrew and Oriental languages and literature; and also of
his missionary labours and eminent services in the promotion of
Christianity amongst the Jews.
The then Bishop of Carlisle (Dr. Montagu Villiers) described Dr. Ewald
as a "missionary genius," a description fully deserved for his ability
and devotion to the work to which he gave his life.
EWALD, Dr. Paulus, a brother of the preceding, also embraced
Christianity. He was lecturer at the University of Erlangen, and later
became Pastor of Pappenreuth, Bavaria. He published a translation of the
Talmud tract, "Pirke Aboth" (The Ethics of the Fathers), in 1825.
EZEKIEL, Hakim David, a physician and famous Talmudist at Bagdad, and
son of a rich Jew, was baptized there in 1850, and subsequently laboured
as a colporteur in the mission.
FALK, Max, Hungarian statesman and journalist, born at Budapest in 1828,
became a Christian as a student at the University. He displayed great
talent as a writer and politician. In 1866 he was appointed as
instructor of Hungarian to the Empress Elizabeth. The next year he
became editor-in-chief to the "Pester Lloyd," raising that paper to a
high level of excellence. In 1869 he was elected a member of the
Hungarian House of Representatives. The Emperor of Austria has decorated
him with the Komthur Cross of the Order of St. Stephen.
FANTA, Kendy, together with Beru and I. Jasu, were indefatigable in
proclaiming the Gospel of salvation to their brethren during the
captivity of the missionaries in Abyssinia.
FARO, Aharon Gabai Rodriguez, a rich Portuguese Jew living in Holland in
the seventeenth century, was converted through reading Ragstatt de
Weile's tract, "de Heerlykheyd Jesu Christi," and having heard of an
attempt that was made by a Jewish teacher to murder the author, he
decided to be baptized by him. Ragstatt himself mentioned the case in
the sermon which he preached on the occasion on Ps. ii. 6.
FAUBER, of Gran, a highly respected Jew in Pesth, was baptized in 1847.
FAY, I. L., was won for Christ in 1820 by the L.J.S. missionary L. D.
Mark, who laboured at Offenbach. Fay studied theology and became Pastor
in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland.
FELS, Christian Leberecht, born in 1640, became eventually Rabbi in
Prague. After embracing Christianity at Cöthen, he returned to Prague
and claimed his patrimony, but the Government authorities refused to
sanction it unless he became a Roman Catholic. So he had to seek his
livelihood by teaching Hebrew and rabbinics in various schools and
Universities. To convince his brethren of the truth of Christianity, he
wrote in German a treatise under the title "Hodegus Judæorum" (Frankfort
and Leipzig, 1703), in which he, besides the Scriptures, adduces proofs
from the Targums and the Talmud in favour of Christianity. He published
a Latin Hebrew Grammar under the title "Brevis et perspicua via ad
linguam sanctam" (Sunderhausen, 1696). Also "Brevis et perspicua via ad
accentionem," 1700. No less than 52 Jews were influenced by him to
accept the Gospel. He held a Professorship at Wittenberg, but on account
of war he had to leave, and went to Verden and Lubeck, where he gave
lessons. He died in the faith at Hamburg in 1719.
FERDINAND, Philip: "Hebrew teacher; born in Poland about 1555; died at
Leyden, Holland, 1598. After an adventurous career on the Continent,
during which he became first a Roman Catholic and afterward a
Protestant, he went to Oxford University, and later removed to the
University of Cambridge, where he was matriculated Dec. 16th 1596. He
claimed a pension from the 'Domus Conversorum,' which was paid Feb. 3rd,
1598, and receipted for by him in Latin, Hebrew, and Greek. The same
year he was attracted to Leyden by Joseph Scaliger, who obtained a
professorship for him. Scaliger himself acknowledges having learned much
from Ferdinand, in the short time he was at Leyden. Ferdinand's only
publication was a translation of the six hundred and thirteen
commandments as collected by Abraham ben 'Kattani' in the Bomberg Bible
(Cambridge 1597.)
"The following is a list of his writings: 'Dictionary of National
Biography'; Wood, 'Athenæ Oxnienses,' ed. Bliss, i. 677; Cooper, 'Athenæ
Cantabrigienses,' ii. 239; Scaliger, 'Epistolæ,' pp. 208, 594, Leyden,
1627; 'Transactions of the Jewish Historical Society,' Eng. i.
27."--_Jewish Encyclopædia._
FINKELSTEIN, Rev. A. M., had a school for Jewish children in
Philadelphia in 1885.
FINKELSTEIN, Rev. Samuel, a convert from Russia, emigrated to Australia
and became pastor of a German church at Melbourne, where he also founded
a mission to the Jews in 1868.
FLEGEL, Petrus, a convert, was Professor of Hebrew at the University of
Strassburg in 1564. More is not known of him.
FLEISCHALKER, Rev. J. C, was educated at St. Chrischona College, near
Basle. He laboured for a time as L.J.S. missionary in Jerusalem, where
he was ordained by Bishop Gobat. In 1868 he became pastor of St.
George's Episcopal Chapel, New York. He was a true servant of God.
FORTUNATUS, Wilhelm, a physician, became a convert to Christianity
through the simple reading of the New Testament, and was baptized in
Baden in 1639, (Wolff, Bibliotheca Hebraica 1, p. 564).
FOULD, Achille, French Statesman and Minister of Finance under two
Napoleons, born in Paris in 1800 died in 1867. In the Jewish
Encyclopædia, it is stated that he married into a Protestant family, and
his children were educated in that faith, but he never formally abjured
Judaism, though he was buried with the rites of the Protestant Church.
But de le Roi states that in his ripe age, with full convictions, he
joined the Reformed Church, of which he had always been a true member.
The two statements are easily reconciled. He was a regular attendant at
that Church for many years, but was only baptized in his old age. (See
"Jewish Intelligence," 1868, p. 13.)
FRANCO, Rabbi Solomon, baptized in London in 1670. Wolff in Bib. Heb.
1678 records the fact that he took Ps. lxxxv. 11 as his motto, "Truth
shall spring out of the earth," and tried to convince the Jews that the
earthly promises to Israel have a higher spiritual meaning in their
being realized in Christ Jesus.
FRANCO, Abraham and Jacob, Portuguese Jews, who had once the first city
houses in London. Their posterity have all become Christians, according
to Peixotto.
FRANK, Rev. Arnold, born in Hungary, baptized in 1877 at Hamburg,
studied theology at Belfast, was appointed missionary at Altona in 1884,
where he [1909] still labours faithfully with tokens of divine blessing.
He is the author of a pamphlet entitled "The Jewish Problem and its
Solution" (Belfast, 1883).
FRANKEL, Dr. B., has written his own history entitled, "Das Bekenntniss
des Proselyten, das Unglück der Juden und ihre Emanzipation in
Deutschland" (Elberfeld, 1841).
FRANKEL, Rev. E. B., was first a missionary of the British Society, and
then entered the service of the L.J.S., and laboured successfully at
Jerusalem until 1869, where he had the privilege of baptizing his own
brother. From Jerusalem he was transferred to Damascus, where he
laboured for some years both as a missionary and chaplain to the English
community, holding evening classes and meeting the Jews at the book
depôt; the latter was once set on fire. Then he went to Tunis, and
together with his son-in-law, the Rev. E. H. Archer-Shepherd, laboured
faithfully till he retired to Bournemouth, where he died in the Lord.
FRANKEL, Dr. Ivan, Medical Councillor in Berlin, became, as a convert, a
great friend of the Jewish mission, and attended the Missionary
Conference in 1870.
FRANKHEIM, a convert in Breslau, wrote two books: 1, "Doctrine of
Cohesion" (Breslau, 1835), 2, "Popular Astronomy" (_ib._, 1827 and
1829).
FRAUENSTADT, Christian Martin Julius, German student of philosophy, born
at Boyanawo, Posen, 1813; died at Berlin, 1879. He was educated at the
house of his uncle at Neisse, and embraced Christianity in 1833. He
wrote, "Studien und Kritiken zur Theologie und Philosophie," Berlin,
1840; "Ueber das Wahre Verhältniss der Vernunft zur Offenbahrung,"
Darmstadt, 1898; "Aesthetische Fragen," Dessau, 1853; "Die Natur
wissenschaft in Ihren Einfluss auf Poesie, Religion, Moral, und
Philosophie," _ib._, 1885; "Der Materialismus, seine Wahrheit und sein
Irrthum," _ib._, 1856; "Briefe über die Natürliche Religion," _ib._,
1858; "Lichtstrahlen aus Immanuel Kants Werken," _ib._, 1872. He also
wrote much about Schopenhauer's philosophy, whose works he edited in six
volumes.
FRESHMAN, Rev. Jacob, was the son of a Hungarian Rabbi, who settled in
Quebec, Canada, in 1855. His father officiated in the synagogue there
for three years, and after becoming convinced of the truth of
Christianity together with his wife, four sons and three daughters, were
all baptized by the Rev. J. Elliot, then President of the Montreal
Methodist Conference. Freshman, senior, was soon appointed as a Pastor
among the Germans in the province, and laboured in this office for nine
years. On account of his ability and learning, the degree of D.D. was
conferred upon him. Several Jews were also brought to a knowledge of the
truth through his ministry. He died through an accident in 1875. His son
Jacob was an equally able and zealous man, established a mission to the
Jews in New York City under the name, "Hebrew Christian Work." By his
popular lectures to Christians on Jewish subjects, and by his earnest
addresses to Jews, he won the hearts of both, and glorious results
followed his ministry. Many of the converts became themselves ministers
of the Gospel. Having built a church especially for this work, he
retired from the mission to carry on private ministerial work.
FREY, Rev. (Joseph Samuel) Christian Friedrich, born at Stockheim, near
Wurzburg, in 1771. His father was an assistant rabbi, in good
circumstances, and a distinguished opponent of Christianity, owing to
his wife's brother having become a Christian. The children were early
prejudiced against Christianity by their home teacher, who read to them
the story about Jesus as given in the "Toldoth Yeshu." At the age of
eighteen Frey became a teacher and a precentor in small congregations.
In the course of his wanderings he met a Christian merchant, who induced
him to enquire into Christianity, and this happened repeatedly with
others. He then learned the trade of shoemaking, and was finally
converted in 1798, at Prenzlan, when his master, a worldly man,
dismissed him on account of attending prayer meetings frequently.
Encouraged by Christian friends he went to Berlin, and applied to Pastor
Janicke for admission into his missionary training school in 1800. From
there he went to London. Then, after holding meetings with Jews in Bury
Street, Spitalfields, he wrote a most touching appeal to the Committee
of the L.J.S. (or rather to those earnest Christian men who formed
themselves later into a Committee) in 1801, and thus he gave the first
impulse to the establishment of the London Society for Promoting
Christianity amongst the Jews in 1809. (See "Our Missions," p. 19).
Of Frey's converts at that time an excellent one was Erasmus H. Simon,
who after his baptism studied theology at Edinburgh, and went with
Thelwall to Amsterdam, in 1820, to work in that city amongst the Jews,
as he knew the Dutch language. In 1816 Frey went to America, where he
assisted in the reconstruction of the already existing American Society
for Evangelizing the Jews, under the title of "The Society for
Ameliorating the Condition of the Jews in New York," under which he
laboured for some time.
Frey is the author of a long and learned dialogue, entitled "Joseph and
Benjamin;" also of a Hebrew Dictionary.
FRIEDBERG, Emil Albert von, born in Kanitz, 1837, studied law in Berlin
and Heidelberg, became eventually Professor of Ecclesiastical Law at
Leipzig in 1869, and was ennobled in Wittenberg. His published works on
Church law are too numerous to mention here. (See de le Roi, vol. ii.
230, 231).
FRIEDBERG, Heinrich, born in Friedland, 1813, also a great lawyer,
became, after holding important offices of state, Minister of Justice in
Prussia, and received from the Emperor Frederick the Order of the Black
Eagle.
FRIEDBERG, Eduard, also born in Friedland, in 1827, and evidently a
relative or a brother of the preceding was baptized by Pastor Ideler.
FRIEDENTHAL, Karl Rudolf, embraced Christianity together with his
parents and the whole family. In 1838 the family bought an estate near
Neu Silesia, where they did much in the diffusion and strengthening of
evangelical life in the midst of a Roman Catholic population.
Friedenthal was born in Breslau, 1827, studied law, held offices under
the Government, and then retired to the family estate, devoting his time
to good works. He published a pamphlet in 1864, entitled "Solus
Republicæ Supremæ," in which he strongly advocated the organization of
charity to the poor. He was elected a member of the Reichsrath. During
the Franco-German war he volunteered for the purpose of nursing the
wounded. He died in 1890. A near relative, Major A. D. Friedenthal,
likewise became an evangelical Christian.
FRIEDLANDER, Benjamin, born 1773, the son of David Friedländer, the
friend of Mendelssohn, embraced Christianity at the age of 61, together
with his wife. They, in this respect, followed the example of their
children. The whole family were decided Christians, and one of them, Dr.
Julius Friedländer, wrote a history of the Reformation, and a history of
Numismatics, and other historical works.
FRIEDLANDER, Ludwig, born in Königsberg, 1824. As a Christian he became
Professor of classical Philology and Archæology. He wrote
"Wörterverzeichniss zu Homer," Leipzig, 1860; "Homerische Kritik von
Wolf bis Grote," Berlin, 1853; "Darstellungen aus der Sittengeschichte
Roms," 3 vols., 1862-71, in which his Christian principles especially
appear.
FRIEDLANDER, Rev. Zebi Herman, a native of the Archduchy of Posen, was
baptized by Dr. Ewald, in London, about 1862. By his piety and
affectionate gentle disposition he exercised a salutary influence over
the enquirers, whom, under Dr. Ewald, he also instructed. In 1870 he was
sent by the L.J.S. to Tunis, after having laboured for a short time at
Manchester. In 1873 he was transferred to Jerusalem, where he was
ordained by Bishop Gobat. The Jerusalem Jews revered him more than any
missionary before, because he had manifested to them practical love by
being very charitable to the poor refugees from Russia, in 1885. He was
chiefly instrumental in founding the Jewish agricultural colony at
Artouf. He edited at that time a paper entitled, "Tidings from Zion." He
went later on to New York, where he edited "The Peculiar People." He
died there whilst engaged in prayer on his knees.
FRIEDMAN, Rev. George, a convert of Pastor Faltin, in Kischineff, became
his assistant there about 1885. He then translated the Lutheran
Catechism into Hebrew. Having afterwards sojourned for a time in
Jerusalem, he went from there to London, and was after a while appointed
by the British Society as missionary at Wilna, and he has since been
doing faithful work for the Master in various towns in Russia. In 1895,
the year of the great and horrible pogroms, he rendered great and
immortal service by consoling and supporting the poor suffering Jews.
FRIEDMANN, Paul, born at Berlin about the middle of the nineteenth
century. Although the son of a Jewish convert, he may exceptionally be
mentioned here, as he is a very suitable illustration of the fact that
Christians of Jewish origin cherish in their hearts warm affection to
the people from whom they have sprung. Moved by a feeling of compassion
towards the Jews, who suffered persecution in Russia between 1880-90, he
visited the land of Midian in 1890, with the intention of founding a
colony there. He, after due negotiation with the Egyptian Government,
actually founded one in 1901, on the east side of the Gulf of Akabah,
but the new colony did not last more than two months. Internal
dissensions broke out between the leaders, who were Christians, and the
Jews. Friedmann, who had sunk 170,000 marks in the project, brought a
suit against the Egyptian Government for £25,000. The Russian Consul in
Cairo also opened an investigation, and violent denunciatory articles
appeared in the Egyptian press, especially in connexion with the death
of one of the settlers, who had been forced to leave the encampment
because of insubordination. In connexion with the venture Friedmann
privately published "Das Land Madian," Berlin, 1891.
FRIEDMANN, Rev. Ben Zion, a native of Russia educated in the strictest
school of the Pharisees, emigrated to Palestine between 1870-80, took up
his abode in Safed, where he studied the Talmud with the other disciples
of the Hahamim in the Beit-hamedrash. Whilst there he found Jesus Christ
as his Saviour. In the same place he has been working as a missionary
among his former friends and companions for many years, and is certainly
regarded by them as one who has not, by embracing Christianity,
forfeited a share in the world to come. Mr. Friedmann has been to a
great extent the means of establishing a hospital for the Jews in Safed
and a school for their children. He is the author of a tract, "Or
Haolam" ("The Light of the World"), and he translated "Gideon and the
Angel of the Lord" into Hebrew.
FRIEDRICH, J. C., wrote several works, among which are these--"Die Söhne
Jacobs," "Weissagungs parallelen mit Virgil," Breslau, 1841, "De
Christologia Samaritanum," Leipzig, 1881.
FROHLING, Carline, a Swedish converted Jewess, laboured as assistant
missionary at Stockholm, in 1880-82, by conducting an industrial school
in which poor Jewish children were taught useful work, and by visits
among the resident families, and spreading the Gospel.
FROMMAN, Dr. Heinrich Christian Immanuel, physician and author, was one
of the most distinguished converts in the first half of the eighteenth
century in Germany. He had been studying in Dessau, under rabbi David
Fränkel, when one day he visited a tailor who, on seeing him, began to
weep. Asking for the cause, the tailor said that he was grieved by the
thought that such a nice young man should be lost. Fromman thereupon
rebuked him sharply--but the tailor did not mind it--and offered him a
New Testament, urging him to read it. He went away, but came again
another time and asked for the same Book, but when he saw it was written
in German, which he could not read, he threw it on the table and left
the house. He then went to a bookseller, wishing to buy a Bible, who
demanded a thaler for it, which he could not afford to pay. However, the
tears of the tailor gave him no rest, and at last he bought the German
Old Testament, and spent whole nights in learning to read. Having
acquired this knowledge, he was glad to receive the New Testament and to
study it diligently. He then went to Gotha and confessed his faith in
Christ, and was baptized about 1722 or 1723. During his study of
medicine, he translated the Gospel of St. Luke into Judæo-German, in
1730. Later he translated other parts of the New Testament. Having
written the tract, "Das Licht am Abend" ("Light at Eventide"), which is
still circulated and appreciated among the Jews, he managed to acquire
the art of setting up type and of printing when he was an inmate of the
Callenberg Institute, and produced the work with his own hands as well
as mind. He also wrote and translated other Christian books, and
composed the fundamental part of the rabbinic commentary on St. Luke,
which Dr. Biesenthal perfected and brought to light.
FUERST, Dr. A., a native of Pommern, Germany, when only fourteen years
old, heard the L.J.S. missionary Moritz discussing Christianity with the
Jews in his native town, and received from him a Bible. Another time he
received a tract from the L.J.S. missionary Hartmann, which made a
strong impression upon him. After studying in a seminary for teachers,
in Schneidemuhl (Posen), he went to England, and was instructed and
baptized by the Rev. Ridley Herschell in 1856. Subsequently he was
appointed by the British Society as a missionary in England. From 1867
to 1871 Dr. Fürst laboured among the Jews in Stettin. He then entered
the service of the Free Church of Scotland, and was stationed at Prague,
Amsterdam, and Strasburg, and latterly he retired to Stuttgart, where he
still bore testimony to the Jews of the assured hope of salvation,
through his Master whom he so long and faithfully served. Dr. Fürst was
a fine scholar, and he wrote a book entitled, "Christen und Juden Licht
und Schattenbilder aus Kirche und Synagoge," Strasburg, 1892.
GANS, Eduard, born in Berlin, 1798, studied, and through the influence
of the philosopher Hegel, embraced Christianity in 1825, and in 1828
became professor in the Berlin University. He wrote, among other works,
"Das Erbrecht in Weltgeschichtlicher Entwickelung" (4 vols.), Stuttgart,
1834, which was translated into French by Leoménie, Paris, 1845; "Ein
System des römischen Civil Rechts," Berlin, 1827. He edited Hegel's
"Geschichte der Philosophie," and "Jahrbücher für wissenschaftliche
Kritik." He died as professor in 1839.
GELBFLAUM, Rev. Isidor, was born in the city of Warsaw, in Russian
Poland, in the year 1865, of orthodox Jewish parents. We cull the
following from his autobiography:--"My father was a corn merchant in
very comfortable circumstances. His desire from the day of my birth was
to bring me up in strict adherence with Rabbinical traditions, and I, on
my part, followed dutifully and cheerfully the guidance of my dear
father. But very early in my career, God graciously intervened, and in
1877 I came into contact with a colporteur of the British and Foreign
Bible Society, who sold me a copy of the Hebrew New Testament. Though I
was only then in my thirteenth year, I nevertheless read the
newly-acquired treasure with intense longing to find out whether Jesus
of Nazareth was the Messiah. I used diligently to read the New Testament
whenever the opportunity presented itself. One day my father suddenly
came into the room where I was reading the Acts of the Apostles. He
immediately demanded the production of the book, and I instantly gave it
to him. A few weeks later on I had occasion to be in the market-place,
and I purchased another copy of the same colporteur, which I read with
greater caution. Although I thus read the Book again and again, I could
not understand it, much less could I apply its contents. I was like the
Ethiopian eunuch, and needed some one to explain to me the meaning of
the revelation of God's purpose to mankind. Soon after an event occurred
which contributed greatly to determining my spiritual future. My
parents, noticing the abatement of my zeal for rabbinical Judaism,
decided to send me to a _Yeshiba_, and they determined on Pressburg, in
Hungary. I had not been in Pressburg more than a week, when I was
brought into contact with a Hebrew Christian missionary from Vienna, who
was visiting the place at the time for missionary work. He spent over an
hour with me explaining the things of God, and directing my attention
to the Messiahship of the Lord Jesus. I remained in Pressburg till the
spring of 1881, after which I returned to Warsaw. In 1885 a Protestant
Christian lady in Warsaw became interested in me, and by her advice, and
with a letter of introduction to the late Rev. Dr. Stern, I came to
England in June of that year, only to find that my would-be instructor
had been called home to his rest. I waited till the arrival of the Rev.
J. M. Eppstein, who instructed me and subsequently baptized me in 1886.
I then entered the Operative Jewish Converts' Institution, and passed
the following two years there in happy association with other converts
to Christ. In 1888 I offered my services to and was accepted by the
London City Mission, and worked among my brethren in the East End of
London till March, 1893, when I was appointed by the British Society,
and ultimately sent to Leeds. Since coming to that city, I have been the
humble instrument, in God's hand, of leading many of my brethren to
Christ, two of whom have become Christian ministers, one in the west of
England and the other in the United States of America. A third convert
given to me is an earnest Sunday school teacher, and a fourth a local
preacher."
GELLERT, Alexander, was a missionary of the L.J.S., first in England and
then, in 1861, in Roumania, where he had some fruits of his labours, and
died in 1870.
GELLING, Michael, was born 1597, and baptized 1616. He translated in
Hamburg R. Isaac Troki's "Chizzuk Emunah," 1633, into German. Dr. John
Müller made use of this MS. in his "Judaismus detectus," 1694, and it
came into possession of M. Chr. Ziegra. Wolff in his "Bibliotheca
Hebraica," iv. p. 639, gives detailed information about this MS. and a
specimen of Gelling's translation. Bishop Kidder wrote a refutation of
the "Chizzuk Emunah" in his "Demonstration of the Messiah," in 1694.
Jacob Gusset likewise in his "Controversarium adversus Judaeos ternio,"
Dortrecht, 1688. The whole was edited by Arnold Borst, and published in
1712, at Amsterdam, under the title, "Jesu Christi Evangeliique Veritas,
salutifera, demonstrata in confutatione libri Chizzuk Emunah." The Rev.
A. Lukyn Williams is now answering the same in English, and the writer
is translating it into Yiddish.
GERMANUS, Johannes Isaac Levita, having been convinced that Isaiah liii.
was a Messianic prophecy and fulfilled in Jesus, was baptized with his
wife and his son Stephen by Joh. Draconites in 1546. Later he became
professor of Hebrew in London and in Cologne. He wrote a controversial
work entitled: "Defensio veritatis Hebraicae," Cologne, 1558, also a
Hebrew grammar, "Mebo Imre Shofar," which passed through several
editions; a treatise on the book of Ruth; and translated some of the
works of Maimonides and Juda Ibn Tibon into Latin. His son, Stephen, who
was a physician, translated the prophet Malachi into Latin.
GEROLD, Rev. G. L., was a rabbinical student in Breslau, baptized by Dr.
Stern in the year of his death, graduated at Cambridge, was ordained in
1898, and is now Rector of Easthope, Much Wenlock, Salop, in the diocese
of Hereford.
GERSON, Christian ben Meir Biberbach, born at Reeklichhausen, August 1,
1567, received the usual Talmudical education, and was a teacher in
several places. A neighbour, who was a Christian woman, borrowed from
him ten pence, giving him as security a Lutheran New Testament. Curious
to know the source of the Christian errors, he and his two
brothers-in-law read it with much amusement. Yet finding there
quotations from the Old Testament, he continued reading it more
earnestly, comparing Scripture with Scripture, until his conscience was
awakened and felt the need of salvation through Christ. He wrote
afterwards--"I found such light, for which I have to thank the Lord God
all my life." He was baptized by Pastor Silberschlag at Halberstadt,
October 19, 1600. Gerson's son Stephen was baptized years later, but his
wife got a divorce from him. He then taught Hebrew at Copenhagen, and
eventually, after being persuaded by friends, he became a preacher of
the Gospel. Testimony is given him that he heartily loved his people,
and defended them against blood accusations. His works are: "Des
Jüdischer Talmud fürnehmster Inhalt und Widerlegung," Gislav, 1707,
Gera, 1613. A German translation of the eleventh chapter of Tract
Sanhedrin. Gerson died on October 22, 1642, only 47 years old, as a
preacher of the Gospel, in poverty. He was pastor of two parishes,
receiving a stipend of six gulden, and had to work as a farm labourer
for his living. In the Jewish Encyclopædia it is stated that Gerson was
drowned at Roelheim, September 25, 1627. Here is a specimen of the
contradictory statements of historians.
GERSON, Rev. Marks, was born in Kovno, Poland, in 1879. His father died
when he was four, and his mother when he was thirteen. Up to that age he
received the usual Jewish education and his elder brother kept him at
school for another year, but then he had to make a start to earn his own
living. He worked with relatives for five years, and then came to
London, where the "Hebrew Christian Testimony" was instrumental in
leading him to Christ. In 1898 he was admitted into the Operative Jewish
Converts' Institution, and in December of the same year was baptized by
the Rev. G. H. Händler in Christ Church, Stepney. In June, 1899, he was
confirmed by the Bishop of Stepney, and in 1901 he was accepted by the
Church Missionary Society for training first at Clapham Common, then at
Blackheath, and subsequently at the College in Islington. On the 18th of
June, 1905, he was ordained in St. Paul's Cathedral, and since then he
has laboured with good success in India: being stationed at present in
Calcutta.
GERSTMAN, W. A., was a missionary of the L.J.S. at Jerusalem in 1837,
and then on account of illness was transferred to Constantinople in
1840.
GINSBURG, Rev. Dr. Christian David, born at Warsaw, December 25, 1821,
embraced Christianity there in 1846, was missionary of the British
Society in Liverpool till 1863, when he retired in order to devote
himself entirely to literary work. Dr. Ginsburg contributed a
considerable number of valuable articles on Jewish topics to Kitto's
Encyclopædia, published a book on the Karaites and Essenes, and a full
account in English of the Kabbalah, its doctrines, development, and
literature. But he will be especially remembered for his massoretic
studies, and translation of Elias Levita's "Massoreth-ha-Massorah" in
1867, and of Jacob ben Hayim's "Introduction to the Rabbinic Bible,"
published in the same year. He was on the Revision Committee of the Old
Testament. He edited the Massoretic Critical Text of the Hebrew Bible
for the Trinitarian Bible Society, 1894, and also Salkinson's
translation of the New Testament into Hebrew, 1886.
GINSBURG, Rev. J. B. Crighton, was instructed and baptized by the L.J.S.
missionary Hausmeister, at Strasburg. After doing good work in England,
and not without results, he laboured for many years in Algeria. Among
his converts there were Moses Ben Oliel and T. E. Zerbib. He then
laboured faithfully in Mogador, amidst many difficulties and trials, and
lastly he had the charge of the mission at Constantinople from 1886,
till the time of his death there, when he entered into the higher
service of Heaven.
GOLDBERG, Dr. John Benjamin, was one of a number of rabbis and learned
men, who were converted to Christianity in Jerusalem in the first half
of the nineteenth century. He was baptized in Christ Church, Jerusalem
by Nicolayson, in 1843. He had consequently to undergo much persecution
and loss of property. In 1847 we find him as a preacher of the Gospel to
his brethren in Cairo, and then, on account of illness; he was
transferred to Salonica. In 1851 he was appointed as missionary at
Constantinople, and from there he went, in 1860, to Smyrna. Goldberg was
a most spiritually-minded and lovable man. His latter years he spent in
England, and contributed to the "Hebrew Christian Witness," in 1874, two
learned and very valuable and extensive articles on "The Language of
Christ," and on "The Future Division of the Land of Israel."
GOLDBERG, Johann Peter, missionary to the Jews. We give the following
extracts from his life and work, edited by his son-in-law, the Rev. J.
A. Hausmeister:--
"It might appear strange that Goldberg should so soon give up his
acquired profession and become a teacher; but the fact is, that, from
his earliest years, he showed a disposition more for intellectual
employment than for business, for the latter he never displayed any
great talent. At the same time, he did not conceal his religious, or,
rather, anti-Jewish tendencies, as he was always open and
straightforward. These were in his case tolerated, because he was
respected on account of his learning, and in a few years he was duly
appointed as teacher of the whole Jewish community.
"Concerning his conversion, he, in his reminiscences, tells the story
thus: 'On New Year's eve, 1803, I and several Jews went, out of
curiosity, to the Hall, where the congregation of the Moravian brethren
worshipped. Here, I heard, for the first time, of the birth, the
destiny, the suffering, death, and the resurrection of our Saviour, and
seized by a kind of foreboding feeling, my heart was filled with joy and
happiness. Deeply touched, I left that sacred house with the resolve to
visit it often, and the impressions of the love of God to men were so
forcibly within me, that they also accompanied and refreshed me in my
sleep. Yet, alas! this beneficial impression vanished soon, by reason of
the implanted prejudices against Christianity, and of the unbelief which
had already taken root in me, even in the Scriptures of the Old
Testament. But since that night I felt, more and more, a disconsolate
emptiness in my heart, though I continued, at a distance, from the way
of life.' We hear here the knockings of God on the door of an erring
heart, which refused to open itself. How often must the gracious God
visit a man, now with love and then with affliction, before He can gain
admittance into his soul. But a Jew has still more difficulties to
contend against; for the prejudices against Christianity, which he
imbibes from his youth, arise from the natural heart as soon as it has
come under the influence of the truth. He has to contend not only
against the enemy of unbelief, but also against the enemy of
superstition, which bars his way in every direction. Though Goldberg was
surrounded by various Christians at Neuwied, and came, sometimes, in
contact with the Moravian brethren, yet many years passed before he
submitted to the Word of God, and found the peace which the world can
neither give nor take away. It is very telling for the character of
Goldberg that he chose Neuwied for his home. With his former principal
at Hamburg, he continued a friendly correspondence, and received from
him repeated invitations to return to the situation, where every
prospect for his advancement and happiness awaited him. But he was firm,
and felt no matrimonial inclinations for the rich merchant's daughter,
but rather chose for his partner the daughter of Solomon Rubens, the
Jewish butcher at Neuwied. They were married in 1806, and she brought
him something better than money--a true and loving heart; which helped
him to carry his burden, and was ready with him to cast that burden upon
the mighty shoulders of the Saviour, and to participate in his joy and
peace. Nevertheless, many a rivulet flows into the Rhine, and the couple
had to drink much of the bitter waters of Marah, before they tasted of
the cup of salvation. I will only mention a few instances:--
"When Goldberg established his own home, he resumed his connexion with
his family, not only by correspondence but by paying them a visit, which
he had long yearned to do. In the very fruitful year of 1811 he started
upon his journey, in spite of the dissuasion of the Austrian ambassador
at Frankfort, who had told him that he was liable to punishment in his
country, because he had failed to present himself for military service.
Safely arrived at Regensburg, the superintendent of the police refused
at first to give a _visé_ to his passport for Austria, as it had not the
signature of the ambassador, but he and his wife at last prevailed over
the officer. In Vienna, again, the police told him that he would have to
be transported home as a transgressor of the law, but through the
influence of a banker, a cousin of Goldberg, and by means of a bribe, he
was permitted to remain some time in Vienna unmolested. On his return
journey to the Rhine he experienced immediate Divine protection, even in
a more striking manner. He had made this journey on foot, and came one
day very tired to a village and rested a little in an hotel. Black
clouds covered the sky and announced the approach of a storm, when
Goldberg resumed his march, though against the warning of the hostess,
as he was very anxious to see his wife and children as soon as possible.
As soon as he entered a thick forest, the rain came down in torrents,
accompanied by thunder and lightning, and the wanderer had to stop.
There was an open space in the forest with only a few stumps of trees in
it, and he was meditating upon which of the stumps he should sit down.
He decided for the one which stood on the right. Scarcely had he sat
down, when the stump on the left was struck by lightning and shivered to
pieces. He was thus much impressed with the wonderful protecting care of
the providence of God.
"The Jews have many nice customs and rites as well as beautiful prayers.
When the Spirit of God will some day revive this people, then will many
a Jewish form and custom, which is now performed like an empty ceremony,
be exercised in spirit and leave a blessing. One of these customs is,
that after the service on the Sabbath and on feast days, the children
approach the parents, who lay their hands on them and bless them.[13]
Also, when a Jew goes on a journey, the members of his family follow
him and pronounce a blessing. It was so before Goldberg started on his
journey that his mother-in-law laid her hands on his head, blessed him,
and then added: 'Farewell, we shall never see one another again.' Yet
Goldberg could not believe that these parting words would be fulfilled.
When on his journey back he spent a night at Regensburg, and awoke early
in the morning, there suddenly appeared to him near his bed, the form of
a friendly woman, dressed in white, who looked at him complacently. He
recognized her as his mother-in-law, looked at his watch, it was four
o'clock, and was greatly astonished. He rose up and resumed his journey,
and when he arrived at Frankfort, he met a Jew from Neuwied, of whom he
enquired after his family, and was told by him that they were all well,
and at last that his mother-in-law had died. Now he understood the
meaning of the apparition. He used often to refer to this event and say:
'You know that I am no believer in ghost stories, yet I have, myself,
experienced, and am convinced, that spirits can be in communication with
one another.' Deeply moved, he returned to his family, and his arrival
was to them a great comfort.
[13] This custom is very seldom seen nowadays.
"We should have thought that all these experiences would have caused
Goldberg to think right earnestly of making his peace with God, but this
was not yet the case. When a man does not read the Word of God with
prayer, and does not seek the influence of the Holy Spirit, no
conversion can take place in his heart. Goldberg, at this period, had
lost all faith in the Bible. He belonged to a society of so-called
enlightened Jews at Neuwied, who contributed to a periodical entitled
'Measaph.' He, himself, wrote many nice Hebrew articles, with the object
of enlightening his co-religionists, though his own mind was yet
surrounded by darkness. His Jewish friends and some Christians used to
read novels together, and lived according to the pernicious principles
which the frivolous books inculcated. But though he was a member of this
circle, yet the good hand of the invisible God kept him from falling
into gross sins, so that all his experiences of Divine help and
protection contributed, at least, to maintain in him the fear of God. He
used often to speak of this with great thankfulness.
"The Lord had also continually given him a cross to bear, in order to
bend his stiff neck. In those times of dreadful wars, Goldberg, on
account of his knowledge of the Polish and Russian languages, was often
obliged to act as interpreter among the troops of these nations who had
their quarters there.
"In 1814, he was called one evening, very late, to quiet an uproar that
had arisen among the Russian soldiers. This accomplished, he returned
home late in the night, and in the darkness he did not observe a waggon
that stood in the way, and fell over the shaft and broke his leg; and,
consequently, was laid up for several weeks.