There Are Among Them Only Two Who Are
Merchants, And Men Of Property, And These Are Styled Kafers Or
Unbelievers By The Others, Who Do Nothing But Read And Pray.
Jewish
devotees from all parts of the globe flock to the four holy cities, in
order to pass their days in praying for their own salvation, and that of
their brethren, who remain occupied in worldly pursuits.
But the
offering up of prayers by these devotees is rendered still more
indispensible by a dogma contained in the Talmud, that the world will
return to its primitive chaos, if prayers are not addressed to the God
of Israel at least twice a week in these four cities; this belief
produces considerable pecuniary advantage to the supplicants, as the
missionaries sent abroad to collect alms for the support of these
religious fraternities plead the danger of the threatened chaos, to
induce the rich Jews to send supplies of money, in
[p.325] order that the prayers may be constantly offered up. Three or
four missionaries are sent out every year; one to the coasts of Africa
from Damietta to Mogadore, another to the coasts of Europe from Venice
to Gibraltar, a third to the Archipelago, Constantinople, and Anatolia;
and a fourth through Syria. The charity of the Jews of London is
appealed to from time to time; but the Jews of Gibraltar have the
reputation of being more liberal than any others, and, from four to five
thousand Spanish dollars are received annually from them.
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