All The Synagogues In Persia, Being In
Great Fear, Wrote To The Head Of The Captivity, And The Assembly Of
Elders
at Bagdat, to the same purpose; and they wrote to David, commanding him to
desist from his enterprize, under
Pain of being excommunicated and cut off
from among the people of Israel. But all was in vain, for David persisted
in his wicked course; till at length Zinaldin, a king of the Togarmim, or
Turks, in subjection to the king of Persia, persuaded the father-in-law of
David, by a bribe of ten thousand pieces of gold, to kill him privately,
and he thrust David through with a sword in his bed, while asleep. Yet was
not the anger of the king of Persia pacified towards the Jews of the
mountains, until the head of the captivity went and appeased him with mild
and wise speeches, and by the gift of an hundred talents of gold; since
which time there has been peace and quiet in the land.
From these mountains it is twelve days journey to Hamadan, the chief city
of Media, in which there are 50,000 Jews, and near one of their synagogues
are the sepulchres of Mordecai and Esther. Dabrestan, near the river Gozan,
is four days journey from Hamadan, and 4000 Jews dwell there. From thence
it is seven days journey to Ispahan, which is a very great city and the
capital of the whole country, being twelve miles in circumference. In this
city there are about 12,000 Jews, over whom, and all the rest of our nation
who dwell in the kingdom of Persia, Shallum is appointed to rule by the
head of the captivity. Four days journey from Ispahan is Siaphaz[14], the
most ancient city of this country, formerly Persidis, whence the whole
province is named, in which there are almost 10,000 Jews. From Siaphaz you
come, in seven days journey, to the city of Ginah, near the river Gozan,
where there are about 8000 Jews, and to this place merchants resort of all
nations and languages. Five days journey from Ginah is the famous
Samarcand, the farthest city of this kingdom, where there are 50,000
Israelites, many of whom are wise and rich men, and over whom Obedias is
ruler. Four days journey from thence is the city of Thibet[15], the capital
of the province of that name, in the forests of which the animals are found
that produce musk.
The mountains of Nisbor, which are situated near the river Gozan, are about
twenty-eight days journey from Thibet; and some of the Jews in Persia
affirm, that the four tribes of Israel, carried away in the first captivity
by Salmanazar, still inhabit the cities of Nisbor. Their country extends
twenty days journey in length, all full of mountains, and having the river
Gozan running on one side, with many inhabited cities, towns, and castles;
and the inhabitants are entirely free, being governed by Joseph Amrael, a
Levite, and among them are many disciples of the wise men. They sow and
reap, and are at war with the children of Chus, who dwell in the
deserts[16]. These Jews are in league with the Copheral Turks, a people who
dwell in the deserts, and eat no bread, neither do they drink any wine, but
feed on the raw or dried flesh of beasts, clean or unclean, devouring them
newly killed, while yet trembling with the warm life-blood, and uncooked;
yea, even feed on the limbs torn from beasts yet alive. This last people
seem to want noses, having only as it were two holes in their faces through
which they breathe[17].
These Copheral Turks invaded Persia about fifteen years ago, about 1145,
with a great army, and destroyed the metropolitan city of Rei[18], and
carried off vast spoil into the desert. Enraged at this insult, the king of
Persia endeavoured to pursue them with a powerful army, that he might
extirpate these destroyers from the earth, and procured a guide who
undertook to conduct him to their dwellings, and recommended to him to take
bread and water for fifteen days along with the army, as it would occupy
that time to pass the deserts. After marching these fifteen days, the army
was without subsistence for man and beast, and no signs could be perceived
of any habitation of mankind. On being interrogated, the guide pretended to
have lost his way, and was put to death as a traitor. After marching for
thirteen days more, in prodigious distress, during which they had to eat up
all the beasts that carried their baggage, they arrived at the mountains of
Nisbor, inhabited by the Jews, and incamped among gardens and orchards,
watered by canals drawn from the river Gozan; and being then the season of
ripe fruits, they eat what they pleased, no one appearing to oppose them.
At a distance among the mountains, they observed some hamlets and forts,
and two scouts were sent to discover what manner of people inhabited the
mountains. After proceeding a short way, they found a well built bridge,
with a strong barrier, and a very large city at the farther end of the
bridge. They here learned, by an interpreter, that the city belonged to an
independent nation of Jews, who had a prince of their own, and were in
alliance with the Copheral Turks.
The scouts returned to the camp with this intelligence, and the Jews,
having collected their forces, offered battle on the day following to the
Persians, The king declined this, declaring that his only object was
against the Copheral Turks, and that if the Jews attacked him he would
revenge himself by putting all their brethren in Persia to the sword; but
he demanded free passage for his army, and to be supplied with provisions
for ready money. Out of regard for their brethren in Persia, the Jews
agreed to this proposal, and the Persian army remained fifteen days in the
country of the Jews, where they were honourably entertained.
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