The Pharos Is Still Used As A Beacon For The Service Of Ships
Bound To Alexandria, And Can Be Discerned By Day Or Night, From The
Distance Of An Hundred Miles, As A Vast Fire Is Kept Burning There All
Night For The Purpose.
Egypt enjoys a large share of trade, and is frequented by almost all
nations; and the port of Alexandria swarms with vessels from every part of
Christendom, as from Valencia, Tuscany, Lombardy, Apulia, Malfi, and
Sicily.
Others come from the most northern parts of Europe, and even from
inland places; as from Cracow, Cordova, Spain, Russia, Germany, Sweden,
Denmark, England, Flanders, Artois, Normandy, France, Poitou, Angiers,
Gascony, Arragon, and Navarre. There come many also from the western
empire of the Ishmaelites or Arabs, as from Andalusia, Algarve, Africa, and
even Arabia, besides what come by the Indian ocean from Havilah or
Abyssinia, and the rest of Ethiopia, not omitting the Greeks and Turks. To
this, country likewise are brought the richest merchandizes of the Indies,
and all sorts of perfumes and spices, which are bought by the Christian
merchants. The city is extremely populous, on account of its extensive
commerce; and for the greater conveniency in the carrying on of their
dealings, every nation has its separate factory. There is, near the sea
side, a marble tomb, on which are engraven the figures of all sorts of
birds and beasts, with an inscription in such old characters, that no one
can now read them; whence it is believed that it had belonged to some king
who governed that country before the deluge. The length of this sepulchre
is fifteen spans, and it is six spans broad[32]. To conclude, there are
about 3000 Jews in Alexandria.
Leaving Egypt, Benjamin made an expedition from Damietta to Mount Sinai,
and returned to Damietta, whence he sailed to Messina in Sicily, and
travelled to Palermo. Crossing into Italy, he went by land to Rome and
Lucca. He afterwards crossed the Alps, and passed through a great part of
Germany, mentioning, in his remarks, the great multitudes of Jews who were
settled in the numerous cities of that extensive empire, insisting at large
on their wealth, and generosity, and hospitality to their distressed
brethren, and gives a particular detail of the manner in which they were
received. He informs us, that at the entertainments of the Jews they
encourage each other to persist in hoping for the coming of their Messiah,
when the tribes of Israel shall be gathered under his command, and
conducted back into their own country. Until this long expected event shall
arrive, they hold it their duty to persevere in their obedience to the law
of Moses, to lament with tears the destruction of Jerusalem and Zion, and
to beseech the Almighty to pity them in their affliction, and restore them
at his appointed time. He asserts that his countrymen are not only settled
in all the provinces and cities of the German empire, but through all the
countries of the north, to the very extremities of Russia; and describes
that country as so cold in winter that the inhabitants could not stir out
of doors. He tells us that France, which the Rabbins call Tzorphat, is full
of the disciples of the wise men, who study the law day and night, and are
extremely charitable to their distressed brethren; and concludes with an
earnest prayer to God, to remember his promise to the children of Israel,
to return unto them, and to reassemble them from among all the nations,
through which, in his wrath, he has dispersed them.
Towards the end of his travels[33], Benjamin mentions that Prague in
Bohemia is the beginning of Sclavonia. In speaking of the Russian empire,
he says it extends from the gates of Prague to the gates of [Hebrew]
Phin, a large town at the beginning of the kingdom. In that country the
animals called [Hebrew] Wairegres, and [Hebrew] Neblinatz are found.
Interpreters disagree about the meaning of these words. But it clearly
appears that Phin is no other than Kiow, then the capital of the
Russian empire; and we should therefore read [Hebrew:] Chiw: and indeed
the interpreters might easily have supposed that the word was wrong
written, from its wanting the final nun. Russia has always been famous
for its gray foxes or gray squirrels, which, in the Russian language, are
called [Hebrew] in the Hebrew text, therefore, of Benjamin, we should read
[Hebrew] Waiwerges, which as nearly resembles the Russian word, as a
Spanish Jew could possibly write it. The name of the other animal should be
written [Hebrew] Zeblinatz, by which are meant Sables. Jordanis had
before this called these skins Sapphilinias pelles. - Forst.
[1] Harris, I. 545. Forster, 91.
[2] So named as descended from Javan: the Jewish writers affecting to
employ scripture names for modern countries and nations. - E.
[3] Manuel Comnenes, who reigned from 1143 to 1180. - E.
[4] These names are corrupt orthographies of the Greek titles in the
Hebrew. Manuel being an emperor, Benjamin names all his great officers
kings. - E.
[5] Psianki may, perhaps, be Poland, and Buria Bavaria. - E.
[6] The Arabs, so called from their supposed ancestor, Ismael. - E.
[7] Perhaps Blachernae. - E.
[8] The Karaites were a sect among the Jews, who confined their observances
and religious belief to the precepts of Moses, while the Rabbinists
followed all the wild fancies of the Talmud. An excellent account of
these sects is to be found in the Lettres Juives, or Jewish Spy, by
the Marquis d'Argens. - E.
[9] Perhaps only an exaggerated account of some Jewish independent tribe in
Arabia, of which there were once a considerable number, as
particularly mentioned in the History of Mahomet. - E.
[10] Probably the Ahwaz, as he seems to have gone from Bassora. - E.
[11] This must be an error in the author, as the Tigris does not come near
that city. - E.
[12] This story is told by other Jewish writers, but with some unimportant
variations; and there have been many such pretended Messiahs, who
persuaded the Jews of the east into revolts, for which consult
Basnage, Histoire des Juifs.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 50 of 217
Words from 50162 to 51192
of 222093
