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.
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