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Jews fam- Hazaken, or the elder, who had fixty difciples fo fkilled in ed on other the Gemarrah, that they could extempore difpute on any point accounts. that was proposed to them out of it, and deduce arguments

miracle

ance.

pro and con from it. One of thefe difciples was the famed Judah of Paris, who became very famous in the following

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In Ger- THOSE of Germany made themselves remarkable rather many for their piety, miracles, and prophecies, than for their learngreat pro-ing; and, if we may believe their authors R. Samuel, who lived phets and at Vienna, gained the title of prophet, on account of the many oracles which he there delivered. His fon Judah, firnamed mongers. the Pious, was no lefs famous for the miracles attributed to him, and fit only for a Jewish creed (C). This century likeJudah the Pious, bis wife produced fome learned women and one of the Jewmiraculous if travellers, mentioned a little higher, extols a daughter deliver- of the chief of the captivity in the east, who was fo learned both in the law and in the thalmud, that fhe read lectures thro' the lattice of her window, to a great number of difciples, fo that they only heard without seeing her, and being in danger of becoming enamoured with her, or fhe with them P. have likewife feen in this chapter, fome Jews in the highest pofts in the courts of several princes; others at the head of armies, and exercising their feveral functions with great applaufe. Portugal, amongst others, produced a moft celebrated one, who not only raised himself, by dint of merit, to the command of the army, but by his fingular modefty, as well as his valour and fuccefs, eluded all the cabals and intrigues of the Portuguese miniftry againft him (D). We might

here

° GANTZ, & al. ub. fup. P Itinerar. R. PETACH, ap. WAGENSEIL, in Sottah, p. 220.

(C) To give a sketch of it, R. Ghedaliah, in his Shalfkeleth (35), tells us, that being overtaken in a narrow lane, at Worms, by a waggon, which muft unavoidably have crushed him to death against the wall, the brutifh waggoner driving on with all speed, in fpite of his cries to top; the wall gave way juft in the place where he ftood, and left room for the carriage to go on without hurting him. Others fay it was Judah's mother who was

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(35) Shalfbeleth, p. 55.

as

here mention likewife fome of their learned, that forfook the Converts fynagogue in this century, to turn either Mohammedans or and apofChriftians; but as that would carry us too far, we fhall only tates. give an instance of each in the following note (E), and proceed to fome more momentous transactions in it, viz. the feveral falfe Meffiahs that appeared both in the east and west during this interval.

as general. His merit raised him to the dignity of fieldmafter-general, An. C. 1190, which was then the higheft poft in the militia; in which he behaved fo well, that he obtained the command of the whole army. His valour and fuccefs raised him very powerful enemies among the grandees, whom he overcame by his fingular modefty; and not content with practifing it himself, he infpired his nation with it; and having obferved that their rideing on horfeback along the ftreets was difpleafing to the Portuguefe, he prevailed upon them to leave it off, as well as the wearing of filk garments.

(E) Of the firft fort was the famed apoftate Samuel-Ben Jebudah, or, as he is commonly called, Afmouil, a Spaniard by birth, and by profeffion a phyfician, who, to convince the Moflems of the fincerity of his converfion, wrote a book against the Jews, an. 1174, in which he charges them with having altered the law of Moses. This accufation was greedily fwallowed by them, and is ftill to this day; infomuch, that they forbid the quoting or tranflating any part of the Pentateuch according to the Jewish or Chriftian copies. They allege against

them, that there is not a word in them about the refurrection of the dead, the life to come, prayers, alms, &c. But whether he furnished them with those objections out of hatred to them, or whether he did not rather mean by thofe alterations he charges the Jews with, the falfe interpretations of the thalmudifts, we cannot affirm (36).

Of the latter or Chriftian converts, we fhall only mention Peter Alphonfo; which names were given him, the former, becaufe he was baptifed on St. Peter's feftival, and the other by the king of that name, who was his godfather (37). He was a native of Ofea, and profeffed Judaifm till the 40th year of his age, and after his converfion was made phyfician to Alphonfo VII. who was king of Caftile and Leon, and died an. 1108. Pedro wrote fome dialogues against the Jews, which are ftill preferved (38), and from which one may conclude he had more zeal than skill in that controverfy, if he was not rather more influenced by worldly views than folid arguments; for from this inftance one may fee that there were no encourage ments wanting to bring them over.

(36) D'Herbelot, Bibliot. Orient. fub. voc. (37) D'Aguira, Polliat. Hiß. tom. iii. l. i. c. 3. (38) Alphonf. Dialog. titul. 23, ap. Biblilth. Putr tom. xxi. p. 184, & feq.

Falle Meffiabs.

First in
France.

Perfia,
A. C.

Of these authors reckon no less than nine or ten; fo that the great number of their learned could neither hinder their impoftures, nor the people's credulity. The first of these appeared in France, An. 1137. The place of his birth or manifeftation is not mentioned by any author; only they tell us that Lewis, who was then on the throne, caufed their fynagogues to be pulled down, and the Jewish nation to be feverely treated: from which we may conclude that he had imA fecond in pofed on a great part of his nation (F). In the following year another appeared in Perfia, and drew fuch multitudes after him, that the king thought fit to oblige the rest of the Jews to fummon him, and order him to lay down his arms; which they tried at first in vain, till he seemed moved at the fight of the multitudes of children, which the forrowful mothers brought before him to excite his pity. He then propofed to that monarch, that he fhould pay him the charges of the war, and let him lead his troops away unmolefted; which, to the wonder of the Jews, was agreed to,' and the fum ftipulated by the Meffiah paid down, and the troops difbanded. But the king finding himfelf out of danger, obliged the difarmed Jews to reimburse him the money; and, as fome add, caufed the impoftor's head to be struck off 9.

1138.

A third in

1157.

MAIMONIDES mentions a third, which appeared in France, Spain about 10 years before he wrote, who brought a fevere A. C. perfecution on their nation. He was a native of Cordoua, and was fupported in his impofture by one of the greatest rabbies in that city, who wrote a book to prove before-hand the nearnefs of his appearing by the ftars. Our author adds, that the better and wifer fort looked upon the fellow as a madman; but as thofe are few, in comparison of the rest, they could not hinder his gaining credit among them, till his difappointment undeceived them. Ten years after that, another cheat proclaimed the coming of the Meffiah, within a year; and his prediction proving falfe, occafioned new troubles and perfe

4 SOLOM. BEN VIRG. ub. fup. 169. Judeor. p. 36. MAIMON. Epift. de

P. 293.

(F) Maimonides, who lived 30 years after, tells us, that the French, into whofe hands he fell, put him to death, and with him the holy assembly (39). And

LENT de Pfeudo Meff.
Reg. Auft. ap. Vurit.

another Jewish writer (40) complains, that on account of that impoftor, they had pulled down a great number of fynagogues in France.

(39) Epift. de Auftrit. Reg. ap. Wurft, not, in Gantz Txemach p. 243 (40)

Solem. Ben Virg. ub. fup. p. 169.

cutions

A. C.

cutions against that credulous people. This was in the At Fez, kingdom of Fez, where we are told there was another perfon who proclaimed himself the Meffiah lately foretold (G), 1167. In the fame year an Arabian fet up there for the Meffiah, A new one and pretended to work miracles; tho' our author rather looked there. upon him as an enthufiaft, who had more fincerity than judgment; and being confulted about him by the rest of the Jews, foretold to them the fatal confequence which his and their delufion would bring upon them. His advice, however, did not hinder vaft multitudes from following that impoftor, who was apprehended at the end of a year, and brought before the king; where being asked what had induced him to that imposture, he boldly replied, that he was fent by God; and as a proof of it, told that monarch, that if he would order his head to be cut off, he fhould fee him rife immediately after. The king took him at his word, and ordered him to be be- Beheaded headed (H); upon which the cheat was fufficiently difcovered, by his own and those who had been deluded by him, were grievously defire. punished, and the nation condemned to very heavy fines ".

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SOME time after a leper, who found himself cured in one A leper night of his stubborn disease, took it into his head, from that sets up for fuppofed miracle, that he was the Meffiah; upon which he one. went and proclaimed himself fuch beyond the Euphrates, and drew vaft multitudes after him. The Jewish doctors, however, foon perfuaded him and his followers, that this cure, miraculous as it seemed to be, was not a fufficient proof of his being the Meffiah, and made them and him afhamed of their folly. But their appearing in arms on his account, had fo exasperated the people, that they raised a fresh perfecution against them; and one of their writers affares us*, ten thousand count.

SOLOM. BEN VIRG. ub. fup. p. 169. Jud. in Maffilia, ap. Wurft ub. fup. p. 292. Epift. de Auftr. Region. ap. Wurt. p. 293. 169.

(G) According to this laft author, one would be apt to think that those two cheats acted in concert. However, as Maimonides, who flourished at that time, mentions but one impoftor, it is likely Solomon was either mifinformed, or hath ill expreff ed his meaning.

(H) It is very probable that he made ufe of that ftratagem

MAIMON. Epift. ad
u Id. ibid. × Id.
SOLOм. ub. fup. p.

Jews per

fecuted on

only to free himself from a more
cruel death: but that did not
hinder a great number of his
infatuated followers from hop-
ing, that tho' he did not imme-
diately rife from the dead, yet
he would in fome time after, to
their no fmall difappointment,
when they found themfelves de-.
ceived and punithed for their
credulity.

his ac

of them, being quite tired with their fufferings on that ac count, forfook the Jewish religion, which hath rendered the A feventh memory of that impoftor odious to the whole nation. A new in Perfia. and fevere perfecution was raised in Perfia, an. 1174, on account of a feventh false Meffiah, who had feduced fome of the common people, by such strange tricks, that they looked upon him afterwards as a conjurer or a devil ".

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Caught

and exe

cuted.

named

An eighth impoftor fet up for the Meffiah in Moravia, viz. David Almuffer, who boafted that he had the power of rendering himself invisible whenever he pleased; and drew vaft multitudes after him. To prevent the ill confequences of fuch concourses, the king fent to promife him his life, on condition that he furrendered himself into his hands. He did fo; but that prince, instead of keeping his word with him, caused him to be flung into prifon; from which, however, he foon efcaped, by the help of his art. They tried in vain to purfue him he disappeared when he pleased, and the king, who went after him in person, had the mortification to fee him one while, without being able to reach him. Tired at length with following him, he fummoned the Jews, who were then very numerous, to feize and deliver him up; which they at length, out of fear of a new perfecution, performed, and he was again imprifoned. But whether his art was now exhausted, or fome counter-charm was ufed against it, he could neither escape out of prifon, nor out of the hands of the hangman (I) %.

::

BUT the most famous of all, during this century, was DaA ninth, vid Alroi, or Eldavid, whom others commonly place in the Eldavid. year 1099 or 1200; but Benjamin de Tudela, who travelled an. 1173, fpeaks of him as having appeared 10 years before. His cha- He was a native of Amaria, which city contained about 1000 rader and Jews, who paid tribute to the king of Perfia; and was well fuccefs. verfed not only in the thalmudic learning, but likewife in the Chaldean magic, where he had picked out fome strange secrets to delude the people by. He applied himself at first to the chief of the captivity, and to that of the fynagogue of Bagdad, but chiefly prevailed on the Jews fettled on the mountain called Haphtan to take up arms, after he had deluded them with fome pretended miracles. The Perfian king, alarm

y Id. ibid. z Id. ibid.

(1) Maimonides, and Solomon above quoted, tells us of a ninth impoftor, who, they fay, lived in this 12th century, and in the

time of Solomon the son of Addreti; but take no notice either of his name, country, or good or ill fuccefs.

ed

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