Some Jewish Witnesses For Christ Part 12

Then she reproached him that he had some secret which he kept from her.

To this he replied, "I will confess the truth to you; we must choose another way and get out of the darkness in which we are living, if we wish to escape from h.e.l.l." He had been already meditating about embracing Christianity, and this he betrayed somewhat by his behaviour, and the result was that he was compelled by the rabbi to divorce his wife. When three Roman priests heard of this affair, they visited him, and one of them a.s.sured him that he had prayed to the Virgin for his conversion, therefore he ought at once to join the Church. But Solomon refused, and left his home in 1762, praying on the way for guidance in the name of Jesus. This prayer he records in full in his autobiography.

He came to Prague and then to Saxony, studying the Scriptures on the way. Here in "a prominent town" (probably Dresden) he visited the rabbi, and they enjoyed themselves in a discussion over some knotty Talmudic subtleties. On October 24, he read for the first time Isa. liii. and asked the rabbi concerning whom the prophet spoke. Then the rabbi appointed an hour and a private place where he would speak to him about this chapter. When they met together he was astonished to hear the rabbi revealing as a secret his belief that the chapter was fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth. Thence Solomon went to Leipzig, Berlin, Amsterdam, and at last to London, where he was very ill. After his recovery in 1763, he returned to Holland. On his way by s.h.i.+p to Arnheim, he met a Swiss Christian, who took a great fancy to him, and in a conversation expressed a wish that the Lord might enlighten his eyes as he did Rabbi Jechiel Hirschlein who had been baptized at Zurich. In short, after much instruction, Solomon was baptized at Amsterdam, on June 25, 1767, after handing in a written confession of his faith under the t.i.tle, "Jehovah Glorified through the acknowledgment of the true Messiah Jesus Christ, proved from the writings of the Prophets, Evangelists, and Apostles,"

consisting of 175 pages, and printed at Amsterdam. He then studied theology and became Pastor at Mydret in 1777, where he laboured faithfully till his death in 1797. His chief literary work was, "Israel's Verlosinge en eeuwige Behoudenis" (Israel's redemption and eternal salvation), 3 vols., Amsterdam, 1769-93.

DEUTSCH, Ignaz Friedrich Gottlieb, a native of Perskretscham, and evidently a relative of the next, was baptized in Berlin in 1825.

DEUTSCH, Siegmund Herman, was a remarkable personality. He was born in Perskretscham, Silesia, in 1791. As usual he had an early Talmudical education. Then he went to the Gymnasium, and then to the University of Breslau, where he studied mathematics and astronomy. In 1815 he served as a soldier in the Prussian army, took part in the war, and was promoted to be an officer and teacher in the military school in 1817.

Then he had a duel with some one and was imprisoned in a fort. There he was converted to Christianity, and afterwards served as an artillery officer in the Greek liberation war.

Returning to Berlin in 1824, where he attended the ministry of the celebrated Gossner, he a.s.sociated with the convert Lachs, who was a teacher in a school for deaf and dumb, sat under the theological teachings of Neander, and was thus spiritually prepared for being called to labour for the Master among his own people. This call came from Dr.

McCaul, and after a little more preparation in the Hebrew College in Palestine Place, he was sent by the L.J.S. as a missionary to Warsaw in 1828, where he laboured (with a short interval at Breslau) till 1833. He then was stationed in Bavaria. He died in 1864, leaving a MS. (not yet printed) on the future of Israel.

DISRAELI, Benjamin, Earl of Beaconsfield, born in London, December 21, 1804, died there April 19, 1881. Of this preeminently distinguished man in the nineteenth century there are many biographies and lasting monuments. We need only record very briefly here that he was one of England's greatest sons and statesmen, and the greatest ornament of the Jewish people in modern times. An ardent lover of his nation, a genuine English patriot, a friend of his great Queen, a thorough Protestant Churchman, yet with liberal tendencies, and a true believer in Christianity, which he regarded as completed Judaism. His works are these: "Vivian Grey," 1817; "The Infernal Marriage;" "Ixion in Heaven,"

and "Popanilla," 1828; "Contarini Fleming," and "The Wondrous Tale of Alroy," 1832; "The Young Duke," about that time; "What is he?" 1833; "Revolutionary Epic," 1834; "Coningsby," 1844; "Tancred," 1847; "Sybil,"

1845; "The rise of Iskander," "Vindication of the British Const.i.tution," "Venetia," "Henrietta Temple," "The Tragedy of Count Alarcos," and "Lothair," were all productions of his great intellect at different seasons. Benjamin's mother, his sister Sarah, born 1802, his brother Ralph, 1809, and his brother James, 1813, were all Hebrew Christians.

DISRAELI, Isaac, left the synagogue in 1817. Though we have no definite information about his baptism, we may reasonably a.s.sume that he was a member of the Church of England. This appears from his having his children baptized, from his pamphlet, "The Spirit of Judaism," in which he vindicated himself for the step he had taken, from his articles on "The Talmud," "Psalm Singing," the Pearl Bibles and six thousand errata in his "Curiosities of literature," &c., all shewing that he was an earnest student of religious subjects and of the Scriptures, and that he endeavoured to spread the light of truth.

DUCAT, H., a native of Warsaw, embraced Christianity, together with his wife, about the middle of the nineteenth century. He was a saintly Christian man, laboured as missionary for some time under the British Society, was one of the founders of the Hebrew Christian Prayer Union and of a Loan Fund for needy converts. His sons-in-law are the Rev. Dr.

Flecker and the Rev. John Schor.

DUSHAW, Amos I., spent the greater part of his youth in Jerusalem, Palestine, where he attended the school of the London Jews' Society.

Here the seeds of Christian truth were sown in his young heart. He afterwards came to London, where he was brought into close connexion with the members of the above-mentioned society, and the germs of truth gradually grew, budded, and blossomed into faith in our Lord as his Messiah.

Dushaw went to America in 1895. The following year he was baptized, upon confession of his faith in Christ, in the Fourth Congregational Church, at Hartford, Conn.

He followed Horace Greeley's advice, "Young man, go West." He was determined to obtain a cla.s.sical education. After a hard struggle, that perseverance and determination to conquer all obstacles always a component of the Jewish character, enabled him, in 1901, to graduate from Redfield College, South Dakota. He afterwards returned to New York, and entered the Union Theological Seminary, from which he graduated in 1904. June 12, 1905, he received a preacher's license from the New York Presbytery.

While pursuing his regular academic course he made a speciality of sociology, literature and history. Especially was he interested in Hebrew history and the present social, religious and political status of Israel. He supplemented this study by personal observation as a worker on the East Side of New York. This training enabled him to write for "The People, the Land and the Book" some very choice articles. Several secular papers quoted from one of his articles, "Moses and Jesus."

The production of this article was due to the following incident. Dushaw called upon one of the leading reformed rabbis to discuss the general condition of the Jews in the Ghetto. This rabbi was so much impressed with his insight into the situation, and also with his information on many facts pertaining to Israel's development, that he advised him to return to the Hebrew ranks. Israel, he said, would appreciate his ability, whereas the Church would simply cast him out, because he was a member of Israel. He thought Dushaw was foolish to waste his time in the Church. On separating, the rabbi gave him a lecture, "Moses and Jesus,"

delivered in his temple. Dushaw then decided to write one on the same subject, from his own point of view. We quote from it.

"If Solon belongs to Athens, Lycurgus to Sparta, Moses belongs to humanity. He is the greatest among the great, the deliverer of his people, the world's legislator, and the apostle and prophet of Monotheism...."

"I wonder how much Jesus, the brother and pupil of Moses, did to make Moses as popular as he is to-day? It was Jesus who inspired the men to translate the writings of Moses into so many tongues. Yet this does not in any way belittle Moses. What if the pupil is greater than the master!

Surely Moses would not envy Jesus if he accomplished more. Moses, the most unselfish man that ever lived, would be only too glad to see a brother the Saviour of the world. Did he not wish that all Israel were prophets? What right has the Jew to reject Jesus? Has he not made Israel the most known people? What if his followers did persecute Israel?

Persecution is contrary to the spirit of Jesus.

"Jesus has proved Himself to be the greater Moses. He has been a light to the nations, guiding them to Moses, to the prophets, and unto G.o.d.

Wherever Jesus is proclaimed, there the Monotheism of Moses is established, and the ethic, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,'

is given a wider interpretation."

The article "The Ghetto and Its Relation to Jewish Missions." The substance of this work was delivered at the "First International Hebrew Christian Conference," held in Mountain Lake Park, Md., July 28-30, 1903.

The article, "Hebrew Christian Literature," was written at the request of the editor.

As he came in contact with both cultured and uncultured Christians, and discovered how little they appreciated the work of Israel, he was led to write the two articles, "Salvation is of the Jews--Jesus," and "Let There Be Peace." We quote from the first one:

"I am anxiously awaiting the hour when there will be a new nation--'a nation born in a day'--when the martyr nation, the suffering nation of Isaiah, will awake from its cruel slumber and perceive that for the last nineteen hundred years a fountain of life has been flowing for it from the heart of one of its own sons--the best son of Israel--Jesus Christ.

What a spiritual revolution will then take place in the world! Heaven and earth shall resound with joy! For Israel, the Prince of G.o.d, shall clothe himself in robes of righteousness and go forth in the might of Jehovah to conquer the earth for the Lord--to set up everywhere the banner of social, political and spiritual freedom. Then, and not till then--when every one shall serve his brother faithfully; when all barriers now separating Jew and Gentile shall be no more; when every man shall dwell unmolested under his fig-tree; when G.o.d shall be wors.h.i.+pped in the Spirit of Jesus; when the old order of things shall pa.s.s away and the whole earth shall be known as the temple of G.o.d,--then shall Israel's mission end. For then there will be no more Jew, but all shall be called children of G.o.d and brothers of Jesus."

DWORKOWITZ, Rev. Paul, a native of Russia, baptized by the L.J.S.

missionary Dr. Klee, in Berlin, about 1864 or 1865. He then studied at Basle, and laboured as a missionary of the British Society, and Pastor in Warsaw, the Baltic Provinces, Breslau, Munich and Hamburg, with much blessing upon his labours. He is a gifted man, and above all, an "Israelite indeed."

EBERS, George Moritz, born in Berlin, 1837. He became first Professor on Egyptology in Jena in 1868, and then in Leipzig in 1870. He travelled for eighteen months in Spain, North Africa, Egypt, Nubia, Arabia Petrea.

The result of his Archaeological and scientific investigations he published in several works--1. "Eine agyptische Konigstochter"

(Stuttgart, 1864), which describes Egyptian life at the time of the Persian conquest. This was translated into English by Gore (London, 1870). 2. "Disquisitiones de Dynastia xxvi. regum aeg." (Berlin, 1855).

3. "Aegypten und die Bucher Mosis, ein Sachlicher Commentar zu Genesis und Exodus" (Leipzig, 1868). 4. "Durch Gosen zum Sinai aus dem Wanderbuche und der Bibliothek" (Leipzig, 1872). 5. "Ueber das alt aegyptische Schrift System" (1875). 6. "Papyrus Ebers," his chief work, which is in the University of Leipzig. 7. "Ein hieratisches Handbuch Altaegyptischer Arznei Kunde," 2 vols. (Leipzig, 1875). 8. "Giarda,"

"h.o.m.o Sum," "Josua," "Aegypten in Wort und Bild" (Stuttgart, 1878).

EBERTY, Georg Friedrich Felix, born in Berlin in 1812, studied law, and in 1851 become Professor at the University of Breslau. He wrote "Die Gestirne und die Weltgeschichte, Gedanken und Raum, Zeit und Ewigkeit"

(Breslau, 1846-47). This work was translated into English. "Walter Scott," 1860, also translated into English. "A Biography of Byron"

(Leipzig 1862). "Geschichte des Preussischen Staates," 7 vols. (Breslau, 1866-73).

EDELSTEIN, Rev. S., after finis.h.i.+ng his theological course at Leipzig, went to Canada, and was ordained by Bishop h.e.l.lmuth in 1880 and appointed to a church at Eagle, Ontario.

EDERSHEIM, Rev. Dr. Alfred, born at Vienna, March 7, 1825, died at Mentone, March 16, 1889. We give the following extract about him from the Memoir of Dr. Saphir, by Rev. G. Carlyle: "In 1847 young Edersheim became a student at the University of Buda-Pest. He had been brought up luxuriously in Vienna, and was one of the leaders of fas.h.i.+on. He was highly educated, spoke Latin fluently, knew Greek, German, French, Hebrew, Hungarian and Italian. When Cremieux, the head of the French bar, paid a visit to Vienna, the synagogue presented him with an address, and deputed young Edersheim to deliver it. Cremieux was so pleased with his eloquence that he offered his father to take his son to Paris, and provide for him for life, but his parents would not give him up.... Before the winter was over, Edersheim was under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, and had glorious views of the Deity of Christ. Trusting in His One Sacrifice, and filled with the peace of G.o.d, he gave himself up to be His servant in any way it might please G.o.d to direct him. He opened a cla.s.s to teach the students English on the condition that the Bible should be their only lesson book. Baptized, and now full of life and vigour, it was resolved that he should go to Edinburgh, to the Rev.

Professor Duncan, to complete his theological studies. Edersheim, after his ordination, was missionary first in Ja.s.sy, Roumania, and then minister for many years at the Free College Church, Old Aberdeen, and then at Torquay.... He then joined the Church of England and became Vicar of Loders in Dorset."

He resigned his living in 1883, and settled at Oxford, where he held the position of Grinfield Lecturer of the University. He was also Warburton Lecturer of Lincoln's Inn, and "Select Preacher" of the University of Oxford.

Dr. Edersheim was a voluminous author, and his works are extremely valuable from the fact that he was able to deal with his subject both from the standpoint of a learned Jew and a learned Christian. It may be as well to state here his total output, from which it will be seen how wide and extensive was his range of study and scholars.h.i.+p. He was Translator and Editor of the "History of Speculative Philosophy from Kant to Hegel, from the German of Dr. Chalybaus, with introduction by Sir Wm. Hamilton" (Edinburgh); "Kurtz, History of the Old Covenant (vol.

1) with condensed abstract of Kurtz's Bible and Astronomy"; "Lange, Bible Commentary on St. Matthew" (2 vols.); "Kurtz, History of the Christian Church, with emendations and additions" (Edinburgh, 1860); Author of "History of the Jewish Nation from the Destruction of Jerusalem to the Establishment of Christianity in the Roman Empire" (T.

and T. Clark, 1856. Revised by Rev. H. A. White. Longmans, 1896); "The Golden Diary of Heart-Converse with Jesus in the Book of Psalms"

(R.T.S.); "Elisha the Prophet, his History and Times" (R.T.S.); "The Jubilee Rhythm of St. Bernard," and other Hymns, chiefly from the Latin (J. Nisbet and Co., 1866); "The Temple, its Ministry and Services as they were at the time of Jesus Christ" (R.T.S., 1874); "Sketches of Jewish Social Life in the days of Christ" (London, 1876); "Bible History," 7 vols. (R.T.S.); "The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah," 2 vols. (Longmans, 1884; eighth edition, 1894); "Jesus the Messiah," an abridged edition of the foregoing; "Prophecy and History in relation to the Messiah, being the Warburton Lectures for 1880-84" (8 vols., Longmans, 1885); "Commentary on Ecclesiasticus," in "The Speaker's Commentary on the Apocrypha" (J. Murray, 1888); "Tohu-va-Vohu (Without form and void)," a collection of Fragmentary Thoughts and Criticisms, edited by his daughter (Longmans, 1890), and various articles from time to time in the "Edinburgh Review." He was also editor of "Israel's Watchman" in 1877.

EDUARD, Julius Anton, born in Lissa (Posen), in 1785. When still a young boy he felt drawn towards Christianity. In order to prevent this tendency developing further, his mother and stepfather, then living at Breslau, sent him away to relatives at Lissa. But in due time he embraced Christianity, and friends helped him to study theology at Berlin, and he was ordained in 1816, and laboured for many years as a faithful and beloved Pastor at Breslau. His name occurs often in the reports of the L.J.S. as one who took a great interest in the mission to the Jews, and as having also accompanied the missionaries on their journey to Poland.

EGSIABHER, Debtera Gebra, a very learned Falasha convert, labouring among his brethren in Abyssinia in 1874, when Mr. J. M. Flad met some of the converts at Ka.s.sala.

EHRLICH, Herman, born at Cracow in 1837, of a family locally designated as Anshey Emeth (men of truth). He was baptized in London by Dr. Ewald in 1856. After working as a lay-helper for three years, he was appointed missionary by the London City Mission, under whom he has laboured faithfully ever since. He was one of the first organisers of Sunday services in theatres, and he founded the Hebrew Conference Hall, Old Montague Street, Whitechapel, where he is [1909] doing evangelistic work.

EISENSTEIN, Ferd. Gotthald Maxim, born in Berlin, 1832, died there 1852.

Though only twenty years old at his death, yet he was a Ph.D. teacher in the Academy and a notable mathematician.

ELIYAHU, Rabbi Mullah, of Bus.h.i.+re, is recorded, together with Eliyahu of Bagdad, as having been baptized at Bagdad in 1852. The father of the latter had lost his occupation among the Jewish community on account of that, and this Eliyahu afterwards accompanied Stern on his journey to Mosul and Kurdistan.

ELKANA, Rabbi Paulus, of Prague. Superintendent Olarius, who wrote a preface to a Hebrew translation of the Augsburg confession prepared by Philipp Gallus in 1888, reports of the above rabbi who had been his teacher, that he was converted to the Christian faith through reading a Hebrew translation of the Gospel by St. Matthew and of the Epistle to the Romans.

ELVIN, Johannes, carried on missionary work among the Jews in Hamburg in 1850, under great political difficulties.

EMIN, Pasha (Edward Carl Oscar Theodor Schnitzer), born at Oppeln, Prussian Silesia, in 1840; killed at Kinena Station, Congo Free State, October 23, 1892. When he was only six years old his parents had him baptized in the Protestant Church at Neisse. Whether this famous explorer remained a Christian or not is uncertain, but his parents must have either embraced Christianity before or at the time of his baptism.

EPPSTEIN, Rev. John Moses (Levi, such was his name at first), was born at Memel, in Prussia, Feb. 24, 1827, being the son of Elijah Levi and Rose, his wife (_nee_ Eppstein). Soon after his birth his father died, and he was brought up by his grandfather, Rabbi Benjamin Eppstein, who retired to Jerusalem when his grandson was nine years old, adopting him as his son, and making him take the name of Eppstein. Until he was sixteen years old Moses was taught little else than Hebrew and the Talmud. About this time several friends of his became Christians. At first the only effect on him of their conversion was to make him more bigoted; indeed, he went about with a dagger for some time in the hope of killing his cousin Lauria, a rabbi who had become a Christian. At last, through the latter, he was led to study the Prophets, and eventually the New Testament. After this his eyes began to be opened to the truth as he saw fact and figure, and type fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth, who must have been the promised Messiah. The Talmud was put aside for the whole written Word of G.o.d; this he studied at the risk of being killed, the reading of even the Old Testament causing suspicion.

He had therefore to resort to all sorts of contrivances to enable him to search the Scriptures. His own words tell out his feelings at this time:--"My convictions deepened daily, and I longed to openly confess the Lord Jesus; but I had not the courage to give up all for Him. All sorts of thoughts swayed my mind, and often, when my conscience troubled me, something would whisper to my troubled heart, 'When you grow up and get your property you will be free to embrace Christianity, now your wisdom is to hide your convictions.' But I was not happy, and continued praying, and the Lord heard my prayer, for I was soon compelled to take refuge with the Society's missionaries. In the house where I lived there was a small synagogue. I was the only Levite in the congregation, so that on days when the Law was read I had to read after the priest; as I was going up to the desk my sash caught, and the tracts I had in it fell out. The bystanders stepped forward to see what they were; on finding their contents, 'Apostate,' they yelled, 'with these about you, you desecrate our place of wors.h.i.+p, and dare even to go up to read the Law!'

The whole congregation began beating me, and would probably have murdered me, had it not been for one of them. As soon as I was free from my persecutors, my only safety was in flight. I went to my room, and committed myself in prayer to the Lord, and then went straight to the house of Mr. Nicolayson." After a course of instruction he was baptized, July 13, 1844, by Bishop Alexander.

After his baptism he found a situation in Cairo, in which he stayed for several years, until he felt the missionary call. His employer did his best to prevent him leaving, even to offering him a share in his business. But his mind was made up, and he entered the Protestant College at Malta, as a theological student, spending five years there.