The Project Gutenberg eBook, Outlines of Jewish History from B.C. 586 to C.E. 1885, by Lady Katie Magnus This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. Title: Outlines of Jewish History from B.C. 586 to C.E. 1885 Author: Lady Katie Magnus Release Date: September 16, 2018 [eBook #57911] Language: English Character set encoding: UTF-8 ***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OUTLINES OF JEWISH HISTORY FROM B.C. 586 TO C.E. 1885*** E-text prepared by Richard Hulse and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org) Note: Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See https://archive.org/details/outlinesofjewish00magn Transcriber’s Note Most abbreviations have been expanded in tool-tips for screen-readers and may be seen by hovering the cursor over the abbreviation. Footnotes are identified in the text with a superscript number and have been accumulated in a table at the end of the text. Transcriber’s Notes are used when making corrections to the text or to provide additional information for the modern reader. These notes have been accumulated in a table at the end of the book and are identified in the text by a dotted underline. Hover the cursor over the underlined text to see the correction. Outlines of Jewish History SOME PRESS NOTICES OF ABOUT THE JEWS SINCE BIBLE TIMES. BY THE SAME AUTHOR. ‘Her history impresses us with a sense of truthfulness and of fairness quite exceptional.’—THE ACADEMY. ‘A very readable and popular account of most things that ought to be known about the chosen people in their later development.’—SATURDAY REVIEW. ‘The result of careful study, and written with candour and moderation.’—PALL MALL GAZETTE. ‘A model of sober-minded terseness.... That freshness adds to the pleasure with which this useful and instructive book is sure to be read.’—GRAPHIC. ‘A book that should achieve deserved popularity.’—WESTMINSTER REVIEW. ‘Conscientiously written, and contains much information. Several portions are notably good.’—THE WORLD. ‘An eloquent and brilliant work of its kind.’—GLASGOW HERALD. ‘Pleasantly and impartially written.... We sincerely hope that Mrs. MAGNUS will execute her intention of carrying on the history of the Jews to the present day.’—JOURNAL OF EDUCATION. ‘Mrs. MAGNUS ... writes with considerable breadth. Her chapters are full of interest. Her estimates of Jewish character and of the causes of national pursuits and characteristics are very suggestive.’—BRITISH QUARTERLY REVIEW. ‘The Authoress is never unfair, even when the most melancholy tales of spoliation and grief are being told by her. She has succeeded in treating a very difficult subject with more than the profundity and exactitude that are the attributes of a solid history writer.’—PUBLIC OPINION. ‘A clear, spirited, and on the whole a fairly impartial narrative.... Taken altogether ... combine to form a work of rare interest.’—SCOTSMAN. ‘A distinct gain to general knowledge on the subject of the Jews.’—JEWISH WORLD. ‘Even after making all deductions, we must pronounce Mrs. MAGNUS’ history to be above all praise, and we trust that she will continue it down to the present day.’—JEWISH CHRONICLE. ‘To do the lady justice, she has succeeded where even Dean MILMAN has failed in making Jewish history interesting to the general reader. We have read it through from cover to cover with unflagging interest.’—THE LITERARY WORLD. ‘As interesting as a book of adventures or a novel, and much more profitable.’—MODERN REVIEW. OUTLINES OF JEWISH HISTORY B.C. 586 TO C.E. 1885 NOTE. The late Jacob Abraham Franklin bequeathed by Will to five Trustees the sum of Five Thousand Pounds for the promotion of certain objects in connexion with the Advancement of Judaism. One of these objects was the publication of religious treatises and text-books. The Trustees, believing the present work to be in accord with the views of the benevolent Testator, defray the cost of its publication. OUTLINES OF JEWISH HISTORY FROM B.C. 586 TO C.E. 1885 WITH THREE MAPS BY THE AUTHOR OF ‘ABOUT THE JEWS SINCE BIBLE TIMES’ REVISED BY M. FRIEDLÄNDER, Ph.D. LONDON LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. 1886 All rights reserved For ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord TO THE DEAR MEMORY OF EDWARD JANVERIN EMANUEL PREFACE. THESE Outlines of Jewish History are the result of a proposal which was made to me, some two years back, by the administrators of the Jacob Franklin Trust, to write a book which should tell the history of the Jews from Biblical times to the present day, in a form which should fit it for use in schools and homes. A right of reference to Dr. Friedländer, the learned Principal of Jews’ College, was one of the privileges of my commission, and the bringing to him of all my doubts and difficulties for decision has proved not only an advantage to my book, but a pleasure to me. The trouble I have had in endeavouring to keep the book simple enough for youthful readers, suggests the possible presence of a weak point, and tempts me to forestall criticism by urging that I have, at least, been mindful on this head, and have patiently done my best. But so complicated a history, and so advanced a civilisation as that of the Jews, is not quite susceptible of entirely simple treatment. ‘They stained their bodies with a plant called woad’ is a perfectly comprehensive if somewhat bald bit of history, ‘adapted to the use of schools,’ anent the ancient Britons. ‘In their schools they laid the foundations for the Mishnah’ would be a correct contemporaneous statement concerning the ancient Jews, but one that hardly lends itself to such comfortable brevity and simplicity of style. I can only plead that I have told the whole sad, beautiful, ‘heroic history’ of my race with the keenest sympathy; and I can only hope that the moral and the meaning of it all, which are so very clear to me, may be found to shine out between the lines. KATIE MAGNUS. July 1886. DATES OF CHIEF EVENTS AND CHIEF PEOPLE. B.C.E. Return from Babylon 536 Dedication of Second Temple 516 Institution of Purim 473 Judea under Egyptian rule 320 Simon I., the Just; high priest 310 The Septuagint translation made 240 Judea is conquered by Syria 203 Antiochus IV., Epiphanes, King of Syria 175‒163 Institution of Hanucah 164 Judea an independent state 141 The Idumeans are conquered, and forced to accept Judaism 120 Judas Aristobulus, the first Jewish king 106 Civil war between the brothers Hyrcanus II. and Aristobulus 70 Pompey in Jerusalem 63 Herod I. becomes King of Judea 37 Hillel I. president of the Sanhedrin 30 The Temple rebuilt by Herod 20 C.E. Judea a Roman province 7 Origin of the Christian religion 37 Philo, Jewish philosopher in Alexandria 40 Fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the Temple 70 Jochanan ben Zakkai establishes a college at Jamnia 70 The Pentateuch is translated into Chaldee by Onkelos, and the whole Bible into Greek by Akylos 130 The Jews rise under Barcochba against the Romans 133‒135 Akiba dies 135 Compilation of the Mishnah by Rabbi Judah ha-Nasi 190 Colleges founded in Babylonia by Rab and Samuel 219 The Jerusalem Talmud compiled 320 Hillel II. fixes the Jewish calendar (at present in use) 360 The Babylonian Talmud completed 500 A Jewish kingdom in Yemen 500 First Gaon in Sura, Mar Isaac 658 Origin of the vowel signs and accents in Hebrew 650 The Arabs conquer Spain 711 The Chazars embrace Judaism 740 Development of Karaism 761 Saadia of Fajum, philosopher and theologian 892‒942 Foundation of colleges by Babylonian scholars in Western countries 950 Hai, the last of the Gaonim 998‒1038 Solomon Gabirol 1037‒1070 Rashi (Rabbi Solomon Yitschaki) 1040‒1105 Beginning of the Crusades and of the persecutions of the Jews in Europe 1096 Moses ibn Ezra 1070‒1139 Judah ha-Levi 1085‒1145 Abraham ibn Ezra 1092‒1167 Moses Maimonides 1135‒1204 Benjamin of Tudela, traveller 1165‒1173 Persecution of Jews in England under Richard I. 1189 The writings of Maimonides burnt at Paris 1233 The Jewish Parliament summoned by Henry III. 1240 Copies of the Talmud burnt at Paris 1242 Expulsion of Jews from England 1290 Jacob Asheri completes the religious code called the Four Turim 1340 Persecution of Jews in Europe in consequence of the Black Death 1349 Don Isaac Abarbanel 1437‒1509 The first Hebrew books printed 1475 Inquisition against the Marannos 1480 Expulsion of the Jews from Spain 1492 Expulsion of the Jews from Portugal 1497 The first ghetto in Venice 1516 Reuchlin for the Talmud, Pfefferkorn against it 1506‒1516 First complete edition of the Talmud printed 1520 Spanish Jews settle in Holland 1591 Manasseh ben Israel 1604‒1657 Sabbatai Zevi 1626‒1676 Baruch Spinoza 1632‒1677 Slaughter of Jews in Poland by the Cossacks under Chmielnicki 1648 Manasseh ben Israel came to England 1655 First Portuguese synagogue in London 1656 First German synagogue in London 1692 Moses Mendelssohn born 1729 The edict of Joseph II., Emperor of Austria 1782 Moses Montefiore born 1784 Frederick William II. of Prussia abolishes the ‘Leibzoll’ 1787 The Jews in France emancipated 1791 Jews admitted to the freedom of the City of London 1832 The Jews’ civil disabilities in England removed 1845 Persecution of Jews in Damascus: Professor Theodore’s letter on same 1840 D. Salomons elected M.P. for Greenwich 1851 Jewish Oath Bill passed 1858 CONTENTS. BOOK I. B.C. 586 TO A.C. 70. IN THE SHADOW OF THE SWORD. CHAPTER I. THE JEWS IN BABYLON. 1. Babylonian Exiles 2. Persian Conquest of Babylon 3. The Influences of the Exile 4. How Cyrus’s Permission was received 5. The End of the Exile CHAPTER II. THE RETURN TO PALESTINE. 1. The Rebuilding of the Temple 2. The Samaritans 3. The Feast of Purim 4. Ezra the Scribe 5. The Work of Ezra and Nehemiah CHAPTER III. LIFE IN PALESTINE. 1. Condition of the People 2. Literary Labours 3. Alexandrian Jews 4. The Septuagint 5. Under Egyptian Rule 6. Under Syrian Rule 7. Home Rule CHAPTER IV. THE MACCABEAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. 1. Antiochus Epiphanes 2. Antiochus’s Tyranny 3. Resistance of Mattathias 4. Chasidim and Zaddikim 5. The Success of Judas Maccabeus 6. Institution of Hanucah 7. Treaty with Rome CHAPTER V. PALESTINE UNDER NATIVE RULE. 1. Death of Judas Maccabeus 2. Jonathan the Maccabee 3. Simon, the First of the Priest-King Dynasty 4. The Sons of Simon 5. Reign of John Hyrcanus 6. His Last Years CHAPTER VI. JUDEA DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE RULE OF THE ASMONEANS. 1. Rival Factions, Pharisees and Sadducees 2. How they got their Names 3. Their Tenets and Position, Religious and Political 4. State Quarrel with the Pharisees 5. The Essenes 6. Reign of Alexander Jannæus 7. After the Death of Alexander Jannæus CHAPTER VII. A NEW DYNASTY. 1. Antipater the Idumean 2. Rome arbitrates 3. Antipater’s plans 4. The Sanhedrin 5. The Fall of the Asmonean House CHAPTER VIII. REIGN OF HEROD. 1. Antipater’s ‘Desire’ fulfilled 2. How Herod strengthened his Position 3. Herod as Husband 4. Herod as Father 5. Herod as King 6. The End of Herod’s Reign 7. Hillel: a Contrast CHAPTER IX. JUDEA BEFORE THE WAR. 1. Herod’s Will 2. Judea sinks into a Roman Province 3. Jesus of Nazareth 4. Jews in Egypt and Syria 5. Birth of Christianity 6. Reign of Herod Agrippa 7. Caligula and the Jews CHAPTER X. THE WAR WITH ROME. 1. Agrippa II.; Roman Governors 2. Vespasian sent to Judea 3. Preparations for Defence 4. Josephus CHAPTER XI. THE END OF THE WAR. 1. The Defence of the Provinces 2. Affairs in Jerusalem 3. The War Party and the Peace Party: their Leaders 4. The Siege of Jerusalem 5. A Mediator sent: Terms proposed 6. The Destruction of the Temple BOOK II. A.C. 70 TO 1600. DARKNESS. CHAPTER XII. AFTER THE WAR. 1. Titus completes his Conquest 2. Masada 3. What became of the Chief Actors 4. What became of the Country and the People 5. Salvage 6. Jochanan ben Saccai; the Schools 7. An Unforeseen Result of the War: Jewish Christians CHAPTER XIII. THE REVOLT UNDER HADRIAN. 1. Conquered Jews in the West 2. Contemporary Jews in the East 3. Under Trajan 4. The Policy of Hadrian 5. The Jews in Revolt: their Leader 6. Akiba, the Romance of his Youth 7. Akiba, the Romance of his Age 8. Hadrian’s Resolve accomplished CHAPTER XIV. THE REVIVAL OF THE SCHOOLS: THEIR WORK. 1. One of History’s Miracles 2. The Schools: their Work 3. The Masters of the Schools 4. The Moral Influence of the Schools 5. The Political Influence of the Schools 6. The Literary Influence of the Schools CHAPTER XV. CHRISTIANITY A STATE RELIGION. 1. How it spread among the Heathen 2. The First Christian Emperor 3. Constantine legislates on the Subject; its Effects 4. Jews in the East under Persian Rule 5. Julian the Apostate CHAPTER XVI. THE BREAK-UP OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE: SOME OF ITS CONSEQUENCES. 1. Political Changes 2. Social Changes 3. Monks and Saints 4. How Jews became Traders 5. The Slave Trade 6. Jews as Slave Owners 7. Church Councils 8. Eastern Jews 9. War between the Persian and the Byzantine Empires CHAPTER XVII. THE RISE OF MAHOMEDANISM. 1. The Koran or the Sword 2. What Mahomed learnt from the Jews 3. Islam 4. Likenesses between Islam and Judaism 5. Differences between Islam and Judaism CHAPTER XVIII. THE CONQUESTS OF THE KALIPHS: EFFECT, RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL, ON THE JEWS. 1. Progress of Mahomedanism 2. Gaonim 3. Spain in the Hands of the Mahomedans 4. The Karaite Movement 5. Mahomedan Causes for Karaism 6. The Leader of the Karaite Movement 7. What became of the Sect 8. Good out of Evil CHAPTER XIX. LIFE UNDER THE KALIPHS. 1. Jews in the East 2. Close of the Schools; some Scholars 3. Jews in the West 4. The Policy of the Early Kaliphs 5. Some Effects of this Policy CHAPTER XX. JEWS IN SPAIN (710‒1150). 1. ‘Like a Dream in the Night’ 2. The Jew Schools 3. The first Nagid of Spain 4. Another Nagid: troubles in Granada 5. Revival of Catholicism in Spain 6. Effect on the Jews 7. The Almohade Dynasty of Kaliphs CHAPTER XXI. JEWS IN SPAIN, CONTINUED (1150‒1492). 1. Under Catholic Kings in Spain 2. The Toledo Synagogue 3. The Downward Slope to Death 4. The Marannos or New Christians 5. An Effort at Argument 6. The Inquisition 7. Objects and Functions of the Inquisition 8. Some Statistics of the Inquisition 9. Edict of Expulsion 10. Abarbanel’s Intercession CHAPTER XXII. JEWS IN CENTRAL EUROPE IN THE MIDDLE AGES. 1. General Position of European Jews 2. Jews become Money-lenders 3. Charges of Usury CHAPTER XXIII. JEWS IN CENTRAL EUROPE, CONTINUED. 1. The Crusades 2. Glimpses of Better Things 3. Life in France till the Expulsion thence 4. Expelled from France 5. Treatment of Jews in the German States CHAPTER XXIV. JEWS IN ENGLAND (1066‒1210). 1. The First Seventy Years 2. ‘Saints’ and Supplies 3. Accession of Richard 4. Treatment by Richard 5. Under John CHAPTER XXV. JEWS IN ENGLAND, CONTINUED (1216‒1290). 1. The Next Fifty Years 2. The Caorsini 3. The First Jewish M.P.’s 4. Another Device for raising Money 5. Under Edward I. 6. Some Ironical Legislation 7. Dishonest Jews 8. Efforts at Conversion 9. Expulsion of Jews from England BOOK III. A.C. 100 TO 1500. STARLIGHT. CHAPTER XXVI. CONCERNING JEWISH LITERATURE AND LITERARY MEN. 1. Starlight 2. How the Stars shone 3. Piyutim 4. A Specimen Planet CHAPTER XXVII. SOME FIXED STARS. 1. Solomon ibn Gabirol 2. ‘Rashi’ 3. Ibn Ezra 4. A Great Traveller 5. Jehudah Halevi CHAPTER XXVIII. THE GREATEST OF THE FIXED STARS, MAIMONIDES (1135‒1204). 1. Early Days in Spain 2. Life in Exile 3. Becomes a Court Physician 4. Court and other Employment 5. His Writings 6. His Character 7. The End of his Life CHAPTER XXIX. DARKNESS BEFORE THE DAWN. 1. The Stars die out 2. Whither the Exiles went 3. Life in Germany 4. A New Crusade 5. What became of the Spanish and Portuguese Exiles CHAPTER XXX. THE DARKNESS VISIBLE. 1. Deterioration of Character 2. Atmospheric Conditions 3. A Shooting Star—Sabbatai Zevi 4. How the News was received 5. The Sultan interferes 6. Sabbatai resigns his Pretensions 7. Becomes a Convert to Mahomedanism BOOK IV. A.C. 1591 TO 1885. DAWN. CHAPTER XXXI. DAWN.