served, unchanged, the same features which the Almighty stamped on
the first Hebrew pairs created. It may he well to denouiice, as vulgar
and unscriptural, the notion that the features of the Jews are attributable
to a subsequent miracle, or that God has put a mark upon
them, by which they may be always known, and for the mere purpose
of distinguishing them from other races. If we are correct in carrying
their type back to times preceding the Exodus, this superstition
must fall to the ground. The Almighty, no doubt, individualized
all human races, from the beginning.
I t is admitted, by ethnographers of every party, that mankind are
materially influenced by climate. The Jewish skin, for example, may
become more fair at the north, and more dark at the tropics, tban in
the Land of Promise; but, even here, the limit of change stops far short
of approximation to other types. The complexion may be bleached, or
tanned, in exposed parts of the body,' but the Jewish features stand
unalterably through all climates, and are superior to such influences.
Nevertheless, it is stoutly contended, even at the present day, that
Jews, in various parts of the world, have been transmuted into other
types. Several examples (so supposed) have been heralded forth to
sustain the doctrine of the Unity of the human species. We have
examined, with care, all these vaunted examples, and feel no hesitation
in asserting that not one of them possesses any evidence to sustain it,
while the proof is conclusive on the opposite side.
The most prominent of these mendacious instances is that of the
Hack Jews in Malabar; and this has been confidently cited by all
advocates of the doctrine of Unity, down to the Edinburgh Review,
1849. Prichard, in his great work, has dodged this awkward
point, in a manner that we are really at a loss to understand. In
the second edition (1826) of his “ Physical History of Mankind,” he
stated the facts with sufficient fairness-; whereas, in the last, he suppresses
them entirely, and passes over them without uttering one word
in support of his previous assertions — merely saying that there is
“ no evidence” to show that the llaclc Jews are not Jews. We shall
here introduce testimony to prove our position, that the subjoined
facts, though familiar to our author, are eluded by him with mpst
ominous silence.
Under the protection and patronage of the British government, the
Rev. C l a u d i u s B u c h a n a n , D.D., late Vice Provost of the College of
Fort William, in Bengal; well known for his learning, fidelity, and
piety; visited and spent some time amongst the white and the black Jews
of Malabar, near Cochin, in 1806-7-8; and the testimony given in
his “Asiatic Researches” is so remarkable, and the subject so important,
that we venture a long extract. The “ Jerusalem, or white
t $1 i b e tells us five in Jews' town, about a mile from Cochin, and
the “ ancient, or black Jews,” with small exceptions, inhabit towns m
int0 tie of th® white JewB> * ey “ On my Hpl J ( Hebrew language, of their arrival in India, which has
first delivered me a narr , . d th exMKted their ancient brass plate;
lowing is the narrative of the events relating to their first arrival.
“ ‘ After the second Temple was destroyed, (which may God speedily rebuild.) our
fathera dreading the conqueror’s wrath, departed f r o m J e ru sa lem -a numerous body of
fathers, drea j ; M Levites_ and came into this land. There were among them men
o^repute for learning and wisdom; and God gave the people favor in the sight of the king
M f f N i reigned here, and he granted them a place to dwell in, called Cranganor.
He allowed them a patriarchal jurisdiction in the district, with cert™ privileges of nobihty; im ¡¡§1 Ip l mm “ RIW B brass This was done in the year from the creation of the world 4250 (A. D. , an
this Plate of brass we still have in possession. Our forefathers continued at Cranganor
S j t one thousand years, and the number of heads who governed w e r e seventy-two. Soon
after our settlement, other Jews followed us from Judea ; and among them cameAha; man
of great wisdom, Rabbi Samuel, a Levite, of Jerusalem, with his son, Rabbi Jehuda Levita.
Th^ brought with them the diver trumpets made use of at the time of the Jutilee, whic
—ere saved when the second Temple was destroyed; and we have hea^ > J r0“ our fa* ers’
that there were engraven upon those trumpets the letters of the Ineffable Name. There
joined us, also, from Spain and other places, from time to time, certain tribes of
had heard of our prosperity. But, at last, discord arising among ourselves, one of our
chiefs called to his assistance an Indian king, who came upon us with ajsreat army, destroyed
our .houses, palaces and strongholds, dispossessed us of Cranganor,
us, and carried part into captivity. By these massacres we were reduced to a small mnnffi,
gome of the exiles came and dwelt at Cochin, where we have remained ever since, suffering
great changes, from time to time. There are amongst us some of he children ofAsrae
(Beni-Israel), who came from the country of Ashkenaz, from Egypt, from Tsoha, and other
places, besides those who formerly inhabited this country.
The native annals of Malabar confirm th e foregoing account, in th e p rin c ip a l circumstances,
as do the. Mahommedan histories of th e la te r a g e s ; fo r th e Mahommedans have
been settled he re , in g re a t numbers, since th e eighth c entury.
“ The desolation of Cranganor the Jews describe as being like the desolation of Jeru-
lem in miniature: They were first received into the country with some favor and confidence,
agreeably to the tenor of the general prophecy concerning the Jews— for no country was
to reject them; and, after they had obtained some wealth, and attracted the notice of men
they are precipitated to the lowest abyss of human suffering and reproach. The recital ot
the sufferings of the Jews at Cranganor resembles much that of the Jews at Jerusalem, as
given by Josephus. [Exactly! Notice also the “ 72” governors, and the “ 7” km g s.-G. K. D. J
“ I now requested they would show me their brass plate. Having been given y a na iv
king, it is written, of course, in the Malabaric langhage and character, and is now so old
that it cannot well be understood. The Jews preserve a Hebrew translation of it, whic
they presented to m e ; but the Hebrew itself is very difficult, and they do not agree among
themselves as to the meaning of some words, f I have employed, by their permission, aI)
engraver, at Cochin, to execute a fac-simile of the original plate on copper. T s ancien.
document begins in the following manner, according to the Hebrew translation.
‘“ In the peace of God, the King, which hath made the earth according to his pleasure—
To this God, I, AIRVI BRAHMIN, have lifted up my hand and have granted, by this deed,
which many hundred thousand years shall run—I, dwelling in Cranganor, have grante , m