the thirty-sixth year of my reign, in the strength of power I have given in inheritance, to
J oseph Rarban—’ ”
(Here follow several privileges, &c.)
“ What proves the importance of the Jews, at the period when this grant was made, is,
that it is signed by seven kings as witnesses. (The names are here given.)
“ There is no date to the document, further than what may be collected from the reign
of the prince, and the names of the royal witnesses. Dates are not usual in old Malabaric
writings. One fact is evident, that the Jews must have existed a considerable time in the
country before they could have obtained such a grant. The tradition, before-mentioned,
assigns for the date of the transaction the year of the creation 4250, which is, in Jewish
computation, A. D. 490. It is well known that the famous Malabaric king, Coram P eru-
mal, made grants to the Jews, Christians, and Mahommedans, during his reign; but that
prince flourished in the eighth or ninth century.”
Archseologically, the date assigned to this document is a manifest
imposture, for any epoch anterior to 900 years after Christ. That
change of religion from Brahminism to Judaism cannot metamorphose
Hindoo renegades into Jews, is evident from what follows.
Speaking of the black Jews, Dr. Buchanan thus continues: —
“ Their Hindoo complexion, and their very imperfect resemblance to the European Jews,
indicate that they have been detached from the parent stock, in Judea, many ages before
the Jews in the west, and that there have been intermarriages with families not Israelitish.
I had heard that those tribes, which had passed the Indus, had assimilated so much to the
customs and habits of the countries in which they live, that they sometimes may be seen
by a traveller without being recognized as Jews. In the interior towns of Malabar, I was
not always able to distinguish the Jew from the Hindoo. I hence perceived how easy it
may be to mistake the tribes of Jewish descent among the Affghans and other nations, in
the northern parts of Hindostán. The white Jews look upon the black Jews as an inferior
race, and as not of pure caste, which plainly demonstrates that they do not spring from a
common stock in India.” 79
The evidence of Dr. Buchanan can scarcely leave room for a doubt
that the white Jews had been living at least a thousand years in
Malabar, and were still wTiite Jews, without even an approximation,
in type, to the Hindoos; and that the black Jews were an “ inferior
race” — “ not of pure caste” — or, in other words, adulterated by
dark Hindoos — Jews in doctrine, hut not in stock.
But we have another eye-witness, of no less note, to the same effect,
namely, Joseph "Wolff, a Christianized Jew, whose authority is quoted
in places where modem Jews are spoken of. He assures us,80 that
the black Malabar Jews are converted Hindoos, and at most a mixture
only of the two races. Similar opinions have been expressed
by every competent authority we have seen or can find quoted; and
even Prichard, in his laborious work, while he slurs over all these
facts with the simple remark that there is “ no evidence” in favor of
Buchanan’s opinion, ventures to give not a single authority to rebut
him, and offers not a solitary reason for doubting his testimony. And,
we say it with regret, that this is hut one of Dr. Prichard’s many
unfair modes of sustaining the doctrine of the unity of mankind. We
may add, also, that the opinions of Buchanan and Wolff are those of
all Judseans of our day, as far as we have been able to ascertain
them. Mr. I saac L e e s e r , the learned and estimable editor of the
“ Occident,” at Philadelphia, in answer to our inquiries, thus writes: —
“ You may freely assert that, in all essentials, the Jews are the same they are represented
on the Egyptian monuments; and a comparison of 3500 years ought to he sufficient
to prove that the intermediate links have not degenerated. . . . The black Jews of Malabar
are not a Jewish race, according to the accounts which hare appeared from time to time in
the papers. They are most Ukely converts to Judaism, who, never having intermarried with
the white Jews, have retained their original Hindoo complexion, and, I believe, language,”
Although this letter of Mr. Leeser was written in haste, and not
for publication, his well-known respectability and talent lend so much
weight to any thing he would utter about his co-religionists, that we
cannot forego the pleasure of giving another and longer extract
from it. He says : —
“ In respect, however, to the true Jewish complexion, it is fa ir; which is proved by the
variety of the people I have seen, from Persia, Russia, Palestine, and Africa, not to mention
those of Europe and America, the latter of whom are identical with the Europeans,
like all other white inhabitants of this continent. All Jews that ever I have beheld are
identical in features; though the color of their skin and eyes differs materially, inasmuch as
the Southern are nearly all black-eyed, and somewhat sallow, while the Northern ¡are bluer-
eyed, in a great measure, and of a fair and clear complexion. In this they assimilate to
all Caucasians, when transported for a number of generations into various climates. [?]
Though I am free to admit that the dark and hazel eye and tawny skin are oftener met
with among the Germanic Jews than among the German natives proper. There are also
red-haired and white-haired Jews, as well as other people, and perhaps of as great a proportion.
I speak now of the Jews north — I am myself a native of Germany, and among
my own family I know of none without blue eyes, brown hair (though mine is black), and
very fair skin — still I recollect, when a boy, seeing many who had not these characteristics,
and had, on the contrary, eyes, hair, and skin of a more southern complexion. In America,
you will see all varieties of complexion, from the very fair Canadian down to the almost
yellow of the West Indian — the latter, however, is solely the effect of exposure to a deleterious
climate for several generations, which changes, I should judge, the texture of the hair
and skin, and thus leaves its mark on the constitution — otherwise the Caucasian type is
strongly developed; but this is the case more emphatically among those sprung from a
German than a Portuguese stock. The latter was an original inhabitant of the Iberian
Peninsula, and whether it was preserved pure, or became mixed with Moorish blood in the
process of centuries, or whether the Germans contracted an intimacy with Teutonic nations,
and thus acquired a part of their national characteristics, it is impossible to be told now.
But one thing is certain, that, both in Spain and Germany, conversions to Judaism during
the early ages, say from the eighth to the thirteenth century, were t>y no means rare, or
else the governments would not have so energetically prohibited Jews from making proselytes
of their servants and others. I know not, indeed, whether there is any greater physical
discrepancy between northern and southern Jews than between English families who
continue in England or emigrate to Alabama — I rather judge there is not.”
Mr. Leeser professes not to bave paid any special attention to tbe
pbysical bistory of tbe Jews; but, nevertheless, bis remarks corroborate
very strongly two important points: 1st, Tbat tbe J ews merely
undergo those temporary changes from climate which are admitted by
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