RESEARCHES

OF THE

REV. JOSEPH WOLFF,

BETWEEN THE YEARS 1831 AND 1834.

I HAVE already given to the public, in three separate volumes, the journals of my Missionary labours among my brethren of the Jewish nation in Palestine, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, Krimea, Georgia, and the Turkish Empire, which I began in 1821 and accomplished in 1826. My labours among my brethren in England, Scotland, Ireland, Holland, and again in the Mediterranean, from the year 1826 to 1830, were published in the "Jewish Expositor." I now communicate to the Church my labours among my brethren in TURKEY, PERSIA, TUR

KESTAUN, BOKHARA, AFFGHANISTAUN, CASHMEER, HINDOOSTAUN, and the RED SEA, from the year 1831 to 1834, which I have accomplished through divine grace; with the motives, also, which induced me to undertake this journey.

In the first place, it was my earnest desire to make known to my brethren of the Jewish nation, Jesus Christ, the Son of God and rightful heir to David's throne; whose kingdom shall extend itself from the rising of the sun, to the going down thereof; and, encouraged by the example of St. Paul, (Rom. xv. 20,) to preach the tidings of Salvation in those places, where the pure light of the gospel does not yet shine.

B

Besides this, I often asked myself, how my brethren fare, whose ancestors were scattered, after the captivity of Babylon: those tribes of Israel, who, according to the sacred oracles, shall be united to the house of Judah; and whose present abode is a matter of speculation among many Christian Divines and Jewish Rabbies. The latter assign to them a fabulous country, which they call "The land of darkness, beyond the Sabbathical river." Benjamin Tudela, and the Jews of Jerusalem boldly asserted, that they were residing at Halah and Habor, which they state to be the present Balkh and Bokhara. In the year 1829, being then at Jerusalem, I said to my wife," Bokhara and Balkh are very much in my mind, for I think I shall there find the Ten Tribes." "Well," she replied, "I have no objection to your going there." In consequence of this, I took my wife to Alexandria, and then made an excursion to Salonica, to see the followers of SHABATAY ZEBI, a Jewish sect; and from thence returned to Malta, where I left my family in the circle and care of kind friends; and, furnished with money from one whom I may term a fatherly friend, I left Malta on the 29th December, 1830, in the French Brig Triomphante, for Alexandria. We had fine weather and favourable winds.

December 30, 1830.-Preached the gospel of Christ to the captain and sailors. The captain, although he disbelieved the Bible, abstained from meat on Friday.

January 1, 1831.-I was delighted at observing this day marks of devotion among French sailors, signing themselves with the cross, and reading the Scriptures which I gave them. Religion in any form is much more consoling and cheering than infidelity! The captain spoke with delight of the discoveries made by Champollion in hieroglyphics. As long as those Savans communicate their hypotheses with modesty and deference, their exertions are laudable; but as soon as they attempt to invalidate the testimony of the sacred records with their A. B. C. inventions, they render themselves liable to be

suspected as charlatans. Moses must have understood Hieroglyphics better than Champollion.

ARRIVAL AT ALEXANDRIA.

January 8, 1831.-I arrived at Alexandria in Egypt, for the sixth time; where I met with Captain Lyons, commanding H. M. S. Blonde, in which, on his arrival at Alexandria, Sir John Malcolm was expected to sail for Malta. Having been exiled from Egypt, five months previous to this, by order of Mohammed Ali, on account of my having preached to Mohammedans, I put myself on board the Blonde; where I remained until Mr. Barker, the British Consul, assured me I might come on shore. I lived with the family of Mr. Gliddon.

January 10.-The power of Mohammed Ali has increased, through the weakness and timidity of the Sultan ; and people of discernment believe, that Mohammed Ali is making preparations to dethrone him; it is conjectured, that the Sultan has given him Candia, in order to embroil him with the European powers, who might interfere if he attempted to subdue the Candiotes by force.*

DAFTAR DAR BEY.

The Daftar Dar Bey, son-in-law to Mohammed Ali, does not live with his wife; both are dissolute characters. He, the Daftar Dar Bey, is a true and genuine Mussulman, for the religion of Islam accords very well with the practice of immorality. The following cruel acts are related of him. When he returned ten years ago from the Sanaar, he brought a lion with him and his delight was, to see flesh thrown to this animal, and afterwards drawn out of the lion's mouth by some poor Arab, at the imminent risk of his destruction!

One day, when mounting his favourite horse, he ob

Query. Is not Mohammed Ali, after all, the cruel Lord mentioned in Isaiah, as the predicted Ruler over Egypt? Is. xix. 4.

avataxaze, and examining into the cause, it apove of the shoe-nails had wounded his foot;

eva de sent for his chief groom, and asked him trac te bad been in his service; the groom pros“ Prey years;" the Daftar Dar Bey rejoined, 4 so many years you have not learned to shoe a Jose now I teach you;" and upon this he ordered wo dishes to be mailed on to the poor man's feet! Data & ice dead,

dry A. I proclaimed the gospel to some disciples Lowassa, did to some Carbonari. It is curious to see x of Pseudo liberty taking refuge with and

yian tyrant, and assisting him in opFelah (peasantry).

CAVIGLIA.

abies that Egypt has been, in several ages, www.cal philosophy: once that of the Essenes, e Jew, Pythagoras, and now Caviglia, who dxd himself by his discoveries in the » devotes his time to the most abstruse cal antiquity. I found him in posses、、、cua book, entitled "Delle Scuole Sacre, el Conte Palatino Domenico Aulesio." hokuthor (of whom I never heard before), No & Pheman, an Academy of Science, and You Kirjath Sepher, mentioned in Jerea Joshua xv. 15, 49.

by him, I know not upon what ground, essante genealogy, mentioned in the thirtycaia, in the synagogues of Egypt.

282AXTURE FOR DAMIAT.

It was my intention at first, to wwwwww by w Tom Damiat to Adalyah, called also ....tunived at Damiat, I found no ship devetore, a few days at Damiat, and

proclaimed the Gospel to Jews and Mohammedans. The Mufti of Damiat made me acquainted with the four classes of the Mohammedans, who have different rites.

1. Hanefee, to which the Sultan himself, and all the inhabitants of Anatolia belong.

2. Shafae, to which class the Mohammedans in Egypt belong.

3. Malke, which comprises those in Yemen, the Arabs, ad the Moors in Barbary.

4. Hambare, this class is not extensive.

VIEWS OF THE MOHAMMEDANS AT DAMIAT RESPECTING

MOHDE.

Of the twelve Imams or followers of Mohammed, the last disappeared when a child; and the Mohammedans believe in his coming again. At Damiat, the following expectation was expressed to me about Mohde. The Mohde shall come from Khorossaun with a black flag, his name shall be Mohammed Mohde, and he shall go to Mecca, where he shall be proclaimed Sovereign; thence he shall go to Damascus, accompanied by Michael, Gabriel, and Seraphiel, and three thousand other angels; there he shall reign thirty or forty years, and shall take Constantinople; and at the end of his government, there shall be a famine, and Antichrist shall make his appearance, who shall make war with Mohde, and Mohde shall be put to flight, and Antichrist shall reign forty days: one day like a year, the second day like a month, the third day like a week, and thirty-seven days like other days; and Antichrist shall go round the world, except Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem, Mount Sinai, and Khorossaun; and he shall feed those who worship him.

After this, Jesus Christ shall come down upon the Mosque Amawe at Damascus; and there he shall find Mohammed Mohde, and Mohde shall meet Antichrist at Lyt, near Jaffa; and Jesus Christ shall kill Antichrist with a lance, whose army, composed of Jews, shall take