Some Jewish Witnesses For Christ

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 God. 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 God, 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 God shall be worshipped in the Spirit of Jesus; when the old order of things shall pass away and the whole earth shall be known as the temple of God, – then shall Israel's mission end. For then there will be no more Jew, but all shall be called children of God 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 Archæological and scientific investigations he published in several works – 1. "Eine ägyptische Königstochter" (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 Æg." (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," "Homo 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 finishing his theological course at Leipzig, went to Canada, and was ordained by Bishop Hellmuth 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 fashion. 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 God, he gave himself up to be His servant in any way it might please God to direct him. He opened a class 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 Jassy, 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 scholarship. He was Translator and Editor of the "History of Speculative Philosophy from Kant to Hegel, from the German of Dr. Chalybäus, 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 Kassala.

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 Bushire, 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 (née 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 God; 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 worship, 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. He then offered himself to the Society, and in 1854 entered the Hebrew College in Palestine Place. In 1857 he was appointed a missionary of the Society at Bagdad. The results of his work are summed up in his own words, "The mission was a great success, not from the number of baptisms, but from the large numbers to whom we preached Christ." In 1867 he commenced his great work at Smyrna, where, through his labours during eighteen years, many Jews were born again, and were baptized. In 1885 he left Smyrna. One who knew him and his work there wrote after his death, "Mr. Eppstein will ever be remembered by thousands of Jews living at Smyrna, and in the interior of Asia Minor. When his death became known many Jews said, 'He was a good man, and loved our people.' He had friends amongst the rich as well as the poor, whilst learned and unlearned looked up to him for his great learning and Talmudical knowledge."

In 1885, on the death of Dr. Stern, he was appointed head of the Society's mission in London, a post for which he was singularly fitted. He knew English, German, French, Hebrew, Yiddish, Spanish, Greek (both modern and classic), Latin, Syriac, Chaldee, Felachi (the Nestorian dialect of Chaldee), Persian, Italian, and Turkish. In 1893 he removed to Bristol, in charge of the "Wanderers' Home." Here his work was greatly blessed, as many as eighty-two Jews being baptized by him up to 1902. During his missionary career he baptized 262 Jews and Jewesses.

At last, in May, 1903, his call came to higher service. Shortly before his death, though suffering greatly, he said he was "the happiest man in the world," and again, "I thank God that He enabled me to lay hold of the Pearl, and to lay hold of it with both my hands." The Society suffered a great loss when Mr. Eppstein passed away to his eternal rest. As a missionary he was to the end most able and faithful, and his life and life work will ever be remembered with heartfelt gratitude to the Almighty God for all that he was able to do through a life so fully dedicated to His service, as was that of the late John Moses Eppstein.

Ewald, Rev. Dr. F. C.12 In the middle of last century there was no name more familiar to the friends of Israel than that of Dr. Ferdinand Christian Ewald; and no missionary to the Jews was more highly honoured for his work's sake than this distinguished son of Abraham.

It is somewhat difficult to write a memoir of one who was too modest and retiring to say or to write much about himself: and who left but few materials from which to frame a biography, for it was his express wish that no lengthened life should be written. He felt that his record was in Heaven, and that his works would follow him. As he has been at rest for over thirty years, we think that the time has come when an account of his life should be added to that of other labourers in the same field, in which he was by no means the least conspicuous worker.

Ewald was born of Jewish parents, on September 14th, 1801, at the village of Maroldsweisach, near Bamberg, Bavaria. His parents were poor, and the education which the village offered was all they could command. Such, however, was his ability that his friends raised a fund sufficient to send him and his brother (mentioned on page 215) to a better school, where he evinced a great aptitude for languages. Later on he entered the missionary college at Basle. Whilst there he was baptized, in 1824, at the age of twenty-three, by the Rev. Dr. Von Brunn, adding the name of Christian to his patronymic. He remained at Basle for a few years longer, during which the Society paid a part of his training expenses. He subsequently graduated at the University of Erlangen. In 1829 he was accepted as a student in the Society's College, and in 1832 he entered the service of the Society. He took Lutheran orders in the same year, being ordained at Lörrach, near Basle, by the Decanus Hiltzig. These he subsequently laid aside, when he was ordained by the Bishop of London, in 1836.

In the early part of 1832, he visited his native country for the purpose of seeing his mother, his sister and her husband, who resided at Bischberg, near Bamberg, and were still of the Jewish faith. His sister told him, before he parted from her, that she believed that Jesus was the Messiah and Redeemer. His brother Dr. Paulus Ewald, had already renounced Judaism, and was Lutheran Pastor at Merkendorf, Bavaria.

Ewald's missionary career naturally falls into three periods: the first, 1832-41, spent in the Barbary States; the second, 1841-1851, in Jerusalem; and the third and last, 1851-1874, in London. His work was thus both wide in extent and lengthened in duration.

Ewald commenced his work in Africa on September 17th, 1832, by opening a mission at Algiers. The Rev. John Nicolayson, of Jerusalem, having visited that city in the spring of that year, and having met with a cordial reception, came to the conclusion that the newly-emancipated Jews (i. e., from the Moorish to the French dominion in 1830), were ripe for a missionary effort. Consequently Ewald was sent out in the autumn. His reception, however, was chilling in the extreme.

The moment he landed he was told by the Custom House authorities, when they saw the Bibles which he had brought with him for distribution, "You have chosen the worst part of the world for your good intentions; there is nothing to be done in that way here." His answer was, "This book, the Bible, has already done great things, and I trust the Lord will bless it also in this country." Discouragement crossed Ewald at every turn, for he wrote: "All those whom I met with, and to whom I stated the object of my mission, told me that there was nothing to be done here, because the people are too bad – that the Jews are the worst set of people that exist in the world – and that most of the Europeans who have come over are the outcasts of human society. I believe this to be true, but I think, because this is true, I am in my proper place; the Gospel of Christ is able to convert man, to convert even publicans to righteousness."

Ewald commenced to work amongst the Jews speaking to them and selling his Hebrew Bibles. On one day he sold as many as nineteen copies for twenty-six francs, a large sum from poor Jews; but they would not take the New Testament. He also hired a house, intending to have services there for Jews, when the French Governor-General sent him a letter forbidding him to preach. This was a great blow, virtually suspending missionary operations, and Ewald left Algiers.

His next attempt to found a mission in the Barbary States was more fortunate, and he had the honour of establishing the Society's mission in Tunis, in 1833, laying the foundation of the extensive and encouraging work now carried on by the Rev. C. F. W. Flad, the son of the Society's veteran Abyssinian missionary, Mr. J. Martin Flad.

At the time of Ewald's appointment to Tunis, which was before the days of the French occupation, the Jews were greatly oppressed by the native population. Indeed his very first experience, gained before his actual arrival, gave him an insight into the way in which this persecution was carried on. At Goletta, the port of Tunis, he met more than 300 Jewish men, women and children, who were seeing some of their friends off to Jerusalem. He says: —

"I saw a specimen of the cruel treatment the poor Jews meet with in this country. Some of those who accompanied their brethren to the Goletta sat down upon a bank, from which they could look to the ships where they embarked for Jerusalem; but soon there came a Moor with a stick in his hand, and drove them away. An old Jew, with a white beard, spoke some words to the man which I could not hear, as I was standing too far off; on this the Moor got into a passion, and smote the poor Jew repeatedly in his face. I cannot express what I felt when seeing this – 'O! that the Salvation of Israel would come out of Zion; O! that the Lord would bring back the captivity of His people; then,' and only then, 'will Jacob rejoice, and Israel be glad!' Now poor Israel is oppressed everywhere more or less."

Ewald made a very successful beginning amongst the Jews of Tunis, and found an open door in that dark and benighted country. Within three months he had sold 398 Bibles, New Testaments, and portions in Hebrew, Arabic, Italian, Greek, Spanish and French, for in so many different languages had the work to be carried on.

He instituted a service on Sunday, and had much intercourse with Jews, including several rabbis, one of whom was excommunicated for visiting him. Ewald used to visit the Jewish quarter with his pockets full of tracts.

In July of 1834 Ewald visited Monastir and Susa, at both of which places he was able to proclaim the Gospel to numbers of Jews. He was back at Tunis in September, and at once resumed his intercourse with Jews. He says: – "I have from morning till night every possible opportunity for preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ Jesus our Lord to Jews and Mahometans, sometimes in my own dwelling-place – at other times in their habitations, or shops, synagogues, or in the market-place. The desire to read and to possess the Word of God is daily increasing among the remnant of Israel in this country. Even the very poor save a few shillings in order to buy the pearl of great price. Others who are even too poor to follow their example, made an agreement to pay a few pence every week. Doors have been opened for the circulation of the Scriptures along the coast and in some places in the interior."