Another rather curious sect, known as the .ts'itebsen, was that founded by Sabbathai Levi from Smyrna (1025-77), who proclaimed himself the Messiah, and found numerous followers throughout Germany, Poland, Italy, and Holland. Sultan Mohammed IV., however, put an end to his mission by imprisoning him, and making him adopt Mohammedanism. Many of his disciples followed his example, others turned Roman Catholics—adhering, withal, to their former doctrines and tenets, consisting chiefly of the belief in the Messialiship of their master, a distinct leaning to the dogma of the Trinity, and the abandonment of the hope of a final return to Jerusalem under the guid ance of "Messiah ben David." They put a thoroughly mystical interpretation upon the Bible, rejected unconditionally the Talmud, and extolled their special Kabbalistic gospel, the Zohar, above all things created. This sect did not die out until the end of the last century, Jakob Frank, their last supreme pontiff (whose more intimate friends and fol lowers called themselves by his name, dying in a debtor's prison on the Rhine (1791).
We have finally to mention the modern Chasidim—not to be confounded with the ancient Chasidim (q.v.)—or Beshters (Baal Shem Tob), a side branch of the former sect, taking its stand like this on the Kabbala, but remaining ostensibly 'within the province of rabbinical Judaism. They are chiefly remarkable by their wild mode of praying, their supreme contempt for any but mystical and religions science. by their belief in the miracles wrought by their temporary chiefs or saints (Zaddik Real. Shen), who rule their community unconditionally. are supposed to be invested with divine powers, and who also cure all their bodily ailments. The grandeur and pomp with which flick are sur rounded, contrasts most strikingly with the simple mode of life of their flock. Constant repentance, joyfulness, disinterestedness, benevolence, peacefulness, with intrepidity, cleanliness, and temperance, are sonic of the chief points of the practical doctrine of this sect.. One of the great reproaches, however, brought against them is, that their "joy fulness" often leads them into transgression; that, in fact, they are rather given to sensuality. They are very numerous in Poland, Galicia, Russia, and Palestine.
The modern "Reformers," aiming chiefly at a simplification of the ceremonial, and abrogation of what they consider io be abuses and late additions in the divine worship. cannot welI be called a sect—although, for the most part, they have synagogues and prayer-books of their own—since they belong, to all other intents and purposes, to the great body of the Jewish community. As the chief promoters of this movement may be considered Zunz, Geiger, Chorin, Creizenach, Holdheim, Hess, Stern, etc.
JEWS (corrupted from rehudim), the name given since the Babylonish captivity to the descendants of the patriarch Abraham, who, about 2,000 years 13.c.., emigrated from Mesopothmia, on the e. side of time Euphrates, to Canaan or Palestine. They were
originally called Hebrews (q.v.). Monotheism, or a belief in one God, the practice of circumcision, and the expectation of ultimately possessing the land in which they then sojourned, were the three distinguishing peculiarities transmitted by Abraham to Isaac, and from Isaac to Jacob and his descendants. The picture of patriarchal life presented to us in the book of Genesis is marked by an exquisite beauty and simplicity, and bears traces of a'great antiquity. In consequence of it famine in Canaan, Jacob, on the invi tation of his son Joseph, who bad become chief minister of the king of Egypt, went down thither with all his family, which numbered 70 "souls," and obtained from Pharaoh permission to settle in the land of Goshen. 'Here the Hebrews resided, accord ing to Exod. xii. 40,430 years [Bunsen (Exonus) calculates feerteen centuries] accord ing to the genealogical table of the Levites, in Exod. vi. 16-25, however, their sojourn would not have lasted longer than 210 or 215 years; most of the commentators, there fore, take, with Josephus, the 430 years to indicate the period from Abraham to this exodus (cf. Galat. iii. 17). Dining of Joseph, and probably for some gen erations afterwards, they were well treated, and prospered: but a new dynasty, supposed by some—with little show of reason—to have been that of the Hykshos (q.v.), arose, and they were reduced to relentless slavery. A davercr at length appeared in the person of Moses (q.v.), a man of grave and heroic character, who, though brought up by the daughter of Pharaoh as her son, and trained in all the learning of the Egyptians, was nevertheless filled with an intense and indignant patriotism, that acquired an additional elevation from the ardor of his religions feelings. The circumstances that preceded and characterized the exodus (about 1600 n.c.)—sneh as the 10 plagues and time crossing of the Red Sea—are a source of continual controversy between the rationalistic and the supranaturalistic schools of biblical criticism; but thc.fact of an exodus would be dis prated only by the wildest skepticism. The entire history of the people is pervaded by the memory of this grand event, upon which, as it were, their whole national existence is based; it inspires their poetry and consecrates their religion; and the passover. with all its ceremonials and mementoes, was instituted expressly to remind them of that wondrous night of sudden liberation; while the feast of tabernacles was to recall to the memory of the latest generations the wanderings through the desert; and pentecost, the act of the legislation on Sinai. Whether, however, in 215, or even in 430 years, the 70 "souls" could have increased to 600,000 adult men, or, including wives and children. to between 2,000,000 and 3,000,000 souls, is a point to be determined rather by physiolo. gists than by theologians.