JEWS (OF. Gem,. Jen, Fr. Juif, It. Giudeo, Lat. Juthrus, Gk. 'Ioveaioc, /oudaios, from Heb, Yehmidah, Judah). The name given since the Babylonian Captivity to a people of Semitic origin, who called themselves in earlier time Hebrews. and, from the fact that they were members of a confederation known as the Box Israel, 'Sons of Israel,' are frequently designated a; Israelites.
The Jews were long considered the example im• excellence of a pure, unmixed race. Re cent investigations, however, have shown not only the existence at the earliest period of two distinct types—the blond ('red') and the brunettelaek')—but also, both in Asia, and since their dispersion, noteworthy admix tures of other blood and approximation in craniological and other somatic charaeteristh-s to those of the peoples of their new environments. The modern Jew may be described as short, with dark hair and eyes, rather swarthy skin. some what broad-headed, with a characteristi• facial expression, full lips, ample beard, etc. (See the colored plate under Ernot-E, PEoeLlis °•.) The majority of ethnologists are agreed that in the earliest times the predominant Semitic (and Jewish) type was doliehoeephalic, a type charac teristically Arab, and preserved by the Jews of Africa, and perhaps a majority of the so-called Sephardim. Among the distim.mishing mental
and moral trait; of the Jews may be men tioned: distaste for hard or violent physical labor; a strong family sense, and philoprogenitive ness: a marked religious instinct; the courage of the prophet and martyr rather than of the pioneer and soldier; remarkable power to sur vive in adverse environments, combined with won derful ability to retain racial sociality; great capacity for exploitation. both individual and social; shrewdness and astuteness in speculation and money matters generally; an Oriental love of display, and a full appreciation of the power and pleasure of social position; an intellectual ability equal to that of any known people in the world, ancient or modern. The great work of the ancient Jews is well expressed in the epigram of Zangwill: The Greeks worshiped the holiness of beauty. the Jews the beauty of holiness. The religion horn in Palestine reaches the common people everywhere, the philosophy nurtured in Athens only a few privileged classes.