The hope of Israel: written by Menasseh ben Israel, a Hebrew divine, and philosopher. Newly extant, and printed in Amsterdam, and dedicated by the author to the High Court, the Parliament of England, and to the Councell of State. Translated into English, and published by authority. In this treatise is shewed the place wherein the ten tribes at this present are, proved partly by the strange relation of one Anthony Montezinus, a Jew, of what befell him as he travelled over the Mountaines Cordillære, with divers other particulars about the restoration of the Jewes, and the time when.:

SECT: XX.

LAstly, all think, that part of the ten Tribes dwell beyond the river Sabbathi∣on, or sabbaticall. Rabbi Johanan the Author of the Jerusalem Talmud, who lived 160 years after the destruction of the 2d: Temple, saith in his treatise of the Sanhedrim, ca. 17. That

the 10. Tribes were carried into 3. places, sc. to the Sabbaticall river, to Daphne the sub∣urbs of Antioch, and thither where a cloud comes down and covers them: and that they shall be redeemed from those three places; for so he opens that place of Isa: Chap. 49.9. That they may say to the captives, go forth, (sc: to them who were at the Sabbaticall river) to them that are in darknesse, shew your selves, (sc: to them who are compassed with the cloud) and to all, they shall be refreshed in the wayes, (sc: to them who live in Daphne of Antioch which is in Syria). Whence you may observe, that the learned man l'Emperiur translated it ill, at the sides of Antioch, whereas Daphne is the proper name of a pleasant grove near Antioch. Sedar olam makes mention of that cloud, and cals them mountains of obscurity. And in Talmud tractat. Sanhedr. c. 11. R. Jonathan ben Ʋziel, who lived an hundred yeers before the de∣struction of the 2^d: Temple, in Exod. 34.10. where the Lord saith, I will do wonders before all thy people, such as were never done in the whole earth, or in any Nation, &c. and he refers all those things to the transportation of the people. He shall draw them to the rivers of Baby∣lon, and shall carry them to the sabbaticall river, and shall teach them, that those miracles were never performed to any Nation of the known world. Our

ancient Rabbins in Beresit Rabba (no mean book) in Perasach, do say, that Tornunfus ask∣ing how it should appear that the day which we keep, is the 7th. day, on which God rested after the Creation of the world: Rabbi Aque∣bah (who lived 52. yeers after the destructi∣on of the 2^d: Temple) answered by an argu∣ment taken from the stones of the Sabbati∣call river, which in the six dayes are tossed up and down with a continuall motion, but do rest on the Sabbath day, and move not. The same is said in the Babylonian Talmud, tractat. Sanhed. c. 7. & in Tanuah Perasach. c. 9. In eodem Beresit Raba, in Perasach 37. Rabbi Si∣mon saith, The ten Tribes were carried to the Sab∣baticall river, but Juda and Benjamin are dispersed into all Countreys In Asirim Raba, the last verse of the Song, its said, Our bed is flourishing; that it is meant the ten Tribes, which were carri∣ed to the Sabbaticall river; and that river running all the week, doth cause the ten Tribes there remaining to be shut up; for though on the 7th. day the river doth rest, yet it is forbidden by our Law to take a jour∣ney then; and for that reason they remained there miraculously, as lost, and concealed from us. So that of Isa. 49. That they say to the prisoners, go forth, is interpreted of them in Jalcut. R. Aquebah after the same manner

explains that of Levit. 36.38. And ye shall perish among the heathen. And that of Isa. 27. ult. and they shall come, who were ready to perish in Assyria. Because they are remote from the rest, there∣fore another Rabbi in Bamibar Raba Parasa 16. applyes to them that of Isa. 49.12. Behold them who come from far: that so all those Au∣thors mention that River. The testimony of Josephus is famous, lib. 7. de Bel. Jud. ca. 24. saying, The Emperour Titus passing between Ar∣ca, and Raphanea, Cities of King Agrippa, he saw the wonderfull River, which though it be swift, yet it is dry on every seventh day; and that day be∣ing past, it resumes its ordinary course, as if it had no change; and it always observes this order. It is called Sabbaticall, from the solemn feast of the Jews, because it imitates their rest every seventh day. I know some do otherwise expound those words of Josephus, but they hit not his meaning, as appears by this, that he cals the River, Sabbathio, or sabbaticall: which word cannot be derived but from Sabbath; and who doth not see that it ceaseth to flow, or move, on the Sabbath day; and so Jose∣phus must be understood according to my sense. Pliny also confirms this opinion, lib. 1. Nat: hist. c. 2. he saith, In Judea a river lyes dry every Sabbath; yet I think Pliny is deceived, and ill informed, when he saith it is a river

in Judea; neither is it to be found in Judea, but in another place, where many Jews live. R. Selomoh Jarchi who lived 540. yeers since, mentions that River in Comment. Talm. say∣ing, The stones, and sand of that River do continually move all the six dayes of the week, untill the seventh R. Mardochus Japhe in his learned book Jephe Thoar saith, The Arabians derive Sabbathion from the Sab∣bath, who use to adde the particle (ion) to adjectives. The same saith, that it was told him of an hour-glasse filled with the sand of Sabbathion, which ran all the week till the Sabbath. And I heard the same from my fa∣ther; which testimony I account as good, as if I saw it my self; (for fathers do not use to impose upon their sons.) He told me that there was an Arabian at Lisborn, who had such an hour-glasse; and that every Friday at evening he would walk in the street called the new street, and shew this glasse to Jews who counterfeited Christianity, and say, Ye Jews, shut up your shops, for now the Sabbath comes. Another worthy of credit, told me of ano∣ther hour-glasse, which he had some years before, before the port Mysketa. He saw him by chance (or the Judge of the place) passing that way from Cadez, and being asked, what he was? he commanded him to be taken

away; rebuking the Mahometans that by this mean they did confirm the Jewish Sab∣bath. I should not speak of these glasses, if the authority of such a man whom I have al∣ledged, did not move me; though I beleeve that God did not onely work that miracle, that he might keep part of the 10. Tribes there, but other also, as you may see in Es∣dras. R. Moses Gerundensis a learned Cabalist, and Interpreter of the Law in Parasa Aazinu, thinks the river Sabbathion to be the same with Gozan, of Guz, which signifies, to snatch away, because except the 7th. day, on all the other, it carries with it, by its swiftnesse, the very stones. Of this there is mention in 2 King. whither the King of Assyria led his ca∣ptives; and so relates Benjamin Tudelensis in his journall, that part of the 10 Tribes dwelt at the bank of that River. But I know not where the river G••zan is. In the yeer 5394. that is, 15 years agon, in the City Lubin, two Polonians after they had travelled long, they wrot in Ducht a book of the originall of the Sabbaticall river, but the Senate command∣ed it to be burnt at the Mart of Breslaw, by the perswasion of the Jesuites. Abraham Fri∣sal in his Orchot Olam, c. 26. will have this river to be in India, he saith, The head of the Sabbaticall river is in the countrey of Ʋpper India,

among the rivers of Ganges. And a little after, The sabbaticall river hath its originall from the other side of Kalikout (which lies far above the bound of Lamik, which he placeth beyond the sinus Barbaricus) and it parts the Indians from the kingdom of the Jews, which river you may certainly finde there. Though he takes Go∣zan for Ganges, for some nearnesse of wri∣ting; yet its not to be doubted that in that place there are many Jews, witnesse Joannes de Bairos in his Decads. Eldad Danita speak∣ing of the 4. Tribes, which he placeth at Go∣zan, saith, The Sabbaticall river is among them. Josephus saith, that Titus saw the sabbathion between Arca, and Raphanea. Which testimo∣ny seems the truer, because its not to be thought that Josephus would tella lie of him, by whom be might be rebuked. I think that ye must look for it not far from the Caspian Sea: & I am not alone in this opinion. What ever it be, it appears that this river is some∣where, and that part of the 10. Tribes are hid there; and I may say with Moses in Deut. 29.28, 29. And the Lord cast them out of their land in anger, and in wrath; Secret things belong to the Lord our God. For it is not known when they shall return to their Countrey, neither can it perfectly be shewed where they are, God suffering it, as its said in Deut. 32.26. I deter∣mined

to cast them forth unto the ends of the earth, and to make their remembrance cease from among men. As if he should say, I will cast them unto the farthest places of the world, that none may remember them; and therfore they are truly in Scripture called imprisoned, and lost.