Jesus In India — Page 171
APPENDIX more interesting to us, as we there find a people who pro- fess to be the Beni-Israel, or descendants of the Ten Tribes, namely, Afghanistan and the adjacent countries. Pages 145-146. The prominent reasons for thinking that certain classes of the people of Bokhara and Afghanistan are of Israelitish origin are these:— 1st. Their personal resemblance to the Hebrew family. Thus Dr. Wolff, the Jewish missionary, says: “I was wonderfully struck with the resemblance of the Youssoufszye [tribe of Joseph], and the Khybere, two of their tribes, to the Jews. ” Moorcroft also says of the Khyberes, “They are tall, and of singularly Jewish cast of features. ” 2nd. They have been named by them- selves Beni-Israel, children of Israel, from time immemo- rial. 3rd. The names of their tribes are Israelitish, especially that of Joseph, which includes Ephraim and Manasseh. In the Book of Revelation the tribe of Joseph stands for Ephraim. (Rev. vii. 6,8. ) In Numbers xxxvi. 5, Moses speaks of Manasseh as "the tribe of the sons of Joseph;" so that it is clear that both Manasseh and Ephraim were known by the name of the tribe of Joseph. 4th. The Hebrew names of places and persons in Afghanistan are of far greater fre- quency than can be accounted for through Mahometan association; and, indeed, these names existed before the Afghans became Mahometans. 5th. All accounts agree that they inhabited the mountains of Ghore from a very remote antiquity. It is certain that the princes of Ghore belonged to the Afghan tribe of Sooree, and that their dynasty was allowed to be of very great antiquity even in the eleventh 161