378 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



of prosi lytes of low caste. Though an older people, the Sulei- 

 manic Affghans pretend to he descendants oi the first captivity ; 

 there is still a clan of them known as the Beni Khaibe in Arabia ; 

 and the Falishas of Abyssinia, according to Bruce, are a tribe 

 of Jews ; finally, the white race of Zafi-Ibritn, in Madagascar, 

 claim Abraham for their progenitor. The handsomest of the 

 whole nation are asserted to be the Babylonians of Meso- 

 potamia; and it used to be from among them that the prince 

 of the captivity, now the wretched representative of the 

 ancient kings, was and still is selected by the Turkish govern- 

 ment. 



In all lands they are, as of old, a stiff-necked race, most reso- 

 lutely attached to their institutions, ever since the Christian 

 dispensation was promulgated. It is difficult to decide whether 

 their own obstinacy of character, or the unceasing injustice of 

 mankind, have been other than agents, mutually acting upon 

 each other, to produce that permanent manifestation in their 

 forms and opinions which separates them from human society, 

 as it were, by a lasting miracle ; still the persecuted Jew bears 

 on his front the tokens of mental power, in his make the attri- 

 butes of physical strength, and in his heart the feelings of 

 mercy and charity, which all the vices acquired by degradation, 

 or natural to his temperament, cannot efface ; for since a more 

 humane treatment is afforded to the race, constant examples 

 of good, benevolent and liberal actions embellish their conduct, 

 even more than in the feudal ages their learning and research 

 illustrated their mental capacities. 



THE BABYLONIANS, CHALDEES, AND ASSYRIANS. 

 The nations now to be considered, though, differing- among 



7 O DO 



themselves, were evidently all of one family, obscurely traceable 

 to eastern Armenia and Atropatene, whence, as they spoke 

 dialects of Semitic languages, it is evident that, like the Arabs, 

 they had come originally from the high lands in the east. 



