Several New LETTERS. Concerning the JEWES: Sent to divers PERSONS of QUALITY HERE IN ENGLAND: BEING A perfect Relation of the MIRACLES wrought by their Prophet, The Magnificence of their King, with the manner of his Entertainment in the Court of the GRAND signor. LONDON, Printed by A. Maxwel for Robert bolter, at the Sign of the Turks Head in cornhill, MDCLXVI. woodcut of a crowned English rose, a crowned French fleur de lis, and a crowned Scottish thistle A NEW LETTER Concerning the Jews. A Copy of a Letter from Gaza, wrote by HANIE JOSEPH, to his Brother RAPHEL JOSEPH, Sarafbassi of Cairo, the 17th of the Month Chislu, An. 5426. sent from Cairo to a Jew in Legorn. Translated out of Italian into English. BY reason of an Embargo on all Ships in Alexandria, I could not sooner give you an account of what passeth here among us. Please then to know, That our Prophet embarked in the Port of Joppa, to go for Smyrna, to speak with our anointed King about weighty matters; and as soon as the Bark se● ●ail, there rose a great storm, which forced them back. ●●us they set sail thrice, and were still forced back with a greater storm, insomuch that they resolved to attempt no more; and landing from the Bark, a Piliar of Fire, and an Angel appeared, bidding him Return to Gaza, that there was no occasion of his going the ●oyage, for the Redemption of Israel was at han●: Hereupon the Prophet returned, and passing a Mountain in t●e desert, there appeared a Prophet to him, Jehu the Son of Hanan, who confirmed unto him what the Angel had said, and bid be of good cheer, for the Redemption of Israel was at hand; and that suddenly part of their Tribe would be together in Gaza. The Prophet having heard those words, followed on his jou●ney for Gaza, very much rejoicing, giving thanks and prayers unto God for what he had received in this his Journey. Further know, That a prophet Messenger is come to our Prophet from Smyrna sent by the Anointed King, who told him of many things, among the rest, how in a certain Feast of the J●ws( which was the 25 of November) God would sand three dayes and three nights of darkness among the Gentiles, and there should fall great Hail stones, Fire and Brimstone, which should destroy many Houses of Idolaters, with a great mortality among People and cattle; but among the Jews should be clear l●ght, without any hurt or disturbance. He likewise told h●m, That in a little while would come part of our Tribe to the Holy Land. Know, That Letters are come hither from Aleppo and Damascus, which give us good News, That in Aleppo are discovered Twenty Prophets men, and as many women. All agree and confirm what the Prophet of Gaza said, and the ●ing by him declared, is the true Anointed King of Israel, and ● at our Redemption is at hand. About the 17th or 19th of the said Month, will be discovered great Prophet in Cairo, and another in Scio. The 20th of the Month Sceuceth, which will be in our account January, will be at Gaza the Tribe of Re●ben, and the half Tribe of God armed, and all ready for battle; the Bashaw of Gaza giveth certain Credit to all our Prophet saith, for the said Bash●w hath a Brother which is a great Astrologer, who assures him of the truth. There are come other Letters which confi●m the Truth of the Pillar of F●●e. This, as w●at I have else wrote to you about, you must not harbour the least doubt of it. When our Prophet was in the Moun●ain, there was with him Rabbi Israel Benjamin, who at that time saw nothing, but after he had sp●nt two days and two n●ghts in humiliation, he heard and understood a Voice which s●id, Nathan( the Name of the Prophet of Gaza) my Friend, the Lord God hath received thy prayers, and also the prayers which his people Israel make; return cheerfully to Gaza, for the Redemption of Israel is at hand: And when they met the foresaid Prophet in the Mountain, called Jehu the Son of Hanan, he told them, That within two Months should come two ambassadors to Gaza from the Hebrews, beyond the Sabatalian River, who should acquaint them that the messiah was come. Wrote from the Treasurer of all Egypt, to his Brother here, concerning the prophesy relating to the Jews. Lego●n Jan. 25. 1666. From Amsterdam, January 22. S N. 1666. HEre I sand you now an enclosed from Barn in Switzerland, from our Friend there, concerning the rattling of our dry bones in Judea, that goes on more and more. For One Prophet, ye have now Twenty and above, not only at Jerusalem, but else where also, as at Cairo and Chios. And its affirmed by the Prophets, That there will arise Prophets ●very where. The Letters come yesterday from Legorn and Venice, bring nothing but confirmation of all we heard of Mecca and Saley: And especially of a great multitude descending from Persia, all Hebrew people, of the Tribes of Reuben and Gad, marching up some eleven times an hundred Thousand. As for the King Sabbathai, the Jews here keep close what is of him; only a certain Rabbi shewed me this week a Letter written at Hamborough the 15 of January, saying, That at Vienna was come from Constantinople a Courier at the Emperor, sent to him by his ambassador to acquaint him, That at Constantinople was arrived the King of the Jews, and was reverently received, and lead about publicly by the Grand signor. It's written also from Legorn and Venice, That at Aleppo the great Turkish Church was sunk down in the Earth, and swallowed up; even as the Church at Jerusalem of the Franciscan Monks. And that in the Air was seen right above it, a fiery Pillar, and an Angel crying out, That the Redemption of Israel is come. The like Voice was heard at Gaza, at a c●rtain time when the Prophet Nathan, with another Chacam or Rabbi standing together, were encompassed with a Fiery Cloud. The Prophets do all agree in their Testimony, and say, That on the 25 of the Cheslu*, there will be amongst the Nations Part of November a●d Decen●b. great obscurity, and brimstone will fall from Heaven upon divers places, and yet do no hurt to the Jews; and that many Churches will fall. Yea, it is asserted, That on the 20th of this month Sebat Part of J●nuary and February. Reuben as the first-born of Jacob, will be at Gaza: but before that time, two men would come to order how the Redemption of Israel should be effected. We hear also from Paris, that their King had news from Constantinople, and from Persia, concerning the march of the Israelites, at which there was a great Commotion at Court. Behold, this I thought good to communicate unto you, and so to give you, an occasion also to impart to me what your country Divines say to all this, before I come farther to the appearances of many of the dead Prophets and Saints, which is verified by divers Letters. What think you now of the Law? It is likewise written from Legorn, to a Merchant here by his Correspondent, that at Smyrna the King of the Jews rides up and down in great State, Two hundred men attending on him▪ and is highly reverenced by the Turks. From Smyrna, the 7th of December, 1665. SIR, HEre is a Jew in Town▪ who came about two Months since from Jerusalem, and gives out publicly, That the Messiah is come, and hath got to his Party a great many of the Jews. And not only in this place, but at Constantinople, and many other places through which he hath passed. And God alone knows whether he may be a means of the Conversion of that stiff necked Generation. But they are almost all of them at their wits end; what will be the end thereof, no man knows. FINIS.