Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 December 1891 — Jewish Colonization. [ARTICLE]

Jewish Colonization.

Recently various schemes have been advanced to ease the condition of the Jews—the persecuted race of all modern history. The latest is that of Dr. Paul Friedman, a native of Berlin, who proposes acquiring the Land of Midian, which lies on the northern side of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Akabab, and colonizing It with Jews. Although the territory is small, 1(50x70 miles, It is extremely fertile and 'eapnblo of supporting 500,000 people. It is now inhabited by about 10,000 Bedouins, a race somewhat akin to the Jews. Historically the Land of Midian is interesting, being mentioned in the Bible and by Jewish writers many times. It was to that land that Moses fled when he killed the Egyptian. The Mldiauite race, moreover, is said to have been descended from Middan, the fourth son of Abraham of Keturah. The story of the overthrow of the Midlanlte race is one of the most graphically told in Holy Writ. It began during the wanderings of the Israelites, whom Moses was training to warlike methods. The Midianites, probably through fear of the multitudes occuoying their pastures, became hostile to their distant kinsmen. It was then that the Midianitish women sought to seduce the men of Israel from the paths of virtue and the worship of the true God to that of Baalpeor. Then the fatal command of Moses went forth: “Avenge the Lord on Midian,” and 12,000 Israelite soldiers went out and slew 128,000 Midianites. How they saved the women and children and how Moses ordered tho execution of all male children and all women who had borne a child is told at length. After a lapse of two centuries tho Midianites again grew powerful and sought revenge. The second Mldlunitc war followed, which ended in tho terrible battle of the Valley of Jezreel when Gideon and his little army of 300 men destroyed “120,000 men that drew sword," and 15,000 more. After this the Midianites lifted up their heads no more, and they fade out of Hebrew history, and serve only as references for the poets and prophets.