Some Jewish Witnesses For Christ. Bernstein Aaron

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СКАЧАТЬ Also "A Finger-post to the Way of Salvation," 1882. In 1881 he published a pamphlet entitled "Eintracht" (Harmony), in which he pleaded the cause of the Jews against the Anti-Semitic agitation in Germany.

      Bechar, J., baptized at Constantinople in 1873, studied at St. Chrischona, Basel, and was appointed later as City Missionary in Neuchâtel.

      Behrens, A. J., convert, student and missionary of L.J.S, was pioneer Missionary in Safed in the forties of the 18th century and at Jassy in 1850.

      Behrens, Rev. A. D., son of the former, esteemed of the L.J.S., whom the writer learned to know and love in 1873 at Breslau, was appointed to the charge of the Mission at Vienna in 1875. A daughter married the convert Glück, a physician of high standing in Bucharest. Thus father and child have made known God's truth in their respective spheres.

      Behrens, S. J., another Jewish convert, was for twenty years accountant and collector of the Operative Jewish Converts' Institution, an exemplary Christian, and well beloved by all who came in contact with him. His life made a salutary impression upon his rich brothers in Hamburg, who, although they yet remained members of the synagogue, granted his wife a liberal pension for life.

      Bellson, Rev. R., born in the neighbourhood of Cassel, Germany, in 1805. L.J.S. missionary from 1831, successor of Pauli in Berlin, 1844. He was an excellent scholar and was much respected by the cultured Jews. In the very first year of his activity there, he had the privilege of leading twenty Jewish souls to the Saviour. One of his converts was the Rev. A. D. Hefter, another Kappelin. He wrote in "Dibre Emeth," "Blätter für Israel's Gegenwart und Zukunft."

      Belmonte, E., banker in New York, connected with Rothschild, joined the Protestant Church, whilst a number of the same family joined the Roman Church at different times. (See "Jewish Encyclopædia.")

      Belmonte, Hannah, a near relation of Da Costa, and later his wife, became a Christian in 1822.

      Benary, Franz Ferdinand, born at Cassel in 1805, baptized between 1824-27. He became Professor of Theology in 1831, lectured in Berlin on Oriental languages and exegesis, published the Old Indian Art poem, "Naloduza" in 1830, a treatise under the title, "De Leviratu," Hebr. 1835.

      Benary, Karl Albert Agathan, a brother of the former, likewise became a convert, was teacher at the Gymnasium in Berlin, wrote largely on Classics, died in 1860.

      Benason, A., after his conversion wrote several Christian hymns. (See "Saat auf Hoffnung, 1881.")

      Bender, Carl Theodor, born at Berlin in 1818, studied law, and was baptized in 1837 by Pastor Jonas of the Nikolai Kirche there.

      Benderman, Edward, born in Berlin in 1811, son of a banker, embraced Christianity about 1832. He became a celebrated artist and professor of art in the Dresden Academy. Some of his pictures are: Boaz and Ruth, The Jews in Babylon (Ps. cxxxvii.), Jeremiah amidst the ruins of Jerusalem, The wandering of the Jews into captivity to Babylon, in the Natural Gallery in Berlin. These pictures exhibit profound religious feeling on the part of the artist, and sympathy with his Jewish brethren.

      Bendix, Paul, Dr., was born at Rummelsberg in Prussia, Aug. 29, 1823. He was early sent to a Christian school, where he was often moved to tears when hearing of the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. At the age of seventeen he went to Danzig for rabbinical study, and afterwards to the Berlin University, where he gained the diploma of Ph.D. in 1850. Subsequently he became rabbi, and worked at Berent and Grandenz. He disapproved of many of the old Jewish customs, but his congregation refused to allow the introduction of any reforms. The wardens of the synagogue at Grandenz, where he officiated from 1854 to 1858, wrote of him in a testimonial: "The sermons of Dr. Bendix were instructive and edifying, and owing to his splendid delivery and great oratorical power they never failed to make a deep impression on his hearers." While at Grandenz he made the acquaintance of a Christian clergyman, through whom he was led to study the New Testament. The reading of this deeply affected him. Later on he went to live in the house of a converted Jew, which caused many of his hearers to warn him not to hold intercourse with him on Christianity. But he was now seeking for truth and peace, and though he avoided conversation, he could not help noticing the upright and serious life of his landlord, who closed his place of business on the Lord's Day, held family worship morning and evening, and took a keen interest in home and foreign missions. All this made an impression on him, and made him say: "This man, surely, possesses the peace I am seeking. He asked me one day what took the place of sacrifices since the Temple was destroyed, what were the essential contents of the Jewish Prayer Book. I could only say to myself, Where is the atonement for sin? I began to read the Old Testament with a terrified conscience, and soon I found that my religious system was built on the sand." At last he felt that he must give up his position as rabbi, and he retired, not without much opposition, to Berlin, where he spent his whole time in the closest study of the Word of God. He became convinced at last that the old covenant was merely a preparation for the new one (Jer. xxxi. 31-34). One difficulty was the word "virgin" in Isa. vii. 14, but when he saw that it was always used in opposition to married women, he at once accepted Christ as his Saviour, and was baptized with his wife and children in 1860, in St. Matthew's Church, Berlin. With a recommendation from Queen Elizabeth of Prussia he came over to England, and from 1883 worked in connexion with the L.J.S. in London. He died March 5, 1901, deeply regretted by both Jews and Christians.

      Benfey, Theodor, born at Nöster, near Göthingen, January 28, 1809, became a convert to Christianity in 1848, died in 1881, at Göthingen. He was author of numerous linguistic works on the Sanscrit, Bengali, Hindustani, Persian, Egyptian, and Semitic languages. His two works in English must be mentioned here: "A Practical Grammar of the Sanscrit Language" (Berlin 1863, London 1868), and "A Sanscrit-English Dictionary" (London 1868). He established a periodical, "Orient and Occident," in 1862.

      Benjamin, Selig, a native of Bunzlau, Bohemia, and surgeon by profession about the middle of last century. Embraced Roman Catholicism, but found no peace, so he relapsed into Judaism, but remained in the same condition, wandering about to find satisfaction for his restless soul, until he came to Weikersheim in Würtemberg, and attended the services of the court preacher Kern, when he was converted. Whereupon he went to the synagogue and publicly confessed his evangelical faith before the congregation.

      Benjamin, a Dutch Jewish convert. The story of his conversion is a remarkable one and deserves a place here. Pauli and his assistant Bloch visited once a Kabbalistic Jew on a very stormy night. The Jewish neighbours, when hearing of their visit, watched for them outside the house. They followed them on their way home, and when passing a bridge, some called out, "Make an end of him (Pauli); throw him into the water." Whereupon Benjamin, who accompanied his visitors, cried, "Away with you!" and pushed the assailants aside. "He is a good man. He helped me to keep the Sabbath properly." They then went away abashed. Benjamin was afterwards baptized with his whole family in the presence of 3,000 Jews. This was the first entire family which Pauli baptized at Amsterdam.

      Benjamin, a Jewish convert in India, baptized by the Rev. – Laseron in 1849.

      Benni, a Jew who first heard the Gospel from Wendt and Hoff in Königsberg, became a Christian Pastor in Petrekow, later in Radorn, and through his faithful testimony not a few Jews decided to acknowledge Jesus as their personal Saviour.

      Benoly, Gabriel, M.D., baptized at Salem, Bromberg, in 1869, was afterwards for many years medical missionary of the L.J.S., and did good work in the East End of London.

      Ben Oliel, a well-known family in Oran, North Africa, has given to the Church three sons about the middle of the eighteenth century, baptized by the Wesleyans in Gibraltar.

      Ben Oliel, Rev. A., was for many years missionary in Rome, and then at Jaffa and Jerusalem. He was a true man of God, an ardent lover of his nation, whose spiritual welfare he endeavoured to promote by word and pen all through a long life. He died in America towards the close of last century.

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