Some Jewish Witnesses For Christ. Bernstein Aaron
in selections from the "Yad Hahazakah" of Maimonides (1832), and "Hamenahel" (the Guide of the Hebrew Student), 1839. The "Me Menichoth" (Still Waters), an easy, practical Hebrew grammar, in two volumes, appeared during his blindness. His lectures on the book of Job appeared in one volume in 1864.
Bernard, Rudolf, a Swiss Jewish convert, published an Epistle to the Jews in 1705, under the title "Lekah Tob" (good doctrine), in which he tried to influence them in favour of Christianity.
Bernays, Michael, was baptized in the 19th century, date not known. In 1872 and 1873 he taught at the University of Leipzig, and in 1874 he was appointed extraordinary Professor of Modern German, English and French Literature, at the University of Munich. He wrote on the poetry of Goethe, under the title, "Der junge Goethe," Leipzig, 1875.
Bernhard, a Polish Rabbi, who was baptized by Pastor Storr, in the 18th century, in Heilbronn, assumed the name of Christoph. David Bernhard. He was afterwards Reader of Hebrew at Jena, and later at Tübingen. (Wolf, B. ii. 3, 4.)
Bernhardy, Dr. Gottfried, born in Landsburg, 1860, died 1875, embraced Christianity when studying in Berlin. He was a great classical scholar, and wrote as Professor, "Syntax of the Greek Language," Berlin, 1829. "Grundriss der Romischen Literatur," 1830. "Grundlinien der Encyclopædia der Philologie," 1832, &c.
Bernheim. We have only his memorial preserved as having been an associate of Rev. J. Neander, and of another proselyte, Bonhome, in the evangelization of the Jews in New York, about 1845.
Bernstein, Rev. Aaron, born in Skalat, Galicia, in 1841, received, as an only son, a good and pious early education, and was when quite young brought under the influence of the wonder Rabbi of the town, with whose grandson he learned Talmud at school. At the age of 17 he was assistant teacher in a town in Moldavia, when the Rev. W. Mayer, L.J.S. missionary at Jassy, appeared one day in the Synagogue and had a discussion with the Jews, on which occasion he received a German tract, entitled "The Righteous shall live by his Faith." This made some impression upon him, but it passed away, as he was too young to understand it all. A few years later he went to Jassy, when he met Mr. Mayer again, who gave him a Hebrew New Testament and the "Old Paths." These were the means under God of leading him eventually to acknowledge the Saviour. He was baptized by Dr. Ewald, together with nine other Jews, on November 22, 1863. After being for a short time in the Operative Jewish Converts' Institution, he went to the United States, and after a year or so of teaching in a school and privately, he entered a missionary college which was established by a German missionary, known later as Bishop Auer of Cape Palmas. He then studied Theology in the General Seminary, New York, was ordained Deacon in Philadelphia in July 1870, and appointed by Bishop Stevens as Rector of St. Paul's, Manheim, Pa. In June, 1871, the L.J.S. sent him as missionary to Jerusalem, where he laboured only about a year and a-half, as he could not stand the climate. Subsequently he laboured in Bucharest, Paris, Liverpool, and Frankfort, but the greater part of his missionary career was in London, with the exception of an interval of three years, in which he was curate in Hertfordshire. Bernstein had the honorary degree of M.A. conferred upon him by Columbia College, New York, in 1873, owing to his taking the Greek Prize at the Seminary in 1870, and later the Faculty of the Seminary gave him B.D. He wrote "Sefer Roshey Hatayvoth," "Anglo-Israel Theory," translated Professor Cassel's "Commentary on the Book of Esther" into English, together with the "Targum Sheni" from the Original and Appendices (T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh, 1888). He published "The City of David," "The Book and the People," and contributed articles to the "Hebrew Christian Witness," "The Scattered Nation," "The Everlasting Nation," "Jews and Christians," "The Jewish Missionary Intelligence," and wrote about a dozen tracts in English, Hebrew and Yiddish, and revised a new edition of the Hebrew Bible in 1895. Editor of the "Kol M'Bhasser" since 1907. Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed nomini Tuo da honorem.
Bernstein, Rev. – , a congregational minister in North London.
Bernstein, Theodor. Though brief, the information of this convert is very interesting. He was baptized by the Rev. H. Stewart, in Liverpool, on the same day that his spiritual teacher, the missionary H. J. Joseph, was ordained to the ministry of the Church of England, in 1836.
Biesenthal, Dr. Joiachim Heinrich – or, to give him his birth-name, Raphael Hirsch – was born at Lobsens, in the Grand Duchy of Posen, on December 24th, 1804, of pious and strict Jewish parents. His early education was chiefly confined to the study of the national law and tradition; and through much self-denial and sacrifice on the part of his parents, who intended him for the rabbinate, he was able to have lessons from the best teachers and most learned Talmudist scholars of the day. He was what is called a Bachur (lit. "young man"), a student of the Beth Hamidrash, who is intended for the study of the law. The Talmudical principle, "Know well what to answer an infidel," particularly moved his father to insist that he should join with the study of Talmud that of the Holy Scriptures and Jewish poetry. He soon found, however, that as regards his study of the Bible he was left to his own diligence and perseverance, for his teachers knew nothing at all about it; and, being imbued with the Talmudical warning – "Keep your children from the study of Holy Scripture," they were of opinion that it was not only a useless study and waste of time, but also a danger to one's piety.
In 1819, when Raphael was fifteen years of age, the town of Lobsens was destroyed by fire, by which his parents were ruined. His education, however, had to be completed, and so he entered the famous Jewish school of Rawitsch, where he received instruction from rabbis, and principally from Rabbi Herzfeld, of European renown. Deprived of every assistance from home, young Raphael had to struggle hard during his four year's residence there. On leaving Rawitsch he went to Mainz, where he received most kind care and support from the Rabbi of that city, Löb Ellinger, brother of the renowned Nathan Ellinger, or Nathan Bar Yospa, rabbi of Bingen, several of whose manuscripts are in the Bodleian.
The celebrated Heidenheim (Wolf Ben Samson) of Rödelheim, the greatest Jewish critic and grammarian after Ibn-Ezra and David Kimchi, helped him to the treasures of Jewish literature, lending him the best grammars in the Hebrew language, so that he was able to acquire, with great application on his part, a complete mastery of grammatical Hebrew. He next gave himself up to the study of German history, and Latin and Greek. His studies threw him into contact with the Rev. Dr. Klee, Roman Catholic Professor at Bonn, who gave him lessons in Hebrew, and introduced him to the Duchess of Coburg, the wife of General de Mensdorff, Governor of the fortress of Mainz. From her, and all the family, Raphael received many substantial proofs of kindness, and when he was about to leave Mainz, which he did in 1828, she gave him a considerable sum of money, and a letter written by herself to Baron de Rothschild, of Frankfort-on-the-Main, and graciously intimated that she would be glad to hear how he was getting on in life. Raphael found the Baron not inclined to assist him when he heard that he meant to finish his studies at Berlin, because he considered that a dangerous city, where all young Jewish students were being converted to Christianity. That there was great truth in this statement will appear lower down. "Keep away from a city where thousands become apostates!" were his parting words. Baron de Rothschild, however, sent him a letter of recommendation to Baron de Hägemann, the Chancellor. When Raphael delivered the letter, the not unnatural remark was, "What is the use of a recommendation for assistance from Rothschild! Why did he not help you himself?" So he was obliged to shift for himself at Berlin, and to earn his living by giving lessons. He employed his leisure time in study. In the year 1830 he resided for four weeks with a Christian family at Havelberg, where he learnt for the first time what true Christianity was, and he determined, as he said, to "search for Christian truth." In this purpose his intercourse with Christian divines greatly helped him. He studied theology and philology in the University of Berlin from 1828, taking his doctor's degree in 1835. He studied under the Oriental scholar, William Vatke, and his knowledge of the Hebrew grammar was greatly increased by personal friendly intercourse with Dr. Gesenius, the distinguished Hebrew scholar, at Halle. Raphael was baptized in 1836 by the Rev. Dr. Kuntze, taking the Christian names of Joiachim Heinrich and the surname of Biesenthal.
That there was a considerable truth in Baron de Rothschild's observation given above, is seen from the statistics of Jewish baptisms in those days.
Dr. Kuntze, who was a resident clergyman at Berlin, was instrumental in leading many young Jews to Christ. He baptized eighty in eight years (1829-36), whilst the Society's missionary, the Rev. W. Ayerst, baptized forty-two adult Jews in