GAR
(i58)
CAR
after his own Fancy, and fupporting his Novelties on the Notices which God, he faid, bad communicated by the Mouth of Mofes, whofe Depofitory he was : He gain'd many Followers ; and was oppos'd by others, who main- tain'd, that all which God had reveal'd to Mofes was writ- ten. Hence the Jews became divided into two Sects, the Cardites, and Zraditionaries : Among the firft, Jttdd, Son t&Tahiai, diftinguiih'd himfelf ; among the latter, Hillel. Wolfius reckons not only the Sadducecs, hut alfo the Scribes, in the Number of Cardites. But the Addrefs of the J?ha- rifees prcvail'd againft 'em all ; and the Number of Ca- rdites decreas'd : Anan indeed, in the Vlllth Century, rctfievM their Credit a little; and Rabbi Scbdlomon in the IXth. Matters went pretty well with them till the XlVth, but fince that Time they have been on the declining hand.
THe Cardites are but little known 3 their Works coming only into very few Hands, even among the greateft He- braifis. Huxtorf never faw more than one 5 Sclden two ; M. "Trigl&nd fays, he has recover'd enough to fpeakofthem with aflurance. He afferts, that foon after the Prophets had ceas'd, the Jews became divided on the Subject of Works, and Supererogation: fome maintaining their Neccffity from Tradition 5 wnilil others, keeping ciofe to the written Law, fet 'cm afide ; and it was from thefe laft that Caraitifm commene'd. He adds, again, that after the Return from the Sabylonijb Captivity, the Obfervation of the Law be- ing to be re-cftablifh'd, there were feveral Practices found proper for that End ; and thefe once introdue'd, were look'd upon as effential, and appointed by Mofes ; which was the Origin of c Pbarifaifm ; as a contrary Party, con- tinuing to keep clofe to the Letter, founded Cdraitifm. See Pharisees.
The modern Cardites, Leon de Modcna obferves, have their Synagogues, and Ceremonies ; pretending to be the fole proper Jews, or Obfervers of the Laws of Mofes ; cal- ling the reft by the Term Rabbanim, or Followers of the Rabbins : Thefe hate the Caraitcs mortally ; refuting to ally, or even converfe with them, and treating them as Mamzerim, or Baftards ; becaufe of their rejecting the Conftitutions of the Rabbins in Marriages, Repudiations, Purifications of Women, &c. This Averfion is fo great, that if a Caraite would become a Rdbbinifl, he would ne- ver be receiv'd by the other Jews. See Rabbins.
The Caraitcs, however, don't abfolutely reject all kind of Traditions $ but only fuch as don't appear well ground- ed. Seldeu, who is very exprefs on this Point, in his Uxor Hebraica, obferves, that behdes the mere Text, they have certain Interpretations, which they call Hereditary, and which are proper Traditions. Their Theology only feems to difrer from that of the other Jews, in that it is purer, and clearer of Superftition : They give no credit to the Explications of the Cabbalifts, chimerical Allegories, nor to any Conftitutions of the Talmud, but what are con- formable to rhe Scripture, and may be drawn from it by juft and ncceffary Confequences ; Of thefe we ihall give three notable Inftances.
The firft relating to the Mezouzot, or Parchments which the Jews tie at all the Gates thro which they ufe to pafs. The fecond regarding the Tbepbillin or TbilaB erics, men- tion'd in the New Teltament : And the third, the Prohi- bition of eating Milk, with Fleih. The two firft, the Jews pretend, are formally ordain'd in "Deuteronomy, where 'tis faid, u Thou /halt bind them as a Sign on thy Hands,
- and they fhall ferve thee as Frontlets (Headftalls) be-,
" tween thy Eyes ; thou flialt write them on the Polls of '* thy Houie." The Caraite Aaron, in his Comment on thefe Words, maintain^, they are not to be taken literally, as the Rabbins do, but figuratively - 7 as intimating, that the Jews, whether entering or going out, mould be always mindful of them. Tor the Tbepbillin, the Cardites rally the Rdbbinifts on their praying with their ThylaBeries, or Thongs of Leather faftcn'd to their Forehead j comparing them to bridled AiTcs. This Paffage the Cardites interpret figuratively $ and in their Interpretation agree with S. Je- rora, who takes notice of the Dclufion of the ^Pbari'fees,
- ' in writing the Decalogue on Parchment, rolling it up,
" and tying it to their Forehead with Thongs, to have it " always before their Eyes." For the third Point, the Rabbins fay, 'tis commanded in that Text, " Thou fhalt 1 " not feeth a Kid in his Mother's Milk 5" but the Caraitcs get clear of it by explaining the PaiTage by another, " Thou fhalt not take the Mother when with young," which is natural. Nor have the Jews any thing to object in behalf of their Interpretation, but its being that of their ' Doctors. Thus the Cardites exempt themfelvcs from an infinite Number of Ceremonies and Supcrftitions, which the Rabbins have eftablifh'd among the other Jews. See Tradition.
Yet, in many Things, they retain all the Superftition of the Rabbins. Scbupart, in his Treatife de Sella Karr<eo- rtim, treating of their Dogmata, obferves, that they are in all refpects as precife and ceremonious as the inoft rigid
Traditionary, in what relates to the Obfervation of, the Sabbath, Paflbver, Feaft or Atonement, of Tabernacles, &c. That they obferve Prayers and Fallings 5 and wear the Zitzit, or pieces of Fringe, on the Corners of their Gar- ments. They hold, that all Sin is effae'd by Repentance; in which they differ from rhe Rabbins, who hold, that fome are only effae'd by Death. As for Circumcifion, they don't believe it neceffary,with the Traditionaries, that there be Blood /bed : Add, that when a Child dies before it be eight Days old, the Rabb'tnifis circumcife it after 'tis dead, that it pjayn't appear uncircumcis'd at the Rcfurredtion $ whereas the Caraites, when they perceive the Child in danger, chule rather to circumcile it e'er the eighth Day. In Matters of Divorce, the Caraitcs agree with the other r fews ; and obferve the fame Rules and Rei frictions in the killing and dreffing of Beafts ; but differ from 'em in the Kinds of legal Impurities and Pollutions.
tperingcr obierves of the Cardites in Lithuania, that they are very different, both in Afpect, Language, and Manners, from the Rabbinifls, wherewith that Country abounds. Their Mother Tongue is the Turkijh 5 and this they ufe in their Schools and Synagogues. In Vifage they refemblc the Mahometan Tartars. Their Synagogues are pofited North and South ; and the Reafon they give for it, is, that Salmdnaffar brought them from the Northward : So that, in Praying, to look to Jerufalem, they muft turn to the South. He adds, that they admit all the Books of the Old Teftament ; contrary to the Opinion of many of the Learned, who hold that they reject all but the 'JPen- tateucb.
Caleb, a Caraite, reduces the Difference between them and the Rabbiuifls to three Points : ift, In that they de- ny the Oral Law to come from Mofes, and reject the Cab- bdla. 2d, In that they abhor the Tdlmud. 3d, In that they obferve the FcafU, as the Sabbaths, &c. much more rigoroufly than the Rabbins do. To this may be added, that they extend the Degrees of Affinity, wherein Mar- riage is prohibited, almoft to Infinity. See Caballa.
CARANNA, is a hard, brittle, refinous Gum, brought f.om fome Parts of the Wefi India, as Carthagena and New Spain 5 of an aromatick Flavour, and us'd in Me- dicine.
CARAVAN, or CARAVANNE, in the Ealt, is a Troop, or Company of Travellers, Merchants, and Pil- grims, who for the greater Security march in a Body, thro the Defarts, and other dangerous Places, infefted with Ardbs and Robbers. See Caravansera.
There is a Chief, or Agd, who commands each Caravan^ and has under him a Number of Janizaries, or other For- ces, fufhxient for their Defence. The Caravans incamp every Night near Wells or Rivulets, known to the Guides - and obferve a Difcipline as regular as in War. They chief- ly ufe Camels for their Vehicles, by reafon of their en- during a world of fatigue, eating little, and paffing three or four Days without drinking.
The Grand Signior gives one fourth Part of the Reve- nues of Egypt, to defray the Expencc of the Caravan that goes yearly to Mecca, to vifit Mdbomet's Tomb : The Devotees, in this Caravan, are about 40000 5 accompany'd with Soldiers to protect them from the Pillage of the Arabs., and follow'd with eight or nine thoufand Camels, laden with all necefTary Provifions for fo long a PafTage acrofs Defarts. Days Journeys are diftmguifh'd in the Eaft, into Journeys of Horfe-Caravdns, and Caravans of Camels : thofe of Horfes are equal to two of Camels. There are feveral Caravans go yearly from Aleppo, Cairo, and other Places, to \Pcrfia, Mecca, "Thebes, &c.
There are alfo Sea Caravans eftablifli'd on the fame Footing, and for the fame Purpofes : Such is the Caravan of Vejjels, from Conjidntinople to Alexandria.
The Word comes from the Arabic Cairdran,ot Cairaan $ and that from the Perfian Kerran, which fignifies the fame thing.
The Term Caravan is alfo us'd for the Voyages or Cam- paigns, which the Knights of Malta are oblig'd to make at Sea, againft the Turks and Corfa'irs ; in order to arrive at the Commandries and Dignities of the Order. They are thus call'd, becaufe the Knights have frequently feiz'd the Caravan going from Alexandria to Constantinople.
CARAVANSERA, a large publick Building, or Inn, deftin'd to receive and lodge the Caravans : fee Caravan.
Of thefe Caravai2fcra's, or, as Chardin calls 'em, Card- vdvfcrdi, there are a great Number throughout the Eaft ; erected out of the Charity and Magnificence of the Prin- ces, &c. of the feveral Countries.
Thofe of Schira and Casbin, in Terjtd, are faid to have coft tfoooo Crowns : They are open to People of all Reli- gions and Countries, without any Qucftions afle'd, or any Money requir'd.
The Cdrdvanferdi are ufually huge fquare Buildings,
with a fpacious Court in the middle thereof. They are
encompafs'd with Galleries and Arches, under which runs a
1 kind
