1609: Three Kaifeng Jews visited Beijing
One of the visitors was Ai Tian’s nephew
Three young Jewish men from Kaifeng travelled to Beijing for a face-to-face meeting with Father Matteo Ricci. One of them was the son of Ai Tian's brother who was a rabbi.
Father Ricci treated the visitors to a great feast and explained to them much about Judaism that they did not know.
Moreover, Father Ricci emphasised that the Messiah had already come and that his image was the one they had seen in his church.
Rabbi Abishai had passed away
The three Jewish men told Father Ricci that the old rabbi who Father Ricci corresponded with previously had passed away the previous year.
Rabbi’s son was not interested in Hebrew and Judaism
Unfortunately, the rabbi’s son Jacob was neither versed in Hebrew nor educated in the teachings and traditions of the Jewish faith; he wasn’t interested in learning either, as he had ambitions beyond leading the congregation.
Synagogue was in great shape
According to Opere storiche de P. Matteo Ricci S.I., “These three were very sad seeing that their sect was thus to be extinguished, because nobody knew its scriptures, and that they would have to become either gentiles or Saracens (撒拉逊人), like the Christians who in olden times lived in this city. … But he (the son of the old rabbi) knew nothing of the law and it seemed very bad in an extremely well built temple which they had, that there was no image; neither was there any image in their chapels nor in their houses.”
Visitors were disposed to become Christians
All three visitors worshipped the image of Jesus, kneeling as if they were Christians.
According to Opere storiche de P. Matteo Ricci S.I., the visitors conveyed, "If they had placed an image of the Saviour in their temple and homes, it would have greatly blessed all the people. And especially Ai (Ai Tian's nephew) complained of the restrictions which the Grand Rabbi had placed on them, such as not eating any meat of animals which had not been killed by his own hand, saying that here in Peking, if they had wished to abide by this regulation, they would have died of hunger; and also the circumcision of babies eight days after their birth, which seemed very cruel to their gentile wives and relatives. They concluded that they would rather follow our (Christian) law, provided we abolished these ceremonies, because it would not be very difficult (for them) to eat pork."
Father Ricci believed if they had stayed a few days longer, they would be ready to receive baptism.
Kehillah would soon completely assimilate
The three visitors re-affirmed Ricci's conviction that the Kaifeng Jews would soon assimilate completely into their surrounding population due to the prolonged separation from co-religionists from the outside world.
Kaifeng mayor was hostile to Christianity
Father Ricci was inclined to send over a missionary to be permanently based in Kaifeng to discover more about the Christian community or Christian relics in Kaifeng and convert the Jews.
He was unable to do so because the mayor of Kaifeng at the time was hostile towards Christianity.