A Star in the West: Or a Humble Attempt to Discover the Long Lost Ten Tribes of Israel Preparatory to Their Return to Their Beloved City

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A very bright and protentous star having arisen in the last making glad the hearts of Gods people and urging the friends of Zion to unusual and almost miraculous exertions in spreading the glad tiding of Salvation among the distant nations of the Earth, the compiler of the following sheets, Animated by the blessed eastern prospects can no longer with hold the small discovery that has been made of a rising star in the west, from the knowledge of this who and zealous and anxious to behold the returning Messiah coming in his own glory and the glory of the Father, attended by all the Saints, which Star may in the issue, turn out to be the star of Jacob, and became a guide to the long suffering and despised descendants of that eminent patriarch, to find the once humble babe of Bathelhem, as the wise men of the east were of old directed in their distant course, to discover in the stable and the manager, the great object of their adoration, joy and hope, even him who "was born king of the Jews".

Elias Boudinot (1740-1821) was born in Philadelphia, his father was a merchant and silversmith, he was a neighbor and friend of Benjamin Franklin after studying and being tutored at home, Elias Boudinot went to Princeton, New Jersy to read the law as a legal apprentice to Richard Stockton. On May 5, 1777, General George Washington asked Boudinot to be appointed as commissary general for prisoners. Congress through the Board of war concerned. Boudinot was commissioned as a colonel in the continental army for this work .He served until July 1778, when competing responsibilities forced him to resign. In November 1777, the new Jersy Legislature named Boudinot as one of the delegates to the second continental congress. In October 1795, President George Washington appointed him as director of the United States Mint.

A VERY bright and portentous Star having arisen in the East, making glad the hearts of God's people and urging the friends of Zion to unusual and almost miraculous exertions in spreading the glad tidings of salvation among the distant nations of the earth; the compiler of the following sheets, ani mated by this blessed castern prospect, can no longer with hold the small discovery that has been made of a rising Star in the West, from the knowledge of those who are zealous and anxious to behold the returning Messiah coming "in his own glory and the glory of the Father," attended by all the saints; which star may in the issue, turn out to be the star of Jacob, and become a guide to the long suffering and despised descendants of that eminent patriarch, to find the once humble babe of Bethlehem; as the wise men of the cast were of old directed in their distant course, to discover in the stable and the manger, the great object of their adoration, joy and hope, even him who was born king of the Jews."
For more than two centuries, have the aborigines of America engaged the avarice and contempt of those who are commonly called the enlightened nations of the old world. These natives of this wilderness have been always considered by them as savages and barbarians, and therefore have given them little concern, further than to defraud them of their lands, drive them from the fertile countries on the sea shores, engage them in their wars, and indeed destroy them by thousands with ardent spirits and fatal disorders unknown to them before. But these enlightened nations have seldom troubled themselves to enquire into their origin, their real circum stances or their future hopes. Great pains have been taken by traders and others to promote among them every Europe anvice, which has been enforced both by precept and example.

HOWEVER despised the nation of the Hebrews were among the Greeks, Romans and others of their neighbours, during the existence of their civil government, and by all the nations of the earth ever since, there can be no doubt now, that they have been and still are the most remarkable people that have existed since the first century after the flood.
It does appear from their history, and from the holy scriptures, that the great Governor of the Universe, in his infinite wisdom and mercy to our fallen race, did select this nation, from all the nations of the earth, as his peculiar people, not only to hand down to mankind at large, the great doctrine of the unity of his divine nature, with the principles of the worship due to him by intelligent ereatures-the universal depravity of man by the fall of Adam, with the blessed means of his restoration to the favour of God, by the shedding of blood, without which there could be no forgiveness of sin. But also that through them the means and manner of the atonement for sin by the promised Messiah, who was to be sent in to our world in the fulness of time, for this invaluable purpose, and who was to be à divine person and literally become the desire of all nations, should be propagated and made known to all mankind, preparatory to his coming in the flesh. And that afterwards, this people should be supported and proved in all ages of the world, by means of their miraculous presser vation against all the experience of other nations. For while dispersed through the world without a spot of land they could properly call their own, and despised and persecuted in every part of it, yet they have continued a separate people, known by their countenances, while their enemies and conquerors have wasted away and are, as it were, lost from the earth, in ful filment of the declarations of their prophets, inspired by God, to the astonishment of all nations.
This people was also a living example to the world of the dealings of Divine Providence towards the workmanship of his hands, by rewarding their obedience in a very extraordinary manner, and punishing their wilful transgressions by the most exemplary sufferings.