ABSTRACT
Since the beginning of the 17th century when Matteo Ricci "discovered" Chinese Jews, considerable interest in Kaifeng Jews and their "Sinew Plucking Religion" has been displayed. Many books and articles have been written about them. During Northern Song dynasty some Jews arrived in Kaifeng, the royal capital and a famous international city. They brought entry tribute of western cloth. In the third year of the Da Ding period of Jin dynasty, they built their synagogue and named it Pure and True Temple. During the climax of Kaifeng Jewish community, the figure went up to 73 surnames and over 500 families. In 1642, in the midst of the peasant uprisings led by Li Zicheng, the dikes of the Yellow River were breached and Kaifeng city flooded. When Jews settled in Kaifeng, they took all kinds of jobs and made positive contributions to the development of Kaifeng city. But their economic position was going down since the 19 century.
