Access the full text.
Sign up today, get DeepDyve free for 14 days.
References for this paper are not available at this time. We will be adding them shortly, thank you for your patience.
Abstract: The starting point for this essay is a conundrum encountered while conducting field research among the Jews of Cochin in South India. The Cochin Jews cherish their historical legend which narrates their arrival and prosperity in India. For analytical purposes, their legend has been treated like other myths: as cognitively powerful devices which organize the data of experience, but which are not empirical. However, for the Cochin Jews, the factuality of their legend was of paramount importance. The paper surveys what is known about ancient historical links between Israel and India and concludes that the Cochin Jews' legend is entirely plausible, that it is perhaps closer to factuality than might be assumed. Beyond the case at hand, this article attempts some generalizations about indigenous historical traditions, arguing that modern scholars ought to take them more seriously as history than many do.
Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies – Purdue University Press
Published: Oct 3, 1999
Read and print from thousands of top scholarly journals.
Already have an account? Log in
Bookmark this article. You can see your Bookmarks on your DeepDyve Library.
To save an article, log in first, or sign up for a DeepDyve account if you don’t already have one.
Copy and paste the desired citation format or use the link below to download a file formatted for EndNote
Access the full text.
Sign up today, get DeepDyve free for 14 days.
All DeepDyve websites use cookies to improve your online experience. They were placed on your computer when you launched this website. You can change your cookie settings through your browser.