Jews and India : Mutual Influences over Two Millennia /
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The entire set of sixteen essays in Jews and India explore a particular interaction and mutual influence between Jews and India over the past two millennia. Collectively, we discover a pattern of uniquely symmetrical relations between Jews and their host culture. Unlike in the Christian and Islamic countries, Jews were always honored and treated in India like respected guests. We all come to know ourselves through our reflections in the eyes of others, and rather than hostility and a condescending attitude, in India, Jews always enjoyed respect, hospitality, and affection. These chapters seek to answer the theoretical question as to what Jews and Judaism looked like when viewed with a 'good eye'. Conversely, we also learn how the world sees Jews who have always enjoyed respect and were made welcome. The first section of the book analyzes Jewish communities in Kochi, especially, but also the Bene Israelis and Baghdadis. Following is a section of stories about individual Jewish lives in India - mystics, merchants, and soldiers. The book concludes with a section about inter-religious dialogues between Jews and Indic faiths like Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. Based on two thousand years of cohabitation, these old/new friendships reveal old surprises and new insights.
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1 online resource (416 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004753709
Purity and the forming of religious traditions in the ancient Mediterranean world and ancient Judaism /
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Purity is a cultural construct that had a central role in the forming and the development of religious traditions in the ancient Mediterranean. This volume analyzes concepts, practices and images associated with purity in the main cultures of Antiquity, and discusses from a comparative perspective their parallel developments and transformations. The perspective adopted is both synchronic and diachronic; the comparative approach takes into account points of contact and mutual influences, but also includes major transcultural trends. A number of renowned specialists contribute a large variety of perspectives and approaches, combining archaeology, epigraphy and social history; in addition, particular attention is given to concepts of purity in ancient Israel and early Judaism as a 'test-case' of sorts. Through its extensive coverage, the volume contributes decisively to the present discussion about the forming of religious traditions in the ancient Mediterranean world.
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1 online resource (601 pages) : illustrations, mappages. :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789004232297 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.