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.

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