Lanka - Early Jewish Encounters
A bit of very ancient ‘history’ which is possibly more than
folk lore.
Suggests that some ships did sail across the oceans to us
3000 years ago in times of king Solomon.
Nagas are the people mentioned of both in India and Lanka of
whom there is no trace, probably assimilated into other cultures.
3000 years ago, the Palk St. would have been less than the 25
miles of today, if one were to accept that 8000 years ago the two
countries had been connected.
Being mentioned by foreigners as here, Nagas may have lived
around the coasts of both countries, thus noted as they may have been involved
in trade with foreigners. Nagas get clear mention in the original
Mahawamsa ( by Mahanama 4th C AD ) of Sri Lanka.
Someday archeology around our ancient ports may throw up
artifacts on ancient seafaring connections. Thor Heyerdahl in the early 1950s
while in Ceylon, on his sail trip with the winds did tell us to dig
around our ancient ports, which we have not done so far.
jksw
A large part of present Sri Lankans be they Sinhalese or Tamils have most probably a large genetic lineage. Names like Nagaratnam, Nagasena, Nagamma recall this ancestry.
Philip G V
“Vamadevan argues based on early manuscripts that
Solomon’s ships sailed to the land of Ophir, the land of the Nagas,
early descendants of the Island of Sri Lanka [13].”
Lanka - Early Jewish Encounters
Route 1 (Pre-Portuguese Occupation):
Traveled
to India
Sephardic Jews from
Africa, Palestine, Afghanistan Ø Trading Boats È ô
Ê Traveled to Ceylon
Early Jewish
Encounters
The city of Galle, in the Southern Province is more commonly known as an
important historical site (having UNESCO World Heritage listing) of Dutch occupation
of the Island in the 1700’s.
In
terms of folk law, Galle is also the place identified as the Tarshish in the Torah.
The
period was 1,000 BCE
and the ships of Hiram and King Solomon were
rumored to have visited the shores to trade[10].
Solomon’s ship was
built at Ezion-Geber[11], near the Red Sea and took three years to make the
round trip[12].
Vamadevan argues based
on early manuscripts that Solomon’s ships sailed to the land of Ophir, the land of the Nagas, early descendants of
the Island of Sri Lanka [13].
In support of this
claim Tennant provides an extensive review of Hebrew and Persian
literature[14].
Recent research by
Tampoe (1995), whilst not addressing the issue of Jewish travel and trade
speculates that the Indian
Ocean was divided by the great civilizations into three distinct trading zones
with points of intersection and exchange[15].
Although Boperachchi[16]
disputes the claim that Red Sea traders came to Ceylon (known as Taprobanê) as
well as India,
on the basis that the
long sea voyage restricted return travel to the monsoon winds,
eminent classical
studies scholar D.P.M. Weerakkody begs to differ.
In his study of 6
century Greek writer Cosmas Indicopleustes, known as the “Indian
Navigator”, points to the existence of Sri Lanka being an important site of
international commerce in the eastern trade route[17].
From other manuscripts
we can discern a somewhat later, but still ancient presence of Jews and their
participation, if not integration into civic life.
Islamic geographic
Abdullah el Idris (1099 – 1166) (sometimes known as Edrisi) in Scriptorum
Arabum de Rebus Indicis Loci [18]
notes that in the
ninth century, the Sinhala King [likely to be Kasyapa IV ruled 858 - 891]
who advocated an
integrated society built around religious tolerance established a council of
sixteen officials to advise him: “… four were Buddhists, four Mussulums [sic],
four Christians and four Jews”[19].
According to Gilbert
(1990) in the year 1170C.E. there were 3,000 Jews living in the Island today
know as Sri Lanka[20].
This assertion is
based on the writings of Rabbi Benjamin of Tudela, Spain,
whose manuscript Sefer
Hamasot (Book of Travel) documents his travels to Jewish communities during the
period 1154 – 1174 and records the size and economic conditions of the
communities, including a community in Ceylon
