Was Abraham From India?

At one point in my life, I was doing some real soul-searching at a time I was looking for answers that Judaism didn't seem to have. As part of this process, I studied the Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies of India and found a lot that felt right and natural to me. But I guess I wasn't quite ready to abandon my Jewish faith and heritage. Eventually, I discovered Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism and found that Judaism did share many of the concepts such as meditation and reincarnation that rang true to me. I'm not alone in feeling this connection, as it is estimated that about 2/3 of the students attending Buddist monasteries and ashrams in America are of Jewish descent. I understand there is a similar draw for Israelis, so much so that the Chabad movement has set up in India in a place that is popular with Israeli tourists. Is there something that draws Jews to India? What explains this connection?

I first started questioning a connection between Hebrews and India when I came upon a passage in a Buddhist guide describing the Kshatriya's, members of the merchant class in India, who would "drop out" from society and seek spiritual inspiration in solitude, or small groups. In their search for Brahman, or the Ultimate Reality, they became the forerunners of much of later Buddhist and Hindu philosophy and their ideas form the core of the Upanishads. Having a fairly in-depth knowledge of ancient Jewish history, I saw the resemblance to the Biblical Hebrews and their founder, Abraham. Today, we think of the Hebrews as an ethnic group. But to the ancient Egyptians and Mesopatamians, they were a social class of individuals who left settled urban life behind. Historians question and debate as to why, but I believe the answer is the same as with the Kshatriya's of India. They were spiritual seekers and followers of Abraham and the succeeding Hebrew Patriarchs. I then saw the similarities of the name Abraham and Brahman and then realized that the connection may go back to the origins of the Jewish faith. I decided to check it out. Here's some of what I found.

1) In his "History of the Jews," the Jewish scholar, Flavius Josephus (37-100 A.D.) wrote that the Greek philosopher, Aristotle had said..."These Jews are derived from the Indian philosophers; they are named by the Indians Calani." (Book 1:22)

2) Clearchus of Soli wrote: "The Jews descend from the philosophers of India. The philosophers are called in India Calanians and in Syria Jews."

3) Megasthenes, who was sent to India by Seleucis Nicator, about three hundred years before Christ says the Jews were an Indian tribe, or sect called Kalani...." (Anacalypsis, by Geoffrey Higgins, Vol. 1; pg. 400)

4) Voltaire believed that Abraham descended from some of the numerous Brahman priests, who left India to spread their teachings throughout the world; he offered the following evidence:

- The similarity of names...Abraham and Brahma.
- The location of the city of Ur (from where Abraham migrated westward) close to the Persia
border and on the road to India.
- The fact that the Persians (Indo-European relatives to the Indians) claimed Abraham as
the founder of their religion and had adopted Brahma as their own.

5) In his book, "Indic Ideas in the Graeco-Roman World," Subhash Kak says "The drying up of the Sarasvati River around 1900 B.C., which led to a major relocation of the population centered around the Sindhu and Sarasvati valleys, could have been the event that caused a migration westward from India. It is soon after this time that the Indic element begins to appear all over West Asia, Egypt and Greece." This is the historical period usually assigned to the migration of Abraham and the Hebrews west to Canaan and Egypt.

6) The Indian historian, Kuttikhat Purushothama Chon believes that Abraham was driven out of India. He states that the invading Aryans, unable to defeat the Asuras (the mercantile class that had once ruled in the Indus Valley) spent so many years fighting covertly against them, such as destroying their huge system of irrigation lakes, causing destructive flooding, that Abraham and his kindred just gave up and marched to West Asia. (Remedy the Frauds in Hinduism)

7) In ancient India, the Aryan cult was called "Brahm-Aryan." They worshipped multiple-gods like much of the ancient world. By rejecting polytheism, Abraham would have become "A-Brahm," no longer a Brahman. This same name is what the Aryans called the indigenous Asuras. It is quite logical to assume that the fathers of the Indus Civilization were proto-Hebrews, or proto-Jews.

8) In Genesis 23:4, we read that Abraham asked the Hittite rulers (Indo-Europeans like the Indians) of Jerusalem to sell him a burial plot for his family. They answered "thou art a prince among us: In the choice of your sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withold from thee." The Bible never denies that Abraham was a Hittite. To be exact, the Prophet Jeremiah says of the Jews, "Your mother was a Hittite, your father a wandering Aramean." Traditionally Judaism places descent as through the mother, rather than the father.

9) The names Abraham and Brahma can both be translated as "Father of Divine Mercy," or "Father of a multitude," in both Hebrew and the Kashmiri dialect of India.

There is more evidence out there than I can address here including the similarities between Abraham's wife, Sarai and Brahma's wife and consort, Saraisvati (Sarai-svati). The theory of Indian origins for Abraham and his followers does help to fill in the gaps. But why does it matter? Does it really? I think so and here's why:

- By placing Judaism in it's proper historical context, I think one can gain greater understanding of it as a branch of Indian philosophy, or an Eastern religion that moved West. As such, I think it offers Westerners seeking access to Eastern spirituality a path they can relate to better and understand easier.

- It helps to revitalize Judaism itself by revealing there is no spiritual "Void" in the faith like many believe. It is more than a set of ethical principles and contains the highest of spiritual concepts with traditions of meditation and more.

- For the many Jews who've sought "Enlightenment" in Eastern traditions, they no longer have to feel guilty, or that their beliefs are in conflict with their Jewish heritage. Also, for those Buddhists and Hindu's seeking ways to transform their faith for the modern world, or to make it more portable (as in the case of the Dalai Llama and the Tibetans who've lost their homeland), the Jews can offer advice and serve as a model.

- I'd argue that as more Jews and Indians become aware of their close historical connection that Israel and India will draw closer together and can together serve as spiritual "lights" to the world. Practically, this will benefit both of them in their fight against radical Islamic extemists. India is the only country with no history of institional anti-semitism in the world.

- It supports the idea that there is in reality one set of spiritual truths and that God appears to individuals and cultures in the guise they can best relate to. This is a common theme in both Jewish and Indian philosophy. Perhaps one day there could emerge a Jewish/Indian hybrid philosophy that shares the best of two kindred faiths. Perhaps Buddha will in the future be seen as just another prophet like Moses, or Isaiah. Who knows?

It may never be possible to prove the historical connection between the ancient Indians and Hebrews. Right now, there is just growing evidence to support the theory. But if it helps individuals to understand their "Jewish Soul" better and to bring Tikkun (healing) to the world, does it really matter if it's conclusive? I'd argue not. I feel that it's helped me to grow spiritually and to reconcile seemingly conflicting beliefs that I felt were true in my heart. I'm sure others will feel the same way. It's simply a matter of faith, but based on evidence.

Until next time....

Shmuel