In Hellenistic and Medieval times, Indians and Jews met in person, communicated through trade, or “imagined” each other (discussed more fully in the next chapter).
In the nineteenth century, Hindu Indians first heard of Judaism as a world religion. 74 Respect for and rejection of Judaism can be seen in texts from the time. What was known in India had nothing to do with India’s Jews and was instead propagated by British Protestant missionaries? Some Hindu anti-Bible polemics were intended to counteract Christian missionary forces. Even in the twentieth century, some Indians, including Gandhi, wrote about Judaism in ways that demonstrated their understanding of the religion through the lens of Christianity. 76 Other Hindu attitudes to Judaism were positive, paving the way for the three encounters between Hindu and Jewish religious leaders detailed earlier in 2007.
