Ancient India in Isreal

Poor India! at the mercy of recurring invasions over centuries, say  history textbooks. Our ancestral infighting unable to hold them back, waves of invaders married into already intermarried locals, creating the innumerable castes inflicting us today.

Let’s look through another prism. Why did they come here? For riches!

Since Time Immemorial, India’s artisans produced luxury items, utility plus beauty. Trade was lucrative for everyone. Hence the invasions.

Everyone wanted The Golden Goose.

Indian culture left its impact while earning riches. First Israel.  Canaan or Phoenicia was modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Israel. Also believed to be ancient homeland of Chitpavan Brahmans.

Spell it with a ‘K’, it becomes a cognate of Kanana / Kanha.  One of Israel’s largest rivers, Kishon flows in the Jezreel / Yezreel Valley – sounds like our Kishan and Ma Yashoda?  

Close by are towns called Kanah and Ramah.  In the Judea province next door are two more towns called 'Ramathiam' and 'Ramah'.

The Sea of Galilee is also called Kinneret or Lake Gennesaret.  A harp-shaped lake, it caught the eye of Sanskrit etymologists. They opined 'sarat' (सरत्) means 'flowing', and 'ghana' indicated 'deep' or 'immense' amount of water. Maps of Israel reveal startling matches between the areas around Lake Ganeesaret and the Dal Lake in Srinagar, whose ancient name is also Maha-Sarit.

The more ancient 'Kinneret' comes from the Hebrew word 'kinnor' meaning 'harp'. In Sanskrit 'kinnar' (किन्नर) means 'heavenly music'. In the Ramayana the 'kinnars' are a heavenly race of men, always mentioned with 'apsaras'. 

Mt. Harmukh close by is believed to be cognate of Yarmouk, a tributary of River Jordon that flows through Lake Ganneesaret.

The Bethasaida also flows into the Gannesarat.  ‘V’ distorted becomes ‘B’, thus 'Vetasta' (वितस्ता), ancient name of the Jhelum that flows along the Dal Lake or MahaSarit.   River Jordan is a major feeder of Lake Genesserat. In Hebrew, Jordan means 'descend', possibly stemming from Sanskrit 'jhara' (झर)  'descending water' or 'waterfall'.

The Gospel of Matthew states that Jesus performed miraculous healing in the Genesar.   “[34] And having passed the water, they came into the country of Genesar.    [35] And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent into all that country, and brought to him all that were diseased.   [36] And they besought him that they might touch but the hem of his garment. And as many as touched, were made whole. (Matthew 14:34-36).”

Ganesar? Ghanasara (घनसार)? Common derivation?

Stories abound of Jesus in India, both the 13-30 missing in the New Testament and post crucifixion. Classicists insist he spent those early years as a carpenter in Nazareth.  Others insist he travelled to hone his religious instincts at Eygpt, Jagannath Puri and Ladakh.

The post crucifixion story in German theologian, Holster Kirsten book is amazing. It affirms rebirth, explains how Jesus woke after three days. Then follows him through Turkey and India to settle at Srinagar. His tomb still exists at the Roza Bal Shrine.