Sinhala / Sri Lankan Swords?

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Rick

Beni-Israel Teachers, Bombay, 1856, from ' The Indian Amateur's Photographic Album.'
The Beni-Israel are Christian Jews who first settled in India during the early years of the Christian era.

Verbatim from the text.
It's a windy day here and keeping the pages from flipping could be problematic.
This is a great book and I highly recommend it.

Also (Northwest) windy over here, as usually in August, but my pages are virtual .

Pity i don't have such book, but that photographer must have had his own source.
From the Chazt Hanoar website, an international Sionist movement:

"The Bene Israel resided mainly in Mombay, Calcuta, Dwhli and Ahmedabad; their native language was the Marathi. They aledged to be descendants from the Jews that escaped the pursuit from Galiley. They resemble non-Jew Marathas in appearance and customs, which indicates mixed marriages between Jews and Indians. These also maintained Judaism basic customs like circumcision, the kashrut and respected Shabat. Bene Israel aledge being desendent from the Cohan, which was corroborated by a genetic test in 2002, which indicates that they have the heriditary of the Cohnaim. Since 1964 this comunity is fully recognized as Jewish and may perform Aiá ".

... No Christian merge cited .