Chennamangalam

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CHENNAMANGALAM

CHENNAMANGALAM (also known as Chennotty or Shenut ), island in the Periyar River near *Cranganore, India, home of an old Jewish settlement. The present deserted synagogue, built in 1614, replaced several earlier ones which were successively burned down. A Hebrew inscription of 1269 dedicated to the memory of Sara, daughter of Israel, discovered in the old cemetery is the earliest Hebrew inscription so far found in India.

bibliography:

Achan, in: Annual Report of the Cochin Archaeological Department (1927–28); Hallegua and Joseph, in: Kerala Society Papers, series 10, vol. 2 (1932), 234ff. add. bibliography: J.B. Segal, A History of the Jews of Cochin (1993).

[Walter Joseph Fischel /

Yulia Egorova (2nd ed.)]