Other than Avraham has there ever been an organized attempt to draw new converts to Judaism?

Question

We know that in very early Judaism Avraham and Sarah converted people to Judaism
We know that if your mother was Jewish you are Jewsish
We know that it is possible for a Gentile to convert to Judaism or possibly even if your not a Gentile
We know that most Jewish people have strong DNA tie to the heritage

In my personal experience I have encountered a lot of people who wanted to convert me to their religion. Some are rather insistent on it (door knockers), but not to Judaism.

Have there ever been missionary works trying to convert large bodies of people to Judaism? (excluding the very early times of Avraham)

Slight insight. Avraham was not working to make people 'Jewish'. His outreach work was to bring people to the recognition of a single all powerful God. Not to a religion that didn't exist as of yet. I know you are simply quoting a different answer, but it is technicality worth pointing out. — user6591, Oct 07 '15 at 15:22
Does Rabbi Tovia Singer count? Technically, his primary goal is to get Jews to reject Christianity, but in the process he's convinced many Gentiles to become Jews or Noahides. — Daniel ben Noach, Oct 08 '15 at 13:11
@user6591 That's an important point, because Avraham was the leader of what we now call the Noahide movement and certainly there are others like him now. — msh210, Oct 11 '15 at 02:30
@msh210 It's also interesting that we don't proselytize being that Avraham did. I've heard drashos explaining that the yeshiva of Shem and Eiver did not last long specifically because they did not actively proselytize, you asked them, they taught you. But Avraham had a different plan. A proactive program. So why don't we follow his footsteps? — user6591, Oct 11 '15 at 02:44
@user6591 As my previous comment explained, we do do what he did. — msh210, Oct 11 '15 at 03:02
@msh210 granted proselytizing to Noahidism exists, but that seems a very modern undertaking. But more to the point I was making, he actively converted peoples to his religion. We don't. I understand the technicality and I'm aware of Rav Hirsch saying Judaism is not a 'religion'. My point is he had his personal relationship with Hashem and chose to broaden that relationship to include others while we don't. — user6591, Oct 11 '15 at 03:08
@msh210 as I'm typing this a thought popped into my head. Hashem whittled down the members by having him chase away Yishmael and telling him only part of Yitzchok's children would be part of the nation. Perhaps that set the mood. Do we have a question here at miyodea addressing WHY we don't proselytize? — user6591, Oct 11 '15 at 03:12

Aaron · Answer 1 · 2015-10-07T18:34:14.490

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John Hyrcanus of the Hasmonean Dynasty of Jewish leaders (that's Maccabees) forced the Idumeans (that's Edom) to convert when he took over their land. John Hycarnus was the third son of Simon, and reigned Judea as Ethnarch and High Priest from 135 to 104 BCE.

The forced conversions under John Hyrcanus gave us Herod the great, the one who beautified and built up the temple while also being a very cruel and tyrannical leader during his reign from 37-4 BCE.

Source 1: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Maccabees

Source 2: Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book XIII, 9:1.

edited Oct 07 '15 at 18:34

answered Oct 07 '15 at 15:26

Aaron

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Josephus separates the first, cruel one from the second, who rebuilt the temple. The Gemara in Bava Basra does seem to hold it is one and the same. – HaLeiVi Dec 04 '15 at 19:26

Shalom · Accepted Answer · 2015-10-08T09:11:19.053

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Abraham and Sarah were converting people to ethical monotheism, not Judaism.

So the answer is "Jewish religious leadership has never advocated knocking on doors to convert people to Judaism."

As Aaron discussed, the Hasmonean kings tried pushing conversion, but that was a political move that the rabbis denounced.

edited Oct 08 '15 at 09:11

answered Oct 07 '15 at 18:49

Shalom

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It is difficult to prove a negative, but I don't see any effort to do so. – mevaqesh Oct 07 '15 at 23:15
I don't understand the "so". How does the first sentence imply the second? What is your basis for the second (the primary one) at all? – Double AA Oct 08 '15 at 12:14
I was going to comment about avrohom converting people to monotheism, but then I saw you added it as an answer for whatever reason. Those people, and all their descendants are goyim. – user613 Oct 08 '15 at 13:02
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Do you have a source for denunciation of Idumean conversion by the Rabbinate? – Baby Seal Oct 08 '15 at 13:04

Other than Avraham has there ever been an organized attempt to draw new converts to Judaism?

2 Answers2