Originally it was India that was the source of these references to the East. The front of one's body was to be facing the east during certain prayers. "They that went before," the aboriginal Jews, came from the east. The east was regarded not only as a source of physical light, but of spiritual light as well, as a sanctuary, as the place of angels, saints, and holy ones, as the place of Judaism's origins.

   To those who are already aware of the eastern origins of Judaism, it may appear that I am belaboring a point below, or unnecessarily over demonstrating my case in showing the prominence of the East in ancient Jewish thought and culture, that is in the minds of the original Jews.  So be it.  At this point in time, when only a small minority of people are aware of Judaism's eastern or Indian origins, it is better to document fully than it is to understate one's case
 

   In Jewish antiquity one was to face the east during certain prayers. It was recognized that "those that went before," that is, the aboriginal Jews, came from the east of the home of the Jews in Canaan. The east was also regarded not only as a source of physical light because of the rising of the sun, but symbolically as a source of spiritual light, since the religious teachings of the original Jews came from India to the east as well.  India was thereby also regarded as a religious sanctuary, as the place of angels, saints and holy ones.
All this is made evident by the following definitions of ancient Hebrew words from the Hebrew/Chaldee Dictionary in James Strong's Exhaustive Concordance to the Old and New Testament.

6918 Qadowsh or  Qadosh, kaw-doshe; from 6942; sacred (ceremonially or morally); as noun, God (by eminence), an angel, a saint; a sanctuary; holy (One), saint.

6919 Qadach; a primitive root meaning to inflame, burn, kindle.

  One may briefly observe here that fire was prominent in Indian religion, as in other religions, as a symbol of divinity and of religious inspiration. Tongues of fire are attributes of both Agni and Shiva.

6921 qadiym or qadim, from 6923; the fore or front part; hence (by orientation) the East; (often adverb, eastward, for brevity the east wind): east (-ward, wind).

6922 qaddiysh; corresponds to 6918--holy (One) saint.

The following discussion of Qedem or qedmah show that the East, i.e. India and environs, were thought of as the front, the forepart. And that the East was associated with antiquity, and with what was ancient about the Israelites. And these associations with the East were considered to be eternal and everlasting.

6924 qedem or qedmah: the front, of place (absolutely the fore part, rel. the East) or time (antiquity); often used as an adverb (before, anciently, eastwardly): aforetime, ancient (time), before, east (end, part side, -ward), eternal X ever-(lasting); forward, old, past.

6926 qidmah means the forward part or relating to the East as well.

Notice the following definitions also deal with the precedence of the East, and the East as a place of beginnings, inspiring the Hebrews to name their children after the East.

6927 qadmah, priority in time; adverbially: before, afore, antiquity, former (old) estate.

6929 qedmah means precedence; and Kedemah is a son of Ishmael.

6930 qadmown means eastern and east.

6931 qadmowniy or qadmoniy, means anterior in time, oriental, i.e. of the east; ancient...they that went before, east, (thing of) old.

"They that went before" is a generic description of Judaism's ancestry. This could hardly be a more specific confirmation that the roots of Israel and its religion were in the East, i.e. India and its environs. Here as in entry 6935, the Adam Kadmon of the Cabala has historical reference.

6932 Qedmowth, means beginnings and Kedemoth is a place in eastern Palestine. So we see the Israelites naming both children and places after their beginnings, which are associated with the East.

6933 qadmay means first.

6934 Qadmiyel: Presence of God. The name of three Israelites.

6935 Qadmoniy: the same as 6931, ancient, that is, aboriginal; Kadmonite; the name of a tribe in Palestine; Kadmonites.

6942 qadash: a primitive root meaning to be, to make, pronounce or observe as clean, ceremonially or morally; ... consecrate, dedicate...hallow... keep holy, purify, sanctify.

6944 qodesh: a sacred place or thing; sanctity: holiness...saint, sanctuary.

    The above verification of the prominence of the East in ancient Judaism, reinforces the materials presented in Viewzone.com, Hinduism Today and Sword of Truth.  These sites show that the Jewish people were originally from different parts of India, as shown by the duplication or virtual duplication in Canaan/Palestine and environs, of place names in India, that Tsabaism or Sabeanism pervaded the areas associated with Old Testament history.  Website http://www.equalsouls.org shows a number of things that are common between orthodox Judaism and Vaishnava Hinduism.