No Conversion

Why didn't Jews try to convert people to Judaism?

The answer is that Jews realize that observing the Torah is not a simple task. There are many laws which Jews are obligated to obey, and Jews must be on their guard at all times to make sure that they don't sin, even accidentally. As a nation that is committed to observe the Torah and thereby fulfill God's will,  we do not encourage gentiles to convert and then be faced with the many laws and customs that the Torah requires, because of the difficulties they will experience. It is bads enough that so many Jews who were born as Jews, do not observe the Torah. We do not need to add more Jews, from among those who were not born as Jews, to convert, and then lead non-observant lifestyles. If someone is truly committed and dedicated to living an observant Jewish life, and demonstrably so, then we would welcome him.