Daniel ben Azariah
Encyclopedia
Daniel ben Azariah was the gaon
of the Land of Israel
from 1051 till 1062. Descended from a Babylonian exilarch
family, he was a scion of the House of David
and was elected to head the Palestinian Academy
in Jerusalem. The Ben Ezra Synagogue
of the Palestinian Jews in Fostat
was named in his honour: "Synagogue of our Lord Daniel, the Light of Israel, the Great Prince and Head of the Academy of the Majesty of Jacob." His nomination to the gaonate was not without controversy as it prevailed over the selection of one of the sons of an earlier gaon, Solomon ben Joseph ha-Kohen who had held office from 1020–1027. In 1062 Daniel died after a long and serious illness which he himself is said to have seen as a punishment for his ill treatment of his predecessor's family. His son, David ben Daniel, was too young to assume his father's position and Elijah, son of Solomon ben Joseph and former av beth din, became gaon until 1083. David ben Daniel was subsequently involved in a succession dispute regarding the gaonate.
Gaon (Hebrew)
Gaon originally referred in Ancient Hebrew to arrogance and haughty pride . Later became known as pride in general: whether good or bad . Today it may refer to:...
of the Land of Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
from 1051 till 1062. Descended from a Babylonian exilarch
Exilarch
Exilarch refers to the leaders of the Diaspora Jewish community in Babylon following the deportation of King Jeconiah and his court into Babylonian exile after the first fall of Jerusalem in 597 BCE and augmented after the further deportations following the destruction...
family, he was a scion of the House of David
Davidic line
The Davidic line refers to the tracing of lineage to the King David referred to in the Hebrew Bible, as well as the New Testament...
and was elected to head the Palestinian Academy
Talmudic Academies in the Land of Israel
The Talmudic Academies in the Land of Israel were yeshivot that served as centers for Jewish scholarship and the development of Jewish law in the Levant and had a great and lasting impact on the development of world Jewry....
in Jerusalem. The Ben Ezra Synagogue
Ben Ezra Synagogue
The Ben Ezra Synagogue , sometimes referred to as the El-Geniza Synagogue or the Synagogue of the Palestinians, is situated in Old Cairo, Egypt. According to local tradition, it is located on the site where baby Moses was found...
of the Palestinian Jews in Fostat
Fostat
Fustat , was the first capital of Egypt under Arab rule...
was named in his honour: "Synagogue of our Lord Daniel, the Light of Israel, the Great Prince and Head of the Academy of the Majesty of Jacob." His nomination to the gaonate was not without controversy as it prevailed over the selection of one of the sons of an earlier gaon, Solomon ben Joseph ha-Kohen who had held office from 1020–1027. In 1062 Daniel died after a long and serious illness which he himself is said to have seen as a punishment for his ill treatment of his predecessor's family. His son, David ben Daniel, was too young to assume his father's position and Elijah, son of Solomon ben Joseph and former av beth din, became gaon until 1083. David ben Daniel was subsequently involved in a succession dispute regarding the gaonate.