Levi ben Japheth
Encyclopedia
Levi ben JaphethLevi ben Japheth (Heb.
Levi ben Yafet ha-Levi; Arab. Abu Sa'id Levi ibn Yafat was a Karaite Jewish scholar who flourished, probably at Jerusalem, in the first half of the eleventh century CE.
Although, like his father Japheth ben Ali, he was considered one of the greatest authorities among the Karaites, who called him "al-Shaikh" (the master), no details of his life are to be found in the Karaite sources. There even exists confusion in regard to his identity; in some of the sources he is confounded with his brother, or his son Sa'id (comp. Pinsker, "Liqqute Qadmoniyyot," p. 119), and also with a Muslim
scholar named Abu Hashim (Aaron ben Joseph
, "Mibhar," Paris MS.). Levi wrote in Arabic a comprehensive work on the precept
s, parts of a Hebrew translation ("Sefer ha-Mitzvot") of which are still extant in manuscript (Neubauer, Cat. Bodl. Hebr. MSS. No. 857; Steinschneider, Cat. Leyden, No. 22; St. Petersburg MSS., Firkovich collection, No. 613). This work, which was used by nearly all the later Karaite codifiers, contains valuable information concerning the differences between the Karaites and the Rabbi
nites (in whose literature the author was well versed), and the dissensions among the Karaites themselves. Thus in the section dealing with the calendar, in which the year 1007 is mentioned, Levi states that in Iraq
the Karaites in their determination of Rosh ha-Shannah, resembled the Rabbinites in so far as, like them, they took for their basis the autumnal equinox, while in some places the Karaites adopted the Rabbinite calendar completely.
Levi distinguishes between the views, in regard to the calendar, of the earlier and the later Rabbinites, and counts Saadia, whom he frequently attacks with the utmost violence, among the latter. In the treatise on tzitzit
Levi says that he drew his material from the works of his father and of his predecessors. He excuses the inadequacy of treatment marking some parts of the work on the ground of the lack of sources and of the various trials and sicknesses he had suffered during its composition.
Levi's "Muqaddimah," an introduction to the pericopes of the Pentateuch, is no longer in existence. A fragment, on Deut. i., of the Hebrew translation of Moses ben Isaiah Firuz was in the Firkovich collection and was published by Pinsker, but was lost during the Crimean war. He wrote also a short commentary on the Earlier Prophets
, a fragment of which, covering the first ten chapters of Joshua
, still exists (Brit. Mus. Or. No. 308). Steinschneider believes it possible that Levi was also the author of the short commentary on Psalms
found in the British Museum
(No. 336). According to Ali ben Sulaiman, Levi made a compendium of the lexicon "Agron" of David ben Abraham; however, this is contested by Abu al-Faraj
, who asserts that the compendium was prepared by David himself.
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
Levi ben Yafet ha-Levi; Arab. Abu Sa'id Levi ibn Yafat was a Karaite Jewish scholar who flourished, probably at Jerusalem, in the first half of the eleventh century CE.
Although, like his father Japheth ben Ali, he was considered one of the greatest authorities among the Karaites, who called him "al-Shaikh" (the master), no details of his life are to be found in the Karaite sources. There even exists confusion in regard to his identity; in some of the sources he is confounded with his brother, or his son Sa'id (comp. Pinsker, "Liqqute Qadmoniyyot," p. 119), and also with a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
scholar named Abu Hashim (Aaron ben Joseph
Aaron ben Joseph of Constantinople
Aaron ben Joseph of Constantinople , was an eminent teacher, philosopher, physician, and liturgical poet in Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire.-Background:Aaron ben Joseph was born in Sulchat, Crimea...
, "Mibhar," Paris MS.). Levi wrote in Arabic a comprehensive work on the precept
Precept
A precept is a commandment, instruction, or order intended as an authoritative rule of action.-Christianity:The term is encountered frequently in the Jewish and Christian Scriptures; e.g.:...
s, parts of a Hebrew translation ("Sefer ha-Mitzvot") of which are still extant in manuscript (Neubauer, Cat. Bodl. Hebr. MSS. No. 857; Steinschneider, Cat. Leyden, No. 22; St. Petersburg MSS., Firkovich collection, No. 613). This work, which was used by nearly all the later Karaite codifiers, contains valuable information concerning the differences between the Karaites and the Rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
nites (in whose literature the author was well versed), and the dissensions among the Karaites themselves. Thus in the section dealing with the calendar, in which the year 1007 is mentioned, Levi states that in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
the Karaites in their determination of Rosh ha-Shannah, resembled the Rabbinites in so far as, like them, they took for their basis the autumnal equinox, while in some places the Karaites adopted the Rabbinite calendar completely.
Levi distinguishes between the views, in regard to the calendar, of the earlier and the later Rabbinites, and counts Saadia, whom he frequently attacks with the utmost violence, among the latter. In the treatise on tzitzit
Tzitzit
The Hebrew noun tzitzit is the name for specially knotted ritual fringes worn by observant Jews. Tzitzit are attached to the four corners of the tallit and tallit katan.-Etymology:The word may derive from the semitic root N-TZ-H...
Levi says that he drew his material from the works of his father and of his predecessors. He excuses the inadequacy of treatment marking some parts of the work on the ground of the lack of sources and of the various trials and sicknesses he had suffered during its composition.
Levi's "Muqaddimah," an introduction to the pericopes of the Pentateuch, is no longer in existence. A fragment, on Deut. i., of the Hebrew translation of Moses ben Isaiah Firuz was in the Firkovich collection and was published by Pinsker, but was lost during the Crimean war. He wrote also a short commentary on the Earlier Prophets
Nevi'im
Nevi'im is the second of the three major sections in the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh. It falls between the Torah and Ketuvim .Nevi'im is traditionally divided into two parts:...
, a fragment of which, covering the first ten chapters of Joshua
Joshua
Joshua , is a minor figure in the Torah, being one of the spies for Israel and in few passages as Moses's assistant. He turns to be the central character in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Joshua...
, still exists (Brit. Mus. Or. No. 308). Steinschneider believes it possible that Levi was also the author of the short commentary on Psalms
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
found in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
(No. 336). According to Ali ben Sulaiman, Levi made a compendium of the lexicon "Agron" of David ben Abraham; however, this is contested by Abu al-Faraj
Jeshua ben Judah
Jeshua ben Judah was a Karaite scholar, exegete and philosopher, who lived in eleventh-century Iraq or at Jerusalem.He was pupil of Joseph ben Abraham ha-Ro'eh...
, who asserts that the compendium was prepared by David himself.
Resources
- Kohler, Kaufmann and Isaac Broydé. "Levi ben Japheth (halevi) Abu Sa'id." Jewish EncyclopediaJewish EncyclopediaThe Jewish Encyclopedia is an encyclopedia originally published in New York between 1901 and 1906 by Funk and Wagnalls. It contained over 15,000 articles in 12 volumes on the history and then-current state of Judaism and the Jews as of 1901...
. Funk and Wagnalls, 1901–1906; which contains the following bibliography: - Pinsker, Liḳḳuṭe Ḳadmoniyyot, p. 64 and Index;
- Fürst, Gesch. des Karäert. ii. 143 et seq.;
- Steinschneider, Polemische und Apologetische Literatur, p. 336;
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- idem, Hebr. Uebers. p. 945;
- idem, Die Arabische Literature der Juden, § 46.K. I. Br.
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