Pathrusim together with Casluhim were descendants of Mizraim (i.e., Egypt ) according to the genealogies in Genesis , who inhabited Pathros (i.e., Upper Egypt ).
105-738: In Saadia Gaon 's Judeo-Arabic translation of the Pentateuch , the Sa'idi people (i.e. the people of Upper Egypt) are listed in the position of the Casluhim in Genesis 10:14 , while Albiyim is listed in the position of Pathrusim, however the ordering of Casluhim and Pathrusim sometimes vary in translations and the mainstream understanding is that it is the Pathrusim who are the Sahidic people and
210-635: A Priest-king . He changed the title Hakham to " Ḥakhan " (a portmanteau between Hakham and the Mongol-Turkic title khan ), forbade the use of Hebrew, and in the 1930s reintroduced Yahwist elements (such as the veneration of sacred oak trees in the cemetery). He also recognized both Jesus and Muhammad as prophets (in order to appease both the Tsarist Russian Orthodox government and the Muslim Turkic peoples). After
315-579: A Sunday. In the "Golden Age of Karaism" (900–1100) a large number of Karaite works were produced in all parts of the Muslim world, the most notable being a work penned by Jacob Qirqisani , entitled Kitāb al-Anwār wal-Marāqib ("Code of Karaite Law"), which provides valuable information concerning the development of Karaism and throws light also on many questions in Rabbinic Judaism. Karaite Jews were able to obtain autonomy from Rabbinic Judaism in
420-467: A Tekhelet thread in Tzitzit was lost for most Rabbinic Jews. Their Tzitziyot are usually all white. Karaite Jews believe that the importance of Tekhelet is that the color of thread is blue-violet and it may be produced from any source, including synthetic industrial dyes, except impure (a state mostly overlapping unkosher ) marine creatures, rather than insist on a specific dye. Therefore, they believe that
525-675: A certain explanation is given in the Talmud , such as the Hebrew words בד בבד in Exo. 30:34 (explained in Taanit 7a as meaning "each spice pounded separately"), Saadia deviates from the rabbinic tradition in his Judeo-Arabic translation of the Pentateuch, in this case explaining its sense as "having them made of equal portions." In another apparent deviation from Talmudic tradition, where
630-462: A confrontation between the two strong-willed personalities, Exilarch David and Saadia. Nissim declared, however, that if David was determined to see Saadia in the position, then he would be ready to become the first of Saadia's followers. Under his leadership, the ancient academy of Sura founded by Abba Arikha entered upon a new period of brilliancy. This renaissance was cut short by a clash between Saadia and David, much as Nissim had predicted. In
735-557: A controversy arose concerning the Hebrew calendar , that threatened the entire Jewish community. Since Hillel II (around 359 CE), the calendar had been based on a series of rules (described more fully in Maimonides ' Code ) rather than on observation of the lunar phases . One of these rules required the date of Rosh Hashanah to be postponed if the calculated lunar conjunction occurred at noon or later. Rabbi Aaron ben Meïr , head of
840-522: A defense for Rabbinic Judaism entitled Kuzari , placing the origins of Karaism in the first and second centuries BCE, during the reign of Alexander Jannaeus ("King Jannai"), king of Judaea from 103 to 76 BCE: After him came Judah b. Tabbāi and Simon b. Shētaḥ, with the friends of both. At this period the doctrine of the Karaites arose in consequence of an incident between the Sages and King Jannai who
945-460: A dispute that had fallen out between him and the Exilarch. During Saadia's absence, his post was occupied by Joseph ben Jacob , the grandson of Natronai ben Hilai . At length, Saadia was reconciled with the Exilarch and returned to serve in his former position, although Joseph ben Jacob also remained serving in his capacity as Gaon. In 922, six years before Saadia was appointed Gaon of Babylonia,
1050-659: A great congregation of Karaites became Rabbinical Jews during the time of the Nagid Rabbi Abraham Maimonides , who, in his words, "was not reluctant to receive them." During the 19th century, Russian authorities began to differentiate Karaite Jews from Rabbanite Jews, freeing them from various oppressive laws that affected Rabbinic Jews. In the 1830s the Tsarist governor of the Taurida Governorate , Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov , told
1155-452: A member of Sura Academy . Saadia, in Sefer ha-Galui , stresses his Jewish lineage, claiming to belong to the noble family of Shelah , son of Judah , and counting among his ancestors Hanina ben Dosa , the famous ascetic of the first century. Saadia expressed this claim by calling his son Dosa ; this son later served as gaon of Sura Academy from 1012–1018. Regarding Joseph, Saadia's father,
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#17327733165601260-688: A novel emergence of similar views. Karaites have always maintained that while there are some similarities to the Sadducees due to the rejection of rabbinical authority and of the Oral Law, there are major differences. According to Rabbi Abraham ibn Daud , in his Sefer ha-Qabbalah (written c. 1160), the Karaite movement crystallized in Baghdad in the Gaonic period ( c. 7th–9th centuries) under
1365-544: A probate case, Saadia refused to sign a verdict of the exilarch, which he thought unjust, although the Gaon of Pumbedita had subscribed to it. When the son of the exilarch threatened Saadia with violence to secure his compliance and was roughly handled by Saadia's servant, open war broke out between the exilarch and the gaon. Each excommunicated the other, declaring that he deposed his opponent from office. David ben Zakkai appointed Joseph ben Jacob Gaon of Sura and Saadia conferred
1470-648: A product of the Arabization of a large portion of Judaism, it served for centuries as a potent factor in the impregnation of the Jewish spirit with Arabic culture, so that, in this respect, it may take its place beside the Greek Bible-translation of antiquity and the German translation of the Pentateuch by Moses Mendelssohn. As a means of popular religious enlightenment, Saadia's translation presented
1575-470: A purely solar calendar of 364 days and 30-day months, insisting that all the Holy Days and fast days should always occur on fixed days in the week, rather than on fixed days of the months. He further said that Shabbat should be kept from sunrise on Saturday to sunrise on Sunday. Most Ananites and Karaites rejected such beliefs. ʻAnan developed his movement's core tenets. His Sefer HaMiṣwot ("The Book of
1680-550: A rejection of their origins, rejection of theological positions no longer accepted, or that Philo's philosophy was not entirely used in the founding of the Karaites (although some influences remain possible). Early 20th-century scholars Oesterley and Box suggested that Karaism formed in a reaction to the rise of Islam . The new religion recognized Judaism as a fellow monotheistic faith, but claimed that it detracted from its belief by deferring to rabbinical authority. Anan ben David ( Hebrew : ענן בן דוד , c. 715 – 795 or 811?)
1785-535: A statement made by Abraham ibn Daud and doubtless derived from Saadia's son Dosa, Saadia himself died in Babylonia at Sura in 942, at the age of sixty, of "black gall" (melancholia), repeated illnesses having undermined his health. An anecdote is reported in Sefer Hasidim about Saadia ben Yosef "the sage," in which he ends a dispute between a servant who claims to be the heir of his deceased master and
1890-638: A statement of the ancient Jewish gaon Aaron ben Meïr has been preserved saying that he was compelled to leave Egypt and died in Jaffa , probably during Saadia's prolonged residence in the Holy Land . The usual nisba al-Fayyumi refers to Saadia's native place, the Fayyum , which is located in Middle Egypt ; in Hebrew, it is often given as Pitomi , derived from a contemporary identification of Fayum with
1995-540: A visual reminder to the Israelites to remember the commandments given by God. The thread of Tekhelet is a blue-violet or blue thread, which, according to the traditions of Rabbinic Judaism, is to be dyed with a specific kind of dye derived from a mollusc (notably the Hexaplex trunculus sea snail). Due to a number of factors, including Rome outlawing the use of Tekhelet by commoners, the source and practice of using
2100-727: Is a bird that harbingers rain in the Levant (around October), for which reason the Talmud says: "When raḥam arrives, mercy ( raḥamīm ) comes into the world." He wrote both in Hebrew and in Arabic a work, now known only from a few fragments, entitled "Sefer ha-Galui" (Arabic title, "Kitab al-Ṭarid"), in which he emphasized with great but justifiable pride the services which he had rendered, especially in his opposition to heresy. The fourteen years which Saadia spent in Babylonia did not interrupt his literary activity. His principal philosophical work
2205-470: Is considered melakha (forbidden work). Their prayer books are composed almost completely of biblical passages. Karaite Jews often practice full prostration during prayers, while most other Jews no longer pray in this fashion. Unlike Rabbinic Jews, Karaites do not practice the ritual of lighting Shabbat candles . They have a differing interpretation of the Torah verse, "You shall not [burn] ( Hebrew : bi‘er
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#17327733165602310-628: Is described, and the process described in Sefer Yetzirah (matter formed by speech). The cosmogony of Sefer Yetzirah is even omitted from the discussion of creation in his magnum opus "Kitab al-Amanat wal-I'tiḳadat." Concerning the supposed attribution of the book to the patriarch Abraham , he allows that the ideas it contains might be ancient. Nonetheless, he clearly considered the work worthy of deep study and echoes of Sefer Yetzirah's cosmogony do appear in "Kitab al-Amanat wal-I'tiḳadat" when Saadia discusses his theory of prophecy. Saadia translated
2415-468: Is said to be rejected if it contradicts the simple meaning of the Tanakh's text. The vast majority of these traditions are not forced upon any Karaite Jew or convert to Judaism through the Karaite movement, except very few such as donning a head covering in the Karaite kenesa . Those Karaites Jews who are new to the Karaite lifestyle do not have such an inheritance or tradition and tend to rely solely upon
2520-583: Is the palace of the world's Ruler; (8) belief in Resurrection contemporaneous with the advent of the Messiah; (9) final judgment; (10) retribution. Karaite Jews do not object to the idea of a body of interpretation of the Torah, along with extensions and development of non-rabbinic halakha (Jewish law) that strives to adhere to the Tanakh's straightforward meaning. Several hundred such books have been written by various Karaite Ḥakhamim (sages) throughout
2625-503: Is the written law,' they replied, whoever wishes to study it may come and do so; take no heed of the oral law.' He followed their advice and expelled the Sages and among them Simon b. Shētaḥ, his son-in-law. Rabbinism was laid low for some time. The other party tried to establish a law built on their own conception, but failed, till Simon b. Shētaḥ returned with his disciples from Alexandria, and restored tradition to its former condition. Karaism had, however, taken root among people who rejected
2730-480: Is turned on prior to Shabbat. Many observant Karaites either unplug their refrigerators on Shabbat or turn off the circuit breakers. Karaites consider producing electricity to be a violation of Shabbat , no matter who produces it. Additionally, some Karaites view the purchasing of electricity that is charged on an incremental basis during the Shabbat as a commercial transaction that the Tanakh prohibits, no matter when
2835-674: Is whether Saadia applied this principle in his other translations. Re'em (Hebrew: ראם , romanized: rəʾēm ), as in Deuteronomy 33:17 , improperly translated as "unicorn" in some English translations, is a word that is now used in Modern Hebrew to represent the " oryx ." However, Saadia understood the same word to mean " rhinoceros " and writes there the Judeo-Arabic word for the creature ( Judeo-Arabic : אלכרכדאן , romanized: al-karkadann ). He interprets
2940-466: Is why Rabbinic Judaism prohibits starting a fire on Shabbat. The vast majority of Karaite Jews hold that, throughout the Tanakh, ba‘ar explicitly means "to burn", while the Hebrew word meaning "to ignite" or "to kindle" is hidliq . Accordingly, the mainstream in Karaite Judaism takes the passage to mean that fire should not be left burning in a Jewish home on Shabbat, regardless of whether it
3045-588: Is widely considered to be a major founder of the Karaite movement. His followers, called Ananites, did not believe the rabbinical oral law was divinely inspired. According to a 12th-century Rabbinic account, in approximately 760, Shelomoh ben Ḥisdai II, the Exilarch in Babylon died, and two brothers among his nearest kin, ʻAnan ben David (whose name according to the Rabbinical account was ʻAnan ben Shafaṭ, but
3150-407: The pi‘el form of ba‘ar ) a fire in any of your dwellings on the day of Shabbat." (Ex. 35:3) In Rabbinic Judaism, the qal verb form ba‘ar is understood to mean "burn", whereas the pi‘el form (present here) is understood to be, not intensive as usual but causative, the rule being that the pi‘el of a stative verb will be causative, instead of the usual hif‘il. Hence bi‘er means "kindle", which
3255-521: The Abbasid Caliphate in present-day Iraq . This is the view universally accepted among Rabbinic Jews. However, some Arab scholars claim that Karaites were already living in Egypt in the first half of the seventh century, based on a legal document that the Karaite community in Egypt had in its possession until the end of the 19th century, in which the first Islamic governor ordered the leaders of
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3360-527: The Jews of Yemen has been exceptionally great, as many of Saadia's extant works were preserved by the community and used extensively by them. The basis for the Yemenite tiklāl is founded upon the prayer format edited originally by Saadia. The Yemenite Jewish community also adopted thirteen penitential verse written by Saadia for Yom Kippur , as well as the liturgical poems composed by him for Hoshana Rabbah ,
3465-672: The Mo‘eṣet HaḤakhamim . KJU teaches various forms of Karaite Judaism and includes Sevel HaYerushah in its course materials. Thus, newly admitted converts to Karaite Judaism can choose to accept or reject Sevel HaYerushah. As with other Jews, during Shabbat , Karaites attend synagogue to worship and to offer prayers . Most Karaites refrain from sexual relations on that day since they maintain that engaging in them can cause fatigue and copulation, in particular, results in ritual impurity on this holy day, concerns that Rabbinic Judaism ceased to have long ago; additionally, impregnating one's wife
3570-578: The New Testament and the Quran . Yudghan was a follower of Abū ʻĪsā al-Iṣfahānī and claimed to be a prophet and the Messiah, saying that the observance of Shabbat and Holy Days was no longer obligatory. Isma‘il al-‘Ukbari believed he was the prophet Elijah , and hated ʻAnan. Mishawayh al-‘Ukbari, who was a disciple of Isma‘il al-‘Ukbari and the founder of the Mishawites, taught his followers to use
3675-618: The Palestinian Gaonate (then located in Ramla ), claimed a tradition according to which the cutoff point was 642/1080 of an hour (approximately 35 minutes) after noon. In that particular year, this change would result in a two-day schism with the major Jewish communities in Babylonia: according to Ben Meir the first day of Passover would be on a Sunday, while according to the generally accepted rule it would be on Tuesday. Saadia
3780-475: The Pharisees ' notion of an Oral Torah even before it was written. Geiger's view is based on comparison between Karaite and Sadducee halakha : for example, a minority in Karaite Judaism do not believe in a resurrection of the dead or afterlife , a position also held by the Sadducees. The British theologian John Gill (1767) noted, In the times of John Hyrcanus , and Alexander Janneus his son, sprung up
3885-574: The divine commandments which were handed down to Moses by God were recorded in the written Torah without any additional Oral Law or explanation. Unlike mainstream Rabbinic Judaism , which regards the Oral Torah , codified in the Talmud and subsequent works, as authoritative interpretations of the Torah , Karaite Jews do not treat the written collections of the oral tradition in the Midrash or
3990-646: The zamer (Hebrew: זָֽמֶר , romanized: zāmer ) in Deuteronomy 14:5 as giraffe . In Saadia's translation and commentary on the Book of Psalms ( Kitāb al-Tasābiḥ ), he has done what no other medieval writer has done before him, bringing down a biblical exegesis and noting where the verse is to be read as a rhetorical question, and where the verse itself derides the question with good humor: הַר אֱלהִים הַר בָּשָׁן. הַר גַּבְנֻנִּים הַר בָּשָׁן לָמָּה תְּרַצְדוּן הָרִים גַּבְנֻנִּים הָהָר חָמַד אֱלהִים לְשִׁבְתּוֹ. אַף יי' יִשְׁכּן לָנֶצַח Is
4095-680: The 12th century scholar and liturgist Judah ben Elijah Hadassi in his Eshkol ha-Kofer : (1) God is the Creator of all created beings; (2) He is premundane and has no peer or associate; (3) the whole universe is created; (4) God called Moses and the other Prophets of the Biblical canon; (5) the Law of Moses alone is true; (6) to know the language of the Bible is a religious duty; (7) the Temple at Jerusalem
4200-540: The Bible whenever he thought that they broke-away from the plain and ordinary meaning of the text. Saadia adopts in principle the method of the Sages that even the episodic-like parts of the Bible (e.g. story of Abraham and Sarah, the selling of Joseph, etc.) that do not contain commandments have a moral lesson to tell. In some instances, Saadia's biblical translations reflect his own rationale of difficult Hebrew words based on their lexical root, and he will, at times, reject
4305-581: The Biblical Pithom , an identification found in Saadia's works. At the age of 20, Saadia began composing his first great work, the Hebrew dictionary called the Agron . At 23, he composed a polemic against the followers of Anan ben David , particularly Solomon ben Yeruham, thus beginning the activity which was to prove important in opposition to Karaite Judaism in defense of Rabbinic Judaism . In
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4410-545: The Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, atheism became official state policy in Soviet territories and Karaite religious schools and places of worship were the very first religious institutions closed by the Soviet government. The authorities allowed only the teaching of Shapshalian doctrines about the Karaites, and the official stance according to Soviet law (carried over from Russian Imperial law) erroneously regarded
4515-655: The Casluhim the people of eastern Libya. In the Book of Jasher , the Pathrusim and Casluhim intermarried resulting in the Pelishtim , Azathim , Gerarim , Githim and Ekronim . This article related to the Hebrew Bible is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Saadia Gaon Saʿadia ben Yosef Gaon (882/892 – 942) was a prominent rabbi , gaon , Jewish philosopher, and exegete who
4620-488: The Commandments") was published about 770. He adopted many principles and opinions of other anti-rabbinic forms of Judaism that had previously existed. He took much from the old Sadducees and Essenes, whose remnants still survived, and whose writings—or at least writings ascribed to them—were still in circulation. Thus, for example, these older sects prohibited the burning of any lights and the leaving of one's dwelling on
4725-559: The Humash and some of the other books of the Hebrew Bible into Judeo-Arabic, adding a Judeo-Arabic commentary. Saadia translated Megillat Antiochus into Judeo-Arabic and wrote an introduction. Karaite Judaism Karaism is a non-Rabbinical Jewish sect characterized by the recognition of the written Tanakh alone as its supreme authority in halakha ( religious law ) and theology . Karaites believe that all of
4830-605: The Karaite leaders that, even though the Russian Empire liked the idea that the Karaites did not accept the Talmud , they were still Jews and responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus and thus subject to the laws. The leaders, hearing that, devised a ruse by which they could be freed of the oppressive laws and told him that the Karaites had already settled in the Crimea before the death of Jesus. The Tsarist government then said that, if they could prove it, they would be free of
4935-599: The Karaite revival of the late 20th century; the World Karaite Movement was founded by Nehemia Gordon and Ḥakham Meir Rekhavi in the early 1990s. Karaite Jewish University (KJU), approved by the Mo‘eṣet HaḤakhamim (the Council of Sages) in Israel, was founded to teach an introductory course on Karaite Judaism. It could lead to a student's conversion by a Beit Din (religious Jewish court) authorized by
5040-403: The Karaites as Turkic descendants of the Khazars and not as Jews. Not all European Karaites accepted the Shapshalian doctrines. Some Hachamim and a small part of the general Karaite population still preserved their Jewish heritage, but most dared not oppose Shapshal openly due to his official standing with regard to the Soviet Union . The Karaite community in Egypt was considered one of
5145-402: The Muslim government. He was sentenced to death, but his life was saved by his fellow prisoner, Abu Hanifa , the founder of the madhhab or school of fiqh (Muslim jurisprudence) known as the Hanafi . Ultimately he and his followers were permitted to migrate to Palestine . They erected a synagogue in Jerusalem that continued to be maintained until the time of the Crusades . From this center,
5250-403: The Muslim world and establish their own institutions. Karaites in the Muslim world also obtained high social positions such as tax collectors, doctors, and clerks, and even received special positions in the Egyptian courts. Karaite scholars were among the most conspicuous practitioners in the philosophical school known as Jewish Kalam . According to historian Salo Wittmayer Baron , at one time
5355-410: The Pentateuch, not only an exact interpretation of the text, but also a refutation of the cavils which the heretics raised against it. Further, it set forth the bases of the commandments of reason and the characterization of the commandments of revelation; in the case of the former the author appealed to philosophical speculation; of the latter, naturally, to tradition. The position assigned to Saadia in
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#17327733165605460-502: The Rabbinite community against interfering with Karaite practices or with the way they celebrate their holidays. It was said to have been stamped by the palm of Amr ibn al-ʿĀṣ as-Sahmī , the first Islamic governor of Egypt (d. 664), and was reportedly dated 20 AH (641 CE). At one time, Karaites made up a significant proportion of the Hebrew population. However as of 2013, an estimated 30,000 to 50,000 Karaites resided in Israel , with smaller communities in Turkey, Europe and
5565-400: The Sabbath. Unlike the Sadducees, ʻAnan and the Qumran sectaries allowed persons to leave their house, but prohibited leaving one's town or camp. ʻAnan said that one should not leave one's house for frivolous things, but only to go to prayer or to study scripture. The Sadducees required the observation of the new moon to establish the dates of festivals and always held the Shavuot festival on
5670-428: The Scriptures even to the unlearned in a rational form which aimed at the greatest possible degree of clarity and consistency. His system of hermeneutics was not limited to the exegesis of individual passages, but treated also each book of the Bible as a whole, and showed the connection of its various portions with one another. The commentary contained, as is stated in the author's own introduction to his translation of
5775-437: The Talmud ( Hullin 63a) names a biblical species of fowl (Leviticus 11:18) known as raḥam ( Hebrew : רחם ) and says that it is the colorful European bee-eater called the sheraqraq , Saadia in his Judeo-Arabic translation of the Humash writes that raḥam is the Egyptian vulture based on the phonetic similarity of its Arabic name with the Hebrew. The sheraqraq ( Arabic : شقراق , romanized : šiqirrāq )
5880-422: The Talmud and other works, but without exalting them above other viewpoints. According to the Karaite Mordecai ben Nissan (born 1650), the ancestors of the Karaites were a group called Benei Ṣedeq during the Second Temple period . Historians have argued over whether Karaism has a direct connection to the Sadducees dating back to the end of the Second Temple period (70 CE) or whether Karaism represents
5985-427: The Talmud as binding. Karaite interpretation of the Torah strives to adhere to the plain or most obvious meaning ( peshat ) of the text; this is not necessarily the literal meaning of the text—instead, it is the meaning of the text that would have been naturally understood by the ancient Hebrews when the books of the Torah were first written—without the use of the Oral Torah. By contrast, Rabbinic Judaism relies on
6090-403: The Tanakh and those practices mentioned in it, and to adapt Biblical practices to their cultural context. Karaite communities are so small and generally isolated, that their members commonly adopt the customs of their host country. In Israel, too, traditional Karaites tend to be culturally assimilated into mainstream society (both secular and Orthodox ). Many modern Karaite Jews have emerged from
6195-440: The Ukbarites emerged separately from the Ananites. However, the Isunians, Yudghanites, Ukabarites , and Mishawites all held views that did not accord with those of either the Ananites or the Karaites. Abū ʻĪsā al-Iṣfahānī, who was an illiterate tailor, claimed to be a prophet, prohibited divorce, claimed that all months should have thirty days, believed in Jesus and Muhammad as prophets, and told his followers that they must study
6300-415: The United States. A 2007 report estimated that, of 30,000 worldwide, more than 20,000 descend from those who made aliyah from Egypt and Iraq to Israel . The largest Karaite community today resides in the Israeli city of Ashdod . Some scholars trace the origin of Karaism to those who rejected the Talmudic tradition as an innovation. Judah Halevi , an 11th-century Jewish philosopher and rabbi , wrote
6405-433: The assertions of Ben Meïr regarding the calendar and helped to avert from the Jewish community the perils of schism. His dispute with Ben Meir was an important factor in his call to Sura in 928. The Exilarch insisted on appointing him as Gaon "head of the academy" despite the weight of precedent (no foreigner had ever served as Gaon before) and against the advice of the aged Nissim Nahrwani, a Resh Kallah at Sura, who feared
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#17327733165606510-471: The community Ḥakhamim still taught that the Karaites were and had always been a part of the Jewish people; prayer was in Hebrew, the lineage of Kohens , Levites , and families of Davidic descent were meticulously preserved, and books printed in Hebrew adamantly identified the Karaites as Jews. In 1897 the Russian census counted 12,894 Karaites in the Russian Empire. By the early 20th century, most European Karaites were no longer very knowledgeable about
6615-403: The community, his conservatism and opposition towards local customs were met by little success. In the 1950s, the entire Jewish population in Egypt was estimated at 80,000 including 5,000 Karaite Jews. Following the United Arab Republic 's participation in the Six-Day War , a few Jewish men in Egypt were placed in short term detention, before being expelled from the country. This resulted in
6720-471: The content of this esoteric work by the light of philosophy and scientific knowledge, especially by a system of Hebrew phonology which he himself had founded. He did not permit himself in this commentary to be influenced by the theological speculations of the Kalam , which are so important in his main works. In introducing Sefer Yetzirah's theory of creation he makes a distinction between the Biblical account of creation ex nihilo , in which no process of creation
6825-400: The contest for the office of exilarch which allegedly served as the immediate cause of his apostasy." Nemoy later notes that Natronai—a devout Rabbanite—lived where ʻAnan's activities took place, and that the Karaite sage Jacob Qirqisani never mentioned ʻAnan's purported lineage or candidacy for Exilarch . ʻAnan's allowing his followers to proclaim him as Exilarch was considered treason by
6930-431: The day after the weekly Sabbath (i.e., the Sunday) that occurs during the seven days of Ḥagh HaMaṣṣot to the day after the seventh weekly Sabbath. They celebrate Shavu‘ot on that Sunday, no matter what the calendar date of that Sunday on which it happens to fall. A Tzitzit (alternatively spelled Ṣiṣit, plural: Tzitziyot or Ṣiṣiyot) is a knotted or braided tassel worn by observant Jews (both Karaite and Rabbinic) on each of
7035-439: The days from the offering of the ‘Omer is different from the rabbinic method. The Karaites understand the term "morrow after the Sabbath" in Leviticus 23:15–16 to refer to the weekly Sabbath, whereas Rabbinic Judaism interprets it as referring to the day of rest on the first day of Ḥagh HaMaṣṣot . So while Rabbinic Judaism begins the count on the 16th of Nisan and celebrates Shavu‘ot on the 6th of Sivan , Karaite Jews count from
7140-525: The death of Jesus and thus had no responsibility for it. Firkovich referenced tombstones in Crimea (altering the dates) and gathered thousands of Karaite, Rabbinic, and Samaritan manuscripts, including one rabbinic document from Transcaucasia that claims that the Jews there were descendants of the exiles from the northern Kingdom of Israel . These actions convinced the Tsar that Karaite ancestors could not have killed Jesus and that thus their descendants were free of familial guilt . Despite this, within
7245-445: The definitive trait of " a cock girded about the loins " within Proverbs 30:31 ( Douay–Rheims Bible ) as "the honesty of their behavior and their success", rather than the aesthetic interpretations of so many others, thus identifying a spiritual purpose of a religious vessel within that religious and spiritual instilling schema of purpose and use. In his commentary on the Sefer Yetzirah , Saadia sought to render lucid and intelligible
7350-463: The earlier Targum for his own understanding. For example, in Psalm 16:4, Saadia retracts from the Targum (translated): "They will multiply their goddesses ( Hebrew : עַצְּבוֹתָם ); they have hastened after some other thing; I shall not pour out their libations of blood, neither shall I take-up their names upon my lips," writing instead: "They will multiply their revenues (Judeo-Arabic:אכסאבהם); they have hastened after some other thing," etc. Even where
7455-519: The exilarchate on David's brother Hasan (Josiah; 930). Hasan was forced to flee and died in exile in Greater Khorasan , and the strife that divided Babylonian Judaism continued. Saadia was attacked by the exilarch and his chief adherent, the young but learned Aaron ibn Sargado (later Gaon of Pumbedita, 943-960), in Hebrew pamphlets. Fragments of these pamphlets show a hatred on the part of the exilarch and his partisans that did not shrink from scandal. Saadia did not fail to reply. Saadia's influence upon
7560-452: The four corners of what is often an outer garment or their Tallit . The Torah commands Israel to make tassels on the corners of their four-cornered garment containing a thread of Tekhelet ( Numbers 15:38 ) and repeats this commandment using the word for "twisted cords" ("Gedilim") instead of "tassels" at Deuteronomy 22:12 . The purpose of the tassels is stated in the Book of Numbers as
7665-641: The hill of God the hill of Bashan? A hunchback mountain is the hill of Bashan! (Meaning, it is unfit for God's Divine Presence). Why leap ye, ye hunchback mountains? That mountain wherein God desires to dwell (i.e. Mount Moriah in Jerusalem), even the Lord shall dwell [therein] forever more. Saadia's approach to rabbinic exegesis and midrashic literature was ambivalent. Although he adopted them in his liturgies, he did not recoil from denouncing them in his commentary on
7770-487: The interpretations of Philo of Alexandria , the 1st-century philosopher and Jewish scholar. He also notes the writings of a 10th-century Karaite who refers to Philo's works, showing that the Karaites made use of Philo's writings in the development of their movement. Later Medieval Karaite commentators did not view Philo in a favorable light. These attitudes show a friction between later Karaite theology and possible connections to Philo's philosophy, which could serve as either
7875-549: The legal rulings of the Sanhedrin as they are codified in the Midrash, Talmud, and other sources to indicate the authentic meaning of the Torah. Karaism holds every interpretation of the Torah to the same scrutiny regardless of its source, and teaches that it is the personal responsibility of every individual Jew to study the Torah , and ultimately to decide personally its correct meaning. Karaites may consider arguments made in
7980-408: The man's true son and heir by having them both draw blood into separate vessels. He then took a bone from the deceased man and placed it into each of the cups. The bone in the cup of the true heir absorbed the blood, while the servant's blood was not absorbed in the bone. Using this as genetic proof of the son's true inheritance, Saadia had the servant return the man's property to his son. Saadia Gaon
8085-681: The movement's history, although most are lost today. The disagreement arises over the rabbinic tradition's raising of the Talmud and the other writings of the rabbis above the Torah. The Karaites believe this has led to traditions and customs being kept under rabbinic law that contradict what is written in the Torah. The Karaites also have their own traditions and customs passed down from their ancestors and religious authorities. These are known as Sevel HaYerushah , which means "the Yoke [or burden] of Inheritance." Most of these practices are kept primarily by traditional Karaites; theoretically, any tradition thereof
8190-409: The near complete disappearance of the Jewish and Karaite communities by the 1970s. Karaites were among the last to leave and most of Egypt's Karaite Jews settled in Israel. The latest Chief Karaite sages of the Karaite community in Egypt (החכמים הראשיים הקראים) were: From 1916 to 1921, due to World War I, there was no Chief sage in Egypt. The oldest Karaite articles of faith were formulated by
8295-481: The number of Jews affiliating with Karaism was as much as 10 percent of world Jewry, and debates between Rabbinist and Karaite leaders were not uncommon. Among the staunchest critics of Karaite thought and practice at this time was Saadia Gaon , whose writings brought about a permanent split between some Karaite and Rabbinic communities. Egypt had long been a bastion for Karaites and their teachings. According to David ben Solomon ibn Abi Zimra , in one day in Egypt,
8400-523: The oldest and had existed in that country for about 1,300 years. Many interactions, including financial support, religious leadership positions and marriages, have taken place between the various Karaite communities, including those in Egypt, Turkey, Jerusalem and Crimea. A split emerged within the Karaite community of Egypt around the turn of the 20th century, between those now termed "progressives" and those termed "traditionalists". The progressives, of which noted writer and intellectual Murat Faraj Lisha‘
8505-469: The oldest list of Hebrew grammarians, which is contained in the introduction to Abraham ibn Ezra 's "Moznayim," has not been challenged even by the latest historical investigations. Here, too, he was the first; his grammatical work, now lost, gave an inspiration to further studies, which attained their most brilliant and lasting results in Spain , and he created in part the categories and rules along whose lines
8610-554: The oppressive laws. The community leaders charged Abraham Firkovich (1786–1874) with gathering anything that could help show that Karaites were not in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus , and thus not responsible for the crucifixion. Through his work, Firkovich helped establish the idea among the Russian authorities that the Karaites, as descendants of the exiled northern kingdom of Israel, had already gone into exile centuries before
8715-470: The oral law, and called all kinds of proofs to their aid, as we see to-day. As regards the Sādōcaeans and Boēthosians , they are the sectarians who are anathemised in our prayer. Abraham Geiger , a 19th-century German scholar who founded Reform Judaism , posited a connection between the Karaites and a remnant of the Sadducees, the 1st-century Jewish sect that followed the Hebrew Bible literally and rejected
8820-400: The payment is made; the recording of the electric meter is considered by them to be a commercial transaction. Karaites maintain that in the absence of a Temple , ordinary washing with flowing waters (described in the Torah as "living"—flowing—water) should be substituted for purification with water that includes ashes obtained through the red heifer burning ritual. Karaites believe that this
8925-649: The religion and Seraya Shapshal , a Karaite soldier of fortune who had been the tutor of the last Qajar Shah of Persia, Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar and a Russian spy, managed about 1911 to get himself elected Chief Ḥakham of the Karaites in the Russian Empire (by that time, due to Russian regulations, the position had become more of a political one than a spiritual one). Influenced by the Pan-Turkic movement in Turkey, Shapshal made his position into something of
9030-447: The same year, he left Egypt and moved to Palestine . In 921, Saadia triumphed over Gaon Aaron ben Meïr over the latter's introduction of a new triennial cycle of Torah reading that also changed the dates of Passover and Rosh Hashanah . Later, one of Saadia's chief disputants was the Karaite by the name of Abu al-Surri ben Zuṭa, who is referred to by Abraham ibn Ezra , in his commentary on Exodus 21:24 and Leviticus 23:15 ). In
9135-459: The sect diffused thinly over Syria , spread into Egypt, and ultimately reached Southeast Europe . Ben David challenged the Rabbinical establishment. Some scholars believe that his followers may have absorbed Jewish Babylonian sects such as the Isunians (followers of Abū ʻĪsā al-Iṣfahānī ), Yudghanites , and the remnants of the pre-Talmudic Sadducees and Boethusians . Later, sects such as
9240-488: The sect of the Karaites, in opposition to the Pharisees, who had introduced traditions, and set up the oral law, which these men rejected. In the times of the said princes lived Simeon ben Shetach, and Judah ben Tabbai, who flourished AM 3621, these two separated, the latter from the former, because he could not embrace his inventions which he formed out of his own brain; and from him the Karaites sprung, who were first called
9345-727: The seventh day of Sukkot . Saadia's Judeo-Arabic translation of the Pentateuch, the Tafsir , was copied by the Yemenite Jews in nearly all their handwritten codices. They originally studied Saadia's major work of philosophy, Beliefs and Opinions , in its original Judeo-Arabic, although by the early 20th-century, only fragments survived. As much as Saadia's Judeo-Arabic translation of the Torah ( Tafsīr ) has brought relief and succour to Jews living in Arabic-speaking countries, his identification of places, fauna and flora, and
9450-492: The society or congregation of Judah ben Tabbai, which was afterwards changed into the name of Karaites. Gill also traces the Karaite sect to the split between the schools of Hillel the Elder and Shammai in 30 BCE. American scholar Bernard Revel rejects many of Geiger's arguments in his 1913 published dissertation, The Karaite Halakah . Revel also points to the many correlations between Karaite halakha and theology and
9555-464: The stones of the priestly breastplate , has found him at variance with some scholars. Abraham ibn Ezra , in his commentary on the Torah, wrote scathing remarks on Saadia's commentary, saying: "He doesn't have an oral tradition […] perhaps he has a vision in a dream, while he has already erred with respect to certain places […]; therefore, we will not rely on his dreams." However, Saadia assures his readers elsewhere that when he rendered translations for
9660-551: The style of the Bible. He was likewise one of the founders of comparative philology, not only through his brief "Book of Seventy Words," already mentioned, but especially through his explanation of the Hebrew vocabulary by the Arabic, particularly in the case of the favorite translation of Biblical words by Arabic terms having the same sound. Saadia's works were the inspiration and basis for later Jewish writers, such as Berachyah in his encyclopedic philosophical work Sefer Hahibbur (The Book of Compilation). Saadia likewise identifies
9765-561: The twenty-odd unclean fowl mentioned in the Hebrew Bible , ( Leviticus 11:13–19; Deuteronomy 14:12–18) his translation was based on an oral tradition received by him. Saadia's method of conveying names for the fowls based on what he had received by way of an oral tradition prompted him to add in his defense: "Every detail about them, had one of them merely come unto us [for identification], we would not have been able to identify it for certain, much less recognize their related kinds." The question often asked by scholars now
9870-402: The year 928, at the age of thirty-six (variant: forty-six), David ben Zakkai , the Exilarch or head of Babylonian Jewry, petitioned Saadia to assume the honorary title of gaon, where he was appointed that same year the Gaon of Sura Academy at Mata Mehasya , a position which he held for 14 years until his death. After only two years of teaching, Saadia recused himself from teaching because of
9975-418: Was a pioneer in the fields in which he toiled. The foremost object of his work was the Bible; his importance is due primarily to his establishment of a new school of Biblical exegesis characterized by a rational investigation of the contents of the Bible and a scientific knowledge of the language of the holy text. Saadia's Arabic translation of the Torah is of importance for the history of civilization; itself
10080-403: Was a priest. His mother was under suspicion of being a 'profane' woman. One of the Sages alluded to this, saying to him: 'Be satisfied, O king Jannai, with the royal crown, but leave the priestly crown to the seed of Aaron.' His friends prejudiced him against the Sages, advising him to browbeat, expel, and scatter or kill them. He replied: 'If I destroy the Sages what will become of our Law?' 'There
10185-551: Was active in the Abbasid Caliphate . Saadia is the first important rabbinic figure to write extensively in Judeo-Arabic . Known for his works on Hebrew linguistics , halakha , and Jewish philosophy , he was a practitioner of the philosophical school known as the " Jewish Kalam ". In this capacity, his philosophical work The Book of Beliefs and Opinions represents the first systematic attempt to integrate Jewish theology with components of ancient Greek philosophy . Saadia
10290-886: Was also very active in opposition to Karaite Judaism in defense of Rabbinic Judaism . Saadia was born in Dilāẓ in the Faiyum in Middle Egypt in 892. He immigrated to ancient Israel (in the Abbasid province of Bilad Al-Sham) in 915 at the age of 23, where he studied in Tiberias under the scholar Abu Kathir Yaḥya al-Katib (known as Eli ben Yehudah ha-Nazir in Hebrew), a Jewish mutakallim or theologian also mentioned by ibn Ḥazm . In 926, Saadia settled permanently in Lower Mesopotamia , known to Jews as " Babylonia ", where he became
10395-402: Was at the forefront, called for a more liberal interpretation of Halakha , along with societal reforms and greater solidarity with Rabbanites. The traditionalists were led by Chief Hakham Tubiah ben Simhah Levi Babovich, and called not only for a more obdurate interpretation, but for greater separatism from both Rabbanites and Zionism . Although Babovich was respected for his dedication towards
10500-774: Was called "ben David" due to his Davidic lineage) and Ḥananyah were next in order of succession. Eventually, Ḥananyah was elected by the rabbis of the Babylonian Jewish colleges (the Geonim ) and by the notables of the chief Jewish congregations, and the choice was confirmed by the Caliph of Baghdad. A schism may have occurred, with ʻAnan ben David being proclaimed exilarch by his followers. However, not all scholars agree that this event occurred. Leon Nemoy notes, "Natronai, scarcely ninety years after ‘Anan's secession, tells us nothing about his aristocratic (Davidic) descent or about
10605-401: Was completed in 933; and four years later, through Ibn Sargado's father-in-law, Bishr ben Aaron, the two enemies were reconciled. Saadia was reinstated in his office; but he held it for only five more years. David b. Zakkai died before him (c. 940), being followed a few months later by the exilarch's son Judah, while David's young grandson was nobly protected by Saadia as by a father. According to
10710-482: Was developed the grammatical study of the Hebrew language. His dictionary, primitive and merely practical as it was, became the foundation of Hebrew lexicography; and the name "Agron" (literally, "collection"), which he chose and doubtless created, was long used as a designation for Hebrew lexicons, especially by the Karaites. The very categories of rhetoric, as they were found among the Arabs, were first applied by Saadia to
10815-679: Was in Aleppo , on his way from the East, when he learned of Ben Meïr's regulation of the Jewish calendar. Saadia addressed a warning to him, and in Mesopotamia, he placed his knowledge and pen at the disposal of the exilarch David ben Zakkai and the scholars of the academies, adding his letters to those sent by them to the communities of the Jewish diaspora (922). In Babylonia, he wrote his Sefer haMo'adim , or "Book of Festivals ," in which he refuted
10920-500: Was lit prior to, or during the Sabbath. However, the minority of Karaites who view the prohibition to be on kindling a fire often permit a fire to continue burning into the Sabbath. Historically, Karaites refrained from using or deriving benefit from fire until the Sabbath ends, and accordingly their homes were not lit during the night of the Sabbath. Many modern Karaites today use a fluorescent or LED lamp powered by batteries, which
11025-630: Was the practice before the Tabernacle was built in the Sinai Peninsula following the Exodus . They follow certain Torah laws for avoiding Ṭum’at Met (ritual impurity caused by contact with a dead body, human bones, graves, or being present in a space under any ceiling where a human died) which are no longer considered relevant in Rabbinic Judaism, except for Kohanim (members of the Jewish priestly class). The Karaite method of counting
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