Exegetic writing of Ephraim Ben Shemaria, head of community in Fustat, Egypt, during the first half of the eleventh century
Ephraim Ben Shemaria was the Head of the Fustat community between the years 1016—55. Like all leaders and heads of community of his time, he devoted a great deal of time to exegetic and sermonic writing. In the Genizah, a few documents of exegetic and sermonic nature were found, that I recognized ac...
| Published in: | Hebrew Union College annual / Jewish Institute of Religion |
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| Subtitles: | יצירתו של אפרים בן שמריה, ראש הקהילה בפסטאט מצרים במחצית המאה הי"א |
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Print Article |
| Language: | Hebrew |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
College
2004
|
| In: |
Hebrew Union College annual / Jewish Institute of Religion
|
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Judaism
/ Middle Ages
B Exegesis / Rabbinic Judaism |
| RelBib Classification: | BH Judaism KAC Church history 500-1500; Middle Ages TC Pre-Christian history ; Ancient Near East TE Middle Ages |
| Further subjects: | B
Egypt
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| Summary: | Ephraim Ben Shemaria was the Head of the Fustat community between the years 1016—55. Like all leaders and heads of community of his time, he devoted a great deal of time to exegetic and sermonic writing. In the Genizah, a few documents of exegetic and sermonic nature were found, that I recognized according to his typical handwriting. Some of the findings are in the nature of sermons, which Ephraim probably gave on the Sabbath day. Other documents take the form of Responsa to queries, while some seem to be part of a complete commentary to the Book of Genesis. According to his writings, Ephraim's scholarly education was rich and diverse. He was knowledgeable in Palestinian midrash and piyyut on the one hand, and in the writings of Samuel Ben Hofni, the Gaon of Sura in his time, on the other hand. But Ephraim also had vast general education. His writings are also influenced by Muslim philosophy, and especially by the theoretical method of the Kalam from which the Mu'tazila movement started and which was influential from the ninth century. We can assume that Ephraim knew the principals of Kalam through the writings of Rav Sa'adia Gaon from the tenth century. These sections enable us to learn about the sources of Ephraim Ben Shemaria's extensive knowledge, what he based his writings on, whom he was influenced by and whom he imitated. His writing can be a testimony to the scholarly level of a person from the social elite of the Jews in Egypt during the eleventh century. |
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| ISSN: | 0360-9049 |
| Contains: | In: Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Hebrew Union College annual / Jewish Institute of Religion
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