The Arabic Translation and Commentary of Yefet ben 'Eli the Karaite on the Book of Esther (Etudes Sur Le Judaisme Medieval) (v. 1)

465 Pages·2008·3.73 MB·English

by  Michael G. Wechsler

The Arabic Translation and Commentary
#
of Yefet ben Eli the Karaite on the Book of Esther

Études sur
le Judaïsme Médiéval
Fondées par
Georges Vajda
Dirigéespar
Paul B. Fenton
TOMEXXXVI
Karaite Texts and Studies
Editedby
Meira Polliack
TelAvivUniversity
Michael G. Wechsler
MoodyBibleInstitute,Chicago
Volume1
The Arabic Translation and
#
Commentary of Yefet ben Eli the
Karaite on the Book of Esther
Edition,Translation,andIntroduction
Michael G. Wechsler
LEIDEN•BOSTON
2008
Thisbookisprintedonacid-freepaper.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
JaphethbenAli,ha-Levi,10thcent.
[SharhMegilatAhashverosh.English&Judeo-Arabic.]
TheArabictranslationandcommentaryofYefetben'ElitheKaraiteonthebookof
Esther/edition,translation,andintroduction[by]MichaelG.Wechsler.
p.cm.--(Etudessurlejudaïsmemédiéval;v.36)(Karaitetextsandstudies;v.1)
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindexes.
ISBN978-90-04-16388-1(alk.paper)
1.Bible.O.T.Esther--Commentaries--Earlyworksto1800.2.Karaites.I.Wechsler,
MichaelG.II.Title.III.Series.
BS1375.53.J362008
222’.9077--dc22
2008017534
ISSN: 0169-815X
ISBN:9789004163881
Copyright2008byKoninklijkeBrillNV,Leiden,TheNetherlands.
KoninklijkeBrillNVincorporatestheimprintsBrill,HoteiPublishing,
IDCPublishers,MartinusNijhoffPublishersandVSP.
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,translated,storedin
aretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,
photocopying,recordingorotherwise,withoutpriorwrittenpermissionfromthepublisher.
AuthorizationtophotocopyitemsforinternalorpersonaluseisgrantedbyKoninklijkeBrillNV
providedthattheappropriatefeesarepaiddirectlytoTheCopyrightClearanceCenter,
222RosewoodDrive,Suite910,Danvers,MA01923,USA.
Feesaresubjecttochange.
printedinthenetherlands
For my mother,
Joan Mildred Wechsler
née Hirsch
(cid:2)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:6)(cid:7) (cid:8)(cid:9)(cid:10)(cid:9)(cid:11)(cid:12)(cid:13)(cid:2)(cid:3) (cid:14)(cid:15)(cid:12)(cid:16)(cid:17)(cid:18) (cid:19)(cid:20)(cid:21)(cid:2)(cid:22) (cid:13)(cid:23)(cid:24)(cid:12)(cid:13)
(cid:25)(cid:26)(cid:15)(cid:9)(cid:10)(cid:20)(cid:11)(cid:12)(cid:13)(cid:2)(cid:3) (cid:14)(cid:20)(cid:27)(cid:4)(cid:13) (cid:28)(cid:19)(cid:2)(cid:29)(cid:2)(cid:22)(cid:26)(cid:18) (cid:25)(cid:9)(cid:29)
(cid:30)(cid:30)(cid:13)(cid:19)(cid:15)(cid:31) (cid:13)(cid:30)(cid:30) !(cid:15)(cid:7)"(cid:13) (cid:13)(cid:19)(cid:7)(cid:13)(cid:15)—

CONTENTS
PrefacetotheSeries................................................... xiii
Acknowledgements .................................................... xix
part i
INTRODUCTION
ChapterOne Yefet’sLifeandWorks................................ 3
ChapterTwo Yefet’sExegesisofEsther............................. 13
1. RationalisticMethod........................................... 13
2. CompilatoryAspect ............................................ 35
3. Mu#taziliteInfluence ........................................... 40
4. RelationshiptoRabbinic Sources ............................. 58
4.1. Midrashic-Talmudic Sources............................. 58
4.2. SaadiaGaon .............................................. 66
4.3. Abraham IbnEzra........................................ 71
5. RelationshiptoKaraite Sources ............................... 78
5.1. SalmonbenYeru¯h.im ..................................... 78
5.2. LaterKaraiteSources .................................... 83
ChapterThree Yefet’sTranslationofEsther........................ 91
1. LiteralisticTechnique .......................................... 91
2. AlternateTranslations..........................................100
3. SelectiveComparisontotheTranslationsofSaadiaand
Salmon..........................................................112
ChapterFour OtherKaraite CommentariesonEsther............123
1. Judaeo-Arabic Commentaries .................................124
1.1. SalmonbenYeru¯h.im .....................................124
1.2. Abu¯ Ya#qu¯bYu¯sufibnNu¯h. ..............................127
1.3. Judah MeirTaur¯ızi .......................................128
1.4. AnAnonymousAbridgment fromtheSchoolofIbn
Nu¯h.........................................................129