MOSES BEN SAMUEL OF DAMASCUS
- MOSES BEN SAMUEL OF DAMASCUS
- MOSES BEN SAMUEL OF DAMASCUS (14th century),
Karaite poet. Moses, who was born in Safed, Ereẓ Israel, was employed in
Damascus as clerk in charge of the emir's private estates. In 1354 the
emir received an order requiring him to remove non-Muslims from
government service. Moses was seized, charged with blasphemy against
Islam, and given the choice of forfeiting his life or becoming a Muslim.
He chose the latter. Some time later the emir went on a pilgrimage to
Mecca, and Moses was compelled to accompany him. What he observed of the
pilgrimage ritual led him to resolve to return to Judaism. The emir at
first refused to release him but he fell ill and soon died. Moses then
appears to have escaped to Egypt and entered the service of the royal
vizier, apparently returning to his ancestral faith. His works, all in
Hebrew verse, include a description of his tribulations and of his Mecca
pilgrimage. His liturgical pieces display depth of feeling and an
occasional lyrical inspiration.
-BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Mann, Texts, 2 (1935), 213–32; L. Nemoy, Karaite Anthology
(1952), 147–69.
(Leon Nemoy)
Encyclopedia Judaica.
1971.
Look at other dictionaries:
ZACUTO, ABRAHAM BEN SAMUEL — (1452–c. 1515), astronomer and historian. His ancestors were French Jewish exiles who had come to Castile in 1306. In his biblical and talmudic studies he was instructed by his father and R. isaac aboab ii , and he attended the University of… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
BARUCH BEN SAMUEL — (d. 1834), adventurer and physician. Baruch was born in Pinsk and emigrated to Safed in 1819. The reports of a messenger who traveled from Safed to Yemen and back in 1825 gave rise to wondrous tales about a Jew from the tribe of Dan whom he… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
MOSES — (Heb. מֹשֶׁה; LXX, Mōusēs; Vulg. Moyses), leader, prophet, and lawgiver (set in modern chronology in the first half of the 13th century B.C.E.). Commissioned to take the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses led them from his 80th year to his death at… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
DAMASCUS — DAMASCUS, capital of Syria; in olden times a caravan center at an oasis in Southern Syria, on the principal crossroads between Mesopotamia Syria and Palestine Transjordan. In the Bible The name appears as דַּמֶּשֶׂק Dammesek (but once as… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
SAMUEL BEN ALI — (Samuel ha Levi ben al Dastur – the Aristocrat ; d. 1194), one of the geonim of the post geonic period (which lasted for about 200 years after the geonic period proper). He was the most prominent and important of the 12th century Babylonian… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
BEN-ZVI (Shimshelevich), IZHAK — (1884–1963). Labor leader in the Yishuv, historian, Israeli politician, second president of the State of Israel; member of the First and Second Knessets. Ben Zvi was born in Poltava, Ukraine, the eldest son of Ẓevi Shimshelevich. His father, a… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
Damascus Document — The Damascus Document (CD) (the Cairo Damascus document) or Damascus Rule is one of the most interesting texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls because it is the only Qumran sectarian work that was known before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. There … Wikipedia
VITAL, ḤAYYIM BEN JOSEPH — (1542–1620), one of the greatest kabbalists. Vital was born in Ereẓ Israel, apparently in Safed. His father, Joseph Vital Calabrese, whose name indicates his origin from Calabria, South Italy, was a well known scribe in Safed (see responsa of… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
MAIMONIDES, MOSES — (Moses ben Maimon; known in rabbinical literature as Rambam ; from the acronym Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon; 1135–1204), rabbinic authority, codifier, philosopher, and royal physician. BIOGRAPHY The most illustrious figure in Judaism in the post… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
Hayyim ben Joseph Vital — (Calabria, 1543[1] – Damascus, 23 April 1620[2]) was a rabbi in Safed and the foremost disciple of Isaac Luria. He recorded much of his master s teachings. After Vital s death his writings spread having a powerful impact on various circles… … Wikipedia
