IBN JAU, JACOB

IBN JAU, JACOB
IBN JAU, JACOB (d.c. 990), wealthy silk merchant and manufacturer, and nasi (leader) of the Jews in Muslim Spain (including parts of Morocco) after the death of Ḥisdai ibn Shaprut of Cordoba. The source of information on Jacob ibn Jau and his brother Joseph is the Sefer-ha-Kabbalah by Abraham ibn Daud. Residents of Cordoba, the Ibn Jau brothers sought the favor of al-Mansūr, chamberlain to the caliph Hishām II, and virtual ruler of Muslim Spain, and presented a gift of gold and luxurious silk clothing to al-Manṣūr, thereby impressing him with their wealth and prestige. Al-Manẓūr appointed Jacob nasi of Jewry throughout the kingdom, and Cordoba Jewry made the office a hereditary position for Jacob's descendants. However, when one year later Jacob failed to produce the sum of money in taxes demanded of the Jews by al-Manẓūr, the latter had him imprisoned. After serving a year's sentence, Jacob was released by Hishām II, who reinstated him as nasi. Ibn Jau is particularly noted for his vigorous support of joseph ibn abitur and his equally vehement opposition to Ḥanokh, head of the academy of Cordoba, regarding rabbinical authority. Ibn Jau attempted to give the control of religious matters to Ibn Abitur while he was in charge of fiscal matters. Ibn Daud states that during Ibn Jau's first year as nasi, he threatened Hanokh with violence should he render judicial decisions. Even after his reinstatement, Ibn Jau was neither   successful in undermining Ḥanokh's authority nor in removing him from his position of head of the academy. Despite his personal ambition and obsequiousness to Muslim authorities, Ibn Jau was remembered for his generosity to the poor, and was mourned by Ḥanokh who expressed his concern for the welfare of the poor at the loss of their benefactor. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: G.D. Cohen, in: PAAJR, 29 (1961), 55–123; Abraham Ibn Daud, Sefer ha-Qabbalah – The Book of Tradition, ed. by G.D. Cohen (1967), 68–70; Ashtor, Korot, 1 (1966), 245ff.; Baron, Social, 5 (1957), 44f.

Encyclopedia Judaica. 1971.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Jacob ibn Jau — (Hebrew Ya akov ben Gau ; Arab. Yakub ibn Jau ) was a Jewish silk manufacturer at Cordova, occupying a high position at the court of the Umayyad Caliph Hisham II. He died about 1000. Amador de los Rios calls him Ibn Gan. Jacob and his brother… …   Wikipedia

  • IBN ABITUR, JOSEPH BEN ISAAC — (10th–11th century), Spanish talmudic scholar and poet. Frequently mentioned under the name of Ibn Shatanash, Ibn Abitur explains that this name was given to his great grandfather who wielded great power in Spain… including the power over life… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • NAGID — (Heb. נָגִיד, pl. נְגִידִים; Ar. raʾīs al yahūd), the head of the Jewish community in Islamic countries (except under   abbasid rule where Jewry was led by the exilarchs ). In the Middle Ages, beginning with the tenth century, there were negidim… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • SPAIN — (in Hebrew at first אספמיא then ספרד), country in S.W. Europe. The use of the word Spain to denote Sepharad has caused some confusion in research. Spain came into being long after the Jews had been expelled from the Crowns of Castile and Aragon,… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • UMAYYADS — UMAYYADS, dynasty (660–750) under which the Arabs established their empire, extending from Central Asia and the Indian border to the Atlantic Ocean. The religious ties which had unified Muslims under the first four Orthodox caliphs ( al Rāshidūn… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Hanokh ben Moshe — …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Hanokh ben Moïse — Hanokh ben Moshe Hanokh ben Moshe (hébreu : חנוך בן משה) est un rabbin andalou des Xe et XIe siècles (950 1014 ou 1024 EC). Éléments biographiques La vie de Hanokh ben Moshe n est connue que par ce qu en rapporte Abraham ibn Dawd (le… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • MANṢŪR° — (Al; full name: al Mansur Ibn Abi ʿAmir; in Christian sources, Almanzor; d. 1002), chamberlain (Ar. ḥājib) of Caliph Hishām II (976–1013) of Spain. Al Manṣūr in effect ruled umayyad Spain as virtual dictator and in 996 assumed royal titles. His… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • CÓRDOBA — (Cordova, also Corduba), city in Andalusia, southern Spain. According to some sources, the Jews were entrusted with the city s defense immediately after the Muslim conquest in 711. The first references to Jewish settlement in Córdoba date from… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • ḤANOKH BEN MOSES — HANOKH BEN MOSES (d. 1014), Spanish talmudist. The biography of Ḥanokh the son of Moses b. Ḥanokh , is told in abraham ibn daud s Sefer ha Kabbalah (The Book of Traditions, ed. by G.D. Cohen (1967), 65–71). On the death of his father in about 965 …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”