IBN MUHĀJIR, ABRAHAM BEN MEIR

IBN MUHĀJIR, ABRAHAM BEN MEIR (c. 1100; also called Ibn Shortmeqash), leader of the Jewish community in seville , Spain. A member of a prominent family, Abraham served at the court of the Abbadid king al-Muʾtamid, and was called by the title of "vizier." He is mentioned by the poets judah halevi and moses ibn ezra . The latter speaks of his aid to the Jews in times of crisis, especially, his redemption of captives. Ibn Ezra dedicated his Sefer ha-Anak (Tarshish) to Ibn Muhājir, thus recognizing the latter's generous support and encouragement. Abraham was also well versed in astronomy and in Talmud. His brothers JOSEPH and the poet OHEB both called "ha-Nasi" (= "the Prince") are mentioned by the historian abraham ibn daud . Joseph apparently was host to isaac alfasi when he first came to Spain. ISAAC IBN MUHĀJIR was an official; and his relative, ABU SULEIMAN, was a distinguished poet. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: Abraham ibn Daud, Sefer ha-Qabbalah – The Book of Tradition, ed. by G.D. Cohen (1967), index; H. Brody, in: Ha-Goren, 10 (1928), 60–80; Moses ibn Ezra, Shirei ha-Ḥol, ed. by Ḥ. Brody, 1 (1935), no. 183; J.H. Schirmann, in: Tarbiz, 9 (1938), 53; idem, in: YMḤSI, 6 (1945), 260; S.H. Stern, in: Al-Andalus, 13 (1948), 325f.; García-Gómez, ibid., 15 (1950), 169f.; F. Cantera, in: Sefarad, 9 (1949), 225f.; Ashtor, Korot, 2 (19662), 291; idem, in: Sefarad, 24 (1964), 64ff. IBN MŪSĀ, ḤAYYIM BEN JUDAH IBN Mūsā, ḤAYYIM BEN JUDAH (1380?–1460), biblical commentator and physician born in Béjar, near Salamanca, spain . He became celebrated for his professional ability and served "in the courts of kings and nobles" for about 40 years. During his dealings with officials and clerics, Ibn Mūsā sometimes entered into religious disputations . These led him to compose Magen va-Romaḥ in which he provided arguments for defense and attack for use in disputes with converts or Christian scholars. Its major purpose was to prove that the Messiah had not yet come. He determined 12 rules to be adhered to in religious debates, which if observed would unfailingly secure the victory of the Jewish side. According to abraham zacuto , Ibn Mūsā was also a liturgical poet. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: D. Kauffmann, in: Bet Talmud, 2 (1881), 110ff.; Baer, Spain, 2 (1966), 253–4, 260, 486 n. 9, 487 n. 16; A. Zacuto, Yuḥasin ha-Shalem, ed. by H. Filipowski (1857), 229; Steinschneider, Uebersetzungen, 706; Graetz-Rabbinowitz, 5 (1896), 399; 6 (1898), 419–20; A. Posnanski, Schiloh (1904), 251–6.