Ezra ben Abraham
Ezra ben Abraham (Hebrew: עזרא בן אברהם), also recorded as Azariah, was the head of the remnant of the Palestinian Gaonate in Damascus in the second half of the 12th century.
Details
Ezra was the son of Abraham ben Mazhir, the Gaon in Damascus. Ezra first appears in a poem of Isaac ibn Ezra (he) from 1142 dedicated to Ezra's father that mentions his four children, including Ezra.[1][2] When Benjamin of Tudela visited Damascus around 1168 he found Ezra, whom he refers to as Azariah, already as Gaon.[3] Petachiah of Regensburg also mentions Ezra in his description of visiting Damascus around 1175. Petachiah notes that Ezra, the Rosh Yeshiva, is "filled with Torah" for he was ordained by the Baghdadi Gaon Samuel ben Ali.[4]
A letter from the same Samuel ben Ali from 1172 includes a postscript and a signature of Ezra, who was then in Aleppo.[5] Ezra is also mentioned in one fragment from the Cairo Genizah, which contains a prayer for Ezra in very flowery language.[6]
Jacob Mann was of the opinion that there was a rivalry between the two branches of the Palestine Gaonate, the one in Damascus, led by Ezra, and the one in Fustat then led by Netanel ben Moses ha-Levi. According to Mann's reconstruction, Samuel ben Ali supported Ezra while Netanel was supported by the Babylonian Exilarch Daniel ben Hisdai. This was part of the larger rivalry between these two Babylonian figures.[7]
By 1191 Ezra was no longer alive, as is clear from a different letter of Samuel ben Ali.[8] Mann believed that this letter was sent to a son of Ezra named Abraham, who inherited the Gaonate from him.[9] Assaf and Fleischer understood the letter differently, and do not believe there is any evidence for such an individual.[10][11] According to the later approach, Ezra was likely succeeded by his brother Sar Shalom.
References
- ^ Schmelzer 1979, pp. 3–9.
- ^ The poem is available here, his name is mentioned on line four
- ^ Benjamin of Tudela 1907, p. 30.
- ^ Petachiah of Regensburg 1856, pp. 52–53.
- ^ Assaf 1930, p. 135.
- ^ T-S 8J8.15
- ^ Mann 1935, pp. 230–236.
- ^ Assaf 1930, pp. 14–15, 67.
- ^ Mann 1935, p. 252, fn. 14.
- ^ Assaf 1930, pp. 14–15.
- ^ Fleischer 2002, p. 110, fn. 88.
Bibliography
- Assaf, Simcha (1930). קובץ של אגרות ר' שמואל בן עלי ובני דורו [Letters of R. Samuel ben Eli and his Contemporaries] (in Hebrew). Jerusalem.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Benjamin of Tudela (1907). The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela. Translated by Adler, Marcus Nathan. London: Oxford University Press.
- Fleischer, Ezra (2002). "New Poems by Judah al-Harizi". Kobez al Yad (in Hebrew). 16 (XXVI): 85–139. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- Mann, Jacob (1935). Texts and Studies in Jewish History and Literature. Vol. 1. Hebrew Press of the Jewish Publication Society of America.
- Petachiah of Regensburg (1856). Benisch, Abraham; Ainsworth, William Francis (eds.). Travels of Rabbi Petachia of Ratisbon. London: The Jewish Chronicle.
- Schmelzer, Menahem H. (1979). Poems of Isaac Ben Abraham Ibn Ezra (in Hebrew). New York: Jewish Theological Seminary.
Jewish titles | ||
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Preceded by Abraham ben Mazhir | Palestinian Gaon in Damascus Ezra ben Abraham c.1160-1170s | Succeeded by likely Sar Shalom ben Abraham |
- v
- t
- e
- Hanan of Iskiya
- Mari ben R. Dimi
- Rav Hana (Huna)
- Rav Rabbah (Rava, Ravah)
- Rav Bosai (Bostanai)
- Huna Mari ben Mar Joseph
- Hiyya of Meshan
- Rav Rabya (Moronai)
- Natronai ben Nehemiah
- Judah Gaon
- Joseph Gaon
- Samuel ben Mar Mari
- Natroi Kahana b. Emuna
- Abraham Kahana
- Dodai ben Nahman (Rav Dorai)
- Hananya ben Mesharsheya
- Malka ben Aha
- Rabba ben Dodai
- Rav Shinwai
- Haninai Kahana ben Abraham
- Haninai Kahana ben Abraham
- Huna ben ha-Levi ben Isaac
- Manasseh ben Joseph
- Isaiah ha-Levi ben Abba
- Joseph ben Shila
- Kahana ben Haninai Gaon
- Abumai Kahana ben Abraham
- Joseph ben Abba
- Abraham ben Sherira
- Joseph ben Mar Hiyya
- Isaac ben Hananiah
- Joseph ben Abba
- Paltoi ben Abaye
- Aha Kahana ben Mar Rav
- Menahem ben Joseph ben Hiyya
- Mattithiah ha-Kohen b. Ravrevay b. Hanina
- Abba ben Ammi
- Zemah ben Paltoi
- Hai ben David
- Kimoi ben Ahhai
- Mebasser Kahana ben Kimoi
- Kohen Tzedek Kahana ben Joseph
- Zemah ben Kafnai
- Hananiah ben Yehudai
- Aaron ibn Sargado
- Nehemiah ben Kohen Tzedek
- Sherira Gaon
- Hai Gaon
- Hezekiah Gaon
- Mar ben Huna
- Hanina (Hinenai)
- Rav Hunai (Huna)
- Rav Sheshna (Mesharsheya b. Tahlifa)
- Hanina of Nehar Pekkod (Hinenai)
- Hillai of Naresh
- Jacob of Nehar Pekod
- Rav Samuel
- Mari ha-Kohen of Nehar Pekod
- Achai Gaon
- Yehudai Gaon
- Ahhunai Kahana ben Papa
- Haninai Kahana ben Huna
- Mari ha-Levi ben Mesharsheya
- Bebai ha-Levi ben Abba of Nehar Pekod
- Hilai ben Mari
- Jacob ha-Kohen ben Mordecai
- Rav Abimai
- Zadok ben Ashi (Issac ben Jesse)
- Hilai ben Hananiah
- Kimoi ben Ashi
- Mesharsheya Kahana ben Jacob
- Kohen Tzedek ben Abimai
- Sar Shalom ben Boaz
- Natronai ben Hilai
- Amram Gaon
- Nahshon ben Zadok
- Zemah ben Hayyim
- Rav Malka
- Hai ben Nahshon
- Hilai ben Natronai ben Hilai
- Shalom ben Mishael
- Jacob ben Natronai
- Yom-Tob Kahana ben Jacob
- Saadia ben Joseph (Saadia Gaon)
- Joseph ben Jacob
- Zemah Tzedek ben Paltoi ben Issac
- Samuel ben Hofni
- Dosa ben Saadia
- Israel ha-Kohen ben Samuel ben Hofni
- Azariah ha-Kohen ben Israel
- Isaac ben Moses ben Sukkari
- Eli ha-Levi
- Solomon (Gaon)
- Samuel ben Ali
- Zechariah ben Berakhel
- Eleazer ben Hillel ben Fahd
- Daniel ben Eleazer ben Hibat Allah
- Hibat Allah ben Abil Rabi
- Isaac ben al-Awani ha-Cohen
- Isaac ben Israel Ibn al-Shuwaykh
- Ali ben Zechariah
- Samuel ben Daniel ha-Cohen
- Pinhas ben Jacob ha-Cohen
- Jehoshaphat ben Josiah
- Semah ben Josiah
- Aaron ben Moses ben Meir
- Isaac (Gaon)
- Aaron ben Meir
- Abraham ben Aaron
- Aaron ha-Cohen (Gaon)
- Joseph ben Ezrun ha-Cohen
- Ezrun
- Samuel ben Joseph ha-Cohen
- Jose ben Samuel ha-Cohen
- Shemaya Gaon
- Josiah ben Aaron
- Solomon ben Joseph ha-Cohen
- Solomon ben Judah (Gaon)
- Daniel ben Azariah
- Elijah ben Solomon ha-Cohen
- Abiathar ben Elijah ha-Cohen
- Solomon ben Elijah ha-Cohen
- Masliah ben Solomon ha-Cohen
- Moses ben Netanel ha-Levi
- Abraham ben Mazhir
- Netanel ben Moses ha-Levi
- Sar Shalom ben Moses ha-Levi
- Ezra ben Abraham
- Sar Shalom ben Abraham
- Sadoq
- Mar Isaac of Firuz Shabur
- Achai Gaon
- Simeon Kayyara