Yefet ben Ali | |
---|---|
Nationality | Karaites |
Era | 10th century CE |
Known for | Commentator on the Bible |
Yefet ben Ali (Hebrew: יפת בן עלי הלוי (הבצרי))[1] was perhaps the foremost Karaite commentator on the Bible, during the "Golden Age of Karaism". He lived about 95 years, c. 914-1009.[2] Born in Basra in the Abbasid Caliphate (now in Iraq), he later moved to Jerusalem between 950 and 980, where he died. The Karaites distinguished him by the epithet maskil ha-Golah (teacher of the Exile).[3]
His commentaries were written in Judeo-Arabic, and covered the entire Hebrew Bible. They were accompanied by a very literal translation of the Hebrew text, which often violated the rules of Arabic grammar. These writings influenced the rabbinical sage Abraham ibn Ezra, who quotes Yefet forty-two times in his commentary of the minor prophets.
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