The Arabic Translation and Commentary # of Yefet ben Eli the Karaite on the Book of Esther Études sur le Judaïsme Médiéval Fondées par Georges Vajda Dirigéespar Paul B. Fenton TOMEXXXVI Karaite Texts and Studies Editedby Meira Polliack TelAvivUniversity Michael G. Wechsler MoodyBibleInstitute,Chicago Volume1 The Arabic Translation and # Commentary of Yefet ben Eli the Karaite on the Book of Esther Edition,Translation,andIntroduction Michael G. Wechsler LEIDEN•BOSTON 2008 Thisbookisprintedonacid-freepaper. LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData JaphethbenAli,ha-Levi,10thcent. [SharhMegilatAhashverosh.English&Judeo-Arabic.] TheArabictranslationandcommentaryofYefetben'ElitheKaraiteonthebookof Esther/edition,translation,andintroduction[by]MichaelG.Wechsler. p.cm.--(Etudessurlejudaïsmemédiéval;v.36)(Karaitetextsandstudies;v.1) Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindexes. ISBN978-90-04-16388-1(alk.paper) 1.Bible.O.T.Esther--Commentaries--Earlyworksto1800.2.Karaites.I.Wechsler, MichaelG.II.Title.III.Series. BS1375.53.J362008 222’.9077--dc22 2008017534 ISSN: 0169-815X ISBN:9789004163881 Copyright2008byKoninklijkeBrillNV,Leiden,TheNetherlands. KoninklijkeBrillNVincorporatestheimprintsBrill,HoteiPublishing, IDCPublishers,MartinusNijhoffPublishersandVSP. Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,translated,storedin aretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical, photocopying,recordingorotherwise,withoutpriorwrittenpermissionfromthepublisher. AuthorizationtophotocopyitemsforinternalorpersonaluseisgrantedbyKoninklijkeBrillNV providedthattheappropriatefeesarepaiddirectlytoTheCopyrightClearanceCenter, 222RosewoodDrive,Suite910,Danvers,MA01923,USA. Feesaresubjecttochange. printedinthenetherlands For my mother, Joan Mildred Wechsler née Hirsch (cid:2)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:6)(cid:7) (cid:8)(cid:9)(cid:10)(cid:9)(cid:11)(cid:12)(cid:13)(cid:2)(cid:3) (cid:14)(cid:15)(cid:12)(cid:16)(cid:17)(cid:18) (cid:19)(cid:20)(cid:21)(cid:2)(cid:22) (cid:13)(cid:23)(cid:24)(cid:12)(cid:13) (cid:25)(cid:26)(cid:15)(cid:9)(cid:10)(cid:20)(cid:11)(cid:12)(cid:13)(cid:2)(cid:3) (cid:14)(cid:20)(cid:27)(cid:4)(cid:13) (cid:28)(cid:19)(cid:2)(cid:29)(cid:2)(cid:22)(cid:26)(cid:18) (cid:25)(cid:9)(cid:29) (cid:30)(cid:30)(cid:13)(cid:19)(cid:15)(cid:31) (cid:13)(cid:30)(cid:30) !(cid:15)(cid:7)"(cid:13) (cid:13)(cid:19)(cid:7)(cid:13)(cid:15)— CONTENTS PrefacetotheSeries................................................... xiii Acknowledgements .................................................... xix part i INTRODUCTION ChapterOne Yefet’sLifeandWorks................................ 3 ChapterTwo Yefet’sExegesisofEsther............................. 13 1. RationalisticMethod........................................... 13 2. CompilatoryAspect ............................................ 35 3. Mu#taziliteInfluence ........................................... 40 4. RelationshiptoRabbinic Sources ............................. 58 4.1. Midrashic-Talmudic Sources............................. 58 4.2. SaadiaGaon .............................................. 66 4.3. Abraham IbnEzra........................................ 71 5. RelationshiptoKaraite Sources ............................... 78 5.1. SalmonbenYeru¯h.im ..................................... 78 5.2. LaterKaraiteSources .................................... 83 ChapterThree Yefet’sTranslationofEsther........................ 91 1. LiteralisticTechnique .......................................... 91 2. AlternateTranslations..........................................100 3. SelectiveComparisontotheTranslationsofSaadiaand Salmon..........................................................112 ChapterFour OtherKaraite CommentariesonEsther............123 1. Judaeo-Arabic Commentaries .................................124 1.1. SalmonbenYeru¯h.im .....................................124 1.2. Abu¯ Ya#qu¯bYu¯sufibnNu¯h. ..............................127 1.3. Judah MeirTaur¯ızi .......................................128 1.4. AnAnonymousAbridgment fromtheSchoolofIbn Nu¯h.........................................................129