The Arabic translation and commentary of Yefet ben 'Eli the Karaite on the Book of Joshua
By: by James T. Robinson
Contributors: Japheth ben Ali, ha-Levi, active 10th century
Series: Études sur le Judaïsme médiéval -- Tome LXIV; Karaite texts and studies -- volume 7
Publisher: Brill
Published: 2015
Place of publication: Leiden; Boston
Language: eng; heb; ara
Number of pages: 204
ISBN-13: 9789004283121; 9789004283541
Subjects: Criticism, interpretation; Karaites; Bible
Other titles: Bible. Joshua. Judeo-Arabic. Japheth ben Ali.
Description: "Yefet ben ‘Eli (fl. 960-1005) was the most prolific and influential biblical exegete in the Karaite tradition. He was possibly the earliest Jew to write a commentary on the entire Hebrew Bible, and his writings were cited and borrowed from by Karaites and Rabbanites alike, from his own time to the early modern period. Despite his importance, however, only a small percentage of his works have been published. The present volume makes available for the first time his commentary on Joshua, which includes an Arabic translation of this difficult book with full Arabic commentary. The story of Rachab, the 'second circumcision,' the covenant with the Gibonites, and the Sun standing still are among the things that captured Yefet’s interest, who surveyed different views on these crux passages before presenting his own, very original exposition."--
Notes: Includes index.
Table of contents: title: Yefet ben 'Eli on the Book of Joshua: preliminary observations; title: Yefet b. 'Eli and his commentary on Joshua; title: 1. The Translation of Hebrew place names; title: 2. The use of Islamic terminology in the translation; title: 3. Alternative translations; title: 4. Pious interpolations with names for God; title: 5. The working out of interpretations within the translation Itself; title: 6. The possible influence of Saadia; title: 7. Apologetic and polemical readings; title: Introduction to the edition; title: The manuscripts; title: The Hebraized tradition; title: The Arabized tradition; title: Short fragments; title: Format and method of editing; title: The apparatuses; title: Examples of variants in the First Apparatus; title: Examples of variants in the Second Apparatus; title: Sigla; title: Appendix. The eleventh-century Arabic-character fragments (British Library Or. 2547).