Aaron ben Moses ben Asher
Aaron ben Moses ben Asher (
Biography
Aaron ben Moses ben Asher lived and worked in the city of
Questions about possible Karaite ancestry
Scholars have long debated as to whether Aaron ben Asher was a Karaite. While many modern scholars lean toward this being true,[1][2][3][4] there is no clear consensus, and so the question remains open.[5]
The idea was first suggested in 1860 by Simhah Pinsker, who argued that Masoretes in general should be ‘suspected’ of being Karaites since they seem to have devoted all of their time to the Bible and showed no interest in rabbinic Midrash or Talmud, which at times contradicts the Masoretic Text. Numerous other pieces of circumstantial evidence were presented to make a strong case, however not strong enough to tip the scales and end the debate.[3][6]
Some examples of evidence for this assertion include:
- Strong parallels to Karaite theology in the way both Aaron and his father Moshe write about all three parts of the Hebrew Bible being equally authoritative in terms of halakha (a classic Karaite position);
- The Masoretic Text does not follow the order set down in the Talmud (Isaiah after Ezekiel), which was accepted as authoritative by Rabbanites, but rejected by the Karaites (the Masoretic Text also differs from verses quoted in the Talmud);
- The Codex contains a prayer for the protection of a temple (presumably referring to the Karaite temple, as the Rabbanites did not have a temple at the time);
- Writings of the time refer to the Ben Ashers with honorifics more typically used by Karaites (such as melamed (teacher) and maskil ('enlightened one');
- Indications that the Codex Cairensis, thought to have been written by his father, was sponsored by a Karaite (based on language used by the sponsor);
- The Codex was in the possession of the Karaites since the time of its inscribed dedication (even before they ransomed it from the crusaders).[5]
A turning point came in the 1950s when Benjamin Klar discovered that an anti-Karaite polemical poem by
Works
Ben Asher was the first systematic Hebrew grammarian. In an age where Hebrew grammatical principles were not considered worthy of independent study, he was the first to take this discipline seriously. His Sefer Dikdukei ha-Te'amim ('Grammatical Analysis of the Accents') was an original collection of grammatical rules and Masoretic information.
Ben Asher added mesorah (vowelization and cantillation notes) to the Aleppo Codex, correcting its letter-text according to the Masoretic Text. The value of this work is that the grammatical rules presented by ben Asher reveal the linguistic background of vocalization for the first time.
Legacy
For over a thousand years, ben Asher has been regarded by Jews of all persuasions as having produced the most accurate version of the Masoretic Text. Since his day, handwritten manuscripts and printed versions of the Hebrew Bible have, for the most part, followed his system.
Umberto Cassuto used the Aleppo Codex as the basis of his edition of the Hebrew Bible.[11]
See also
Footnotes
References
- ISBN 978-0-19-172722-1.
- ISBN 978-0-02-866097-4– via Gale Virtual Reference Library.
- ^ ISSN 2589-255X.
- doi:10.5508/jhs.2015.v15.r5. Archived from the originalon 2021-04-25. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
he makes subtle allusions to his view that the ben Asher family was not Karaite, contrary to popular belief
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8276-0957-0.
- ^ ISSN 2212-9421.
- ^ Graetz, Heinrich (1894). History of the Jews: From the revolt against the Zendik, 511 C.E., to the capture of St. Jean d'Acre by the Mahometans, 1291 C.E. Jewish Publication Society of America. p. 207.
- ^ JSTOR 1450219.
- ^ "MASORAH – JewishEncyclopedia.com". www.jewishencyclopedia.com.
- ^ Cohen, Menachem. "The Idea of the Sanctity of the Biblical Text". users.cecs.anu.edu.au.
- ^ "A Wandering Bible: The Aleppo Codex". The Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Archived from the original on 3 November 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
Further reading
- Aaron Dotan, "Was Aharon Ben Asher Indeed a Karaite?" (Hebrew), in S.Z. Leiman, The Canon and Masorah of the Hebrew Bible: An Introductory Reader (New York: Ktav, 1974).
- Aaron Dotan, "Ben Asher's Creed" (Missoula, Montana: Scholars Press, 1977).
- Rafael Zer, "Was the Masorete of the Keter a Rabbanite or Karaite?", Sefunot23 (2003) Pages 573-587 (Hebrew)