Ephraim Alnaqua

Rabbi Ephraim ben Israel Alnaqua (1359–1442)

According to a legend, Alnaqua escaped from the Spanish Inquisition, which had martyred his father (Rabbi Israel Ben Joseph)^[1] and mother at the stake, and came to Tlemcen mounted on a lion, using a serpent as a halter. Azulai refers to him as a miracle worker. Alnaqua succeeded, after all, other physicians had failed, in curing the only daughter of a king of the Zayyanid dynasty. Refusing the reward of gold and silver offered him by the king, he begged only that the Jews living near Tlemçen might be united in it. In this way, the community was formed. Alnaqua's first care was to establish a large synagogue: this is still in existence^[update], and bears his name.^[2] Above the rabbi's chair, on which the verse Jer. xvii.12 is engraved, a lamp burns perpetually. Alnaqua's grave, surrounded by those of his family, is in the old cemetery: it is sacred to North African Jews, and is frequently visited but is currently closed^[update] by pilgrims from all Algeria.^[3]

Alnaqua had two sons, Israel and Judah. The latter lived at Oran,

• Israel Alnaqua
• Jacky N'Kaoua, aka Papi Jacky ^[4]

Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography

• Azulai
  , Shem ha-Gedolim, s.v.;
• Benjacob
  , Oẓar ha-Sefarim, p. 599;
• Neubauer, Cat. Bodl. Hebr. MSS. Nos. 939, 2; 1258, 2;
• Revue Africaine, 1870, pp. 377–383;
• Zunz, Z. G. p. 435;
• idem, Literaturgesch. p. 524.

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Singer, Isidore; et al., eds. (1901–1906). "Alnaqua". The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.

External links

Media related to Ephraim Alnaqua at Wikimedia Commons