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Semah ben Josiah (Hebrew: צמח בן יאשיהו) was the great-grandson of Anan ben David, a Nasi, and the head of the Palestinian yeshiva in the 9th century.[1]

Details

According to a fragment found in the Cairo Genizah (T-S 312.82), Semah reigned as head of the Palestinian Yeshiva for 31 years and was a Rabbanite.[2] His children lost the position to the rival Gaonic family.[1] Another Genizah fragment (T-S 12.128) lists Semah as both a Rosh Yeshiva and a Nasi.[3]

Semah was proceeded in the Gaonate by his brother Jehoshaphat.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c Gil, Moshe (1992), A history of Palestine, 634-1099, translated by Broido, Ethel, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 657-659 (section 852), ISBN 9780521599849
  2. ^ The seemingly incongruous fact that these supposedly Karaite princes served in the Palestinian Gaonate can be explained by the fact that only during the 10th century did Karaites claim Anan as their founder and include these Nesi'im in their pedigree, see Rustow, Marina (October 2010). "Gaon and Gaonate". Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World. Leiden: Brill. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  3. ^ Mann, Jacob (1972), Texts and Studies in Jewish History and Literature: Ḳaraitica., United States: Ktav Publishing House, p. 131, ISBN 9780870680854
Jewish titles Preceded byPossibly Jehoshaphat ben Josiah Gaon of PalestineSemah ben Josiah circa 862–893 Succeeded byAaron ben Moses ben Meir
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