M. Polliack (Tel Aviv Univ.): Historicizing the Land of the Bible in Medieval Karaite Discourse
The Karaite branch of Judaism is one of many manifestations of medieval Jewish culture and identity. Its essence is reflected in the names given to its followers: kara’im, benei-miqra, ba‘alei miqra, all of which are derived from miqra, the Hebrew word for 'Bible' (literally: reading. The word Qurʾān shares the same root and primary meaning of reading, recitation). The Karaites created a distinct form of Judaism focused on reinstating the Hebrew Bible as the corner stone of Jewish religion. In this very "reformation" they were also reinstating the Land of the Bible as the focus of their active religious life. Naturally, this ideology lead to a historicizing trend in their biblical exegesis, alongside messianic and other, "non-historical" trends. Their movement crystallized in the second half of the 9th century among the Jewish communities of Persia and Iraq. In the early 10th century they founded an intellectual centre in Jerusalem that remained active until the late 11th century (Erder, 1997). During this two hundred year-long ‘Golden Age’ in Jerusalem, they produced major works of Hebrew grammar, Arabic Bible translation, exegesis, law and philosophy. These works had an enduring effect on medieval Judaeo-Arabic culture, and influenced medieval Jewish thought and literature as a whole. The thriving community which they founded in Jerusalem, and which they named with the biblical epithets ‘Mourners of Zion’ (aveley tziyon) and ‘Lilies’ (shoshanim) emphasized the themes of loss, abandonment and restoration in connection to the land. They also established a learning precinct in the city, known in Arabic as dar li'l-‘ilm (House of Study), where several generations of Karaite scholars met regularly. This was a formative period for the Karaites. The Jerusalem community became the most important Karaite community of its day, and remained so until its destruction by the Crusaders. My talk will explore aspects of their understanding of their ancient (biblical) homeland, with particular reference to the roles of King David and the Temple, as reflected in their biblical exegesis.