Daniel ben Azariah

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Daniel ben Azariah (died 1062) was the gaon of the Land of Israel from 1051 till 1062. Descended from a Babylonian exilarch family, he was a scion of the House of David and was elected to head the Palestinian Academy in Jerusalem. [1] The Ben Ezra Synagogue of the Palestinian Jews in Fostat was named in his honour: "Synagogue of our Lord Daniel, the Light of Israel, the Great Prince and Head of the Academy of the Majesty of Jacob." [1] His nomination to the gaonate was not without controversy as it prevailed over the selection of one of the sons of an earlier gaon, Solomon ben Joseph ha-Cohen who had held office from for six months in 1025. [2] In 1062 Daniel died after a long and serious illness which he himself is said to have seen as a punishment for his ill treatment of his predecessor's family. [3] His son, David ben Daniel, was too young to assume his father's position and Elijah, son of Solomon ben Joseph and former av beth din , became gaon until 1083. David ben Daniel was subsequently involved in a succession dispute regarding the gaonate. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Encyclopaedia Judaica, 1972. Vol. 5, pg. 1291.
  2. Gil, Moshe (1992), A history of Palestine, 634-1099, translated by Broido, Ethel, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. Section 858, ISBN   9780521599849
  3. Jewish Encyclopedia: Gaon
Jewish titles
Preceded by Gaon of Palestine
Daniel ben Azariah

10511062
Succeeded by