This volume consists of a critical edition, English translation, and extensive introductory discussion of the Judaeo-Arabic commentaries on Ruth and Esther from the exegetical digest (Kitāb al-bayān) of Tanḥum ben Joseph ha-Yerushalmi (d. 1291 CE), the last known exegete of the “rationalistic” school who wrote in Judaeo-Arabic. Although past scholarship has tended to regard Tanḥum’s exegetical contribution as little more than that of a compiler-abridger, our own assessment, as explored in the introduction, is that his role was in fact much more significant. Not only does he display the critical acumen and intellectual independence of a true exegete in his own right, but he also appears to have assimilated - and hence (like Abraham ibn Ezra) mediated into the continuum of Rabbanite exegesis - certain elements of Karaite exegesis, most notably, as developed by the tenth-century Karaite littérateur Yefet ben ‘Eli, the role of the mudawwin in the composition and transmission of the biblical text.
Tanhum ben Joseph ha-Yerushalmi was a scholar and littérateur who lived in Jerusalem for most of his life and died in Fustat (Old Cairo) in 1291. He is the last known biblical exegete of the Rationalistic School, followers of Maimonides, to have written in Judeo-Arabic. Two of his works have survived: Kitab al-Bayan (the Book of Elucidation), consisting of commentaries on the books of the Prophets and Writings and al-Murshid al-kafi (The Sufficient Guide), a lexicon of difficult words in the Mishneh Torah of Maimonides. In the book reviewed here, Michael G. Wechsler has provided an edition, translation and supercommentary of Tanhum’s commentaries on Ruth and Esther, along with a substantial introduction which treats of Tanhum’s exegetical methodology and puts him in his historical and exegetical context. It should be noted that this is the first monographic treatment of Tanhum and translation of his work in the English language and thus, this book is a most welcome addition to the scholarship on this relatively unknown biblical exegete. As Wechsler demonstrates convincingly in his introduction, Tanhum was not a mere compiler and anthologizer of previous biblical scholarship, but a serious exegete in his own right. Of particular importance is the influence on his work of the exegesis of the great Karaite commentator, Yefet ben Eli, and the recognition that Tanhum gives to the role of mudawwin or editor in the compositional process. The book is thoroughly indexed and is further enhanced by an inventory of extant Judeao-Arabic commentaries on Ruth and Esther, as well as a glossary of Tanhum’s exegetical and grammatical terminology. An important work of scholarship, this book is recommended for university and seminary libraries and any other library with an interest in biblical studies. - Association of Jewish Libraries, Barry Dov Walfish, Judaica Specialist, University of Toronto Libraries, Toronto, Canada