The sage Yehuda ben Eliyahu Hadassi, known as "The Mourner" due to his affiliation with the Mourners of Zion, was a Karaite Jewish philosopher, thinker, biblical commentator, and historian who lived in Constantinople (now Istanbul) in the 12th century. The origin of his nickname "Hadessi" is probably due to his place of origin - the city of Edessa.