Ishtori Haparchi(Isaac Ben Moses) | |
|---|---|
| Personal life | |
| Born | 1280 (1280) |
| Died | 1355 (aged 74–75) |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Judaism |
Ishtori Haparchi (1280–1355), alsoEstori Haparchi andAshtori ha-Parhi (Hebrew:אשתורי הפרחי) is the pen name of the 14th-centuryJewishphysician,geographer, and traveller,Isaac HaKohen Ben Moses.[1]
HaParchi is commonly known by the titleKaftor va-Ferach taken from the name of his work.[2] Another scholarly opinion suggests that the name HaParchi refers to his birthplace, Florentza inSpain, which translates to "Perach" (Flower) in Hebrew.[3]
Ish Tori, as he refers to himself in his book, may mean "Man ofTours", the capital of the medievalFrench county of Tourain.[2] Another scholarly opinion suggests that the nameIsh Tori refers to his profession and mean "man oftourism",[3] though according to other opinions "Ishtori" was simply his personal name, a single word.[4]
Ishtori Haparchi was born inJewish Provence in 1280. Haparchi was descended from a line of sages and rabbis of fame. His father wasMoshe HaParhi, a distinguished Talmudic scholar. His grandfather wasNathan ben Meïr ofTrinquetaille, the author ofShaar HiTefisa.[5] His great-grandfather wasMeir ben Isaac of Carcassonne, author ofSefer ha-'Ezer.
He studied Torah with his father and grandfather and later with Eliezer ben Yosef ofChinon, who was burned at the stake as a martyr. Subsequently, he continued his studies inMontpellier underJacob ben Machir ibn Tibbon of the renownedibn Tibbon family. There are also references suggesting that he studied withAsher ben Jehiel.[5] He had a broad education in both religious and secular studies, as well as inHebrew,Latin, andArabic.[3]
When the Jews wereexpelled from France in 1306, he traveled to Spain and thenBahri Sultanate-ruled Egypt, settling in Bahri-ruled province of Damascus. When he first arrived in what he called the Land of Israel, he settled inJerusalem, but he left after a year because he disliked his neighbors. He then moved to Besan, nowBeit She'an, explaining his choice by saying that it "sits by abundant waters, tranquil streams, a cherished and blessed land, full of joy. like the Garden of the Lord, it yields its bread and opens the gate to paradise".[3] He worked as a physician in there, where he died in 1355.
In 1306, while inBarcelona, Ishtori Haparchi made a Hebrew translation of theLatinTabula antidotarii ofArmengaud Blaise.[6]
Ishtori Haparchi was the author of the first Hebrew book on the geography of the Land of Israel,[7]Sefer Kaftor va-Ferach (Hebrew:ספר כפתור ופרח), literally "Book of Bulb and Flower",[2] or "Knob and Flower," written in 1322 in the Land of Israel and published inVenice in 1549.[8] "Knob and Flower" is a Hebrew idiom meaning "work of art," and is derived from the description of themenorah inExodus 37:17. In the context of the book it refers to theagrarian laws practised by the people of the land. Haparchi lists the names of towns and villages in indigenous Israel and discusses the topography of the land based on first-hand visits to the sites. He describes its fruits and vegetables, and draws upon earlier rabbinic commentaries, such as the commentary compiled by RabbiIsaac ben Melchizedek ofSiponto.[9]
In his work, there are various factual accounts that contribute to the elucidation of contemporary geographical-historical issues. His contribution is so significant that modern scholars have bestowed upon him the title "The First Among the Researchers of the Land of Israel".[10] Modern scholarship relies heavily upon the 180 ancient sites he identified and described in relation to other sites, among themUsha (one-time seat of theSanhedrin),al-Midya (theancient Modiʿin of theMaccabees) andBattir (the ancientBetar ofBar Kokhba fame).[1][11]
Ishtori Haparchi was Memorialized in theState of Israel by naming streets after him in major cities such as Jerusalem andTel Aviv.[12][13] In theBeit She'an area, several sites are named after him:Ein Kaftor andEin Perach are two springs located betweenTirat Zvi andEin HaNatziv; nearBeit She'an, there isTelIshtori, as well as a spring namedMa'ayanIshtori.[14]
In 2015, a book was published compiling scholarly articles in Hebrew focusing on the life and legacy of Ishtori HaParhi; the book is titledRabbi Ishtori HaParhi: A Pioneer in the Study of the Land of Israel. The volume was edited byIsrael Rosenson andShlomo Glicksberg and was published byEfrata College of Education in Jerusalem.[15]
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