Samuel ha-Nagid

Samuel ha-Nagid
(also known as Ismail ibn-Nagrela)
(993–1055 or 1056)
   Spanish statesman and scholar. In the Moslem court of Granada, Samuel ha- Nagid was for thirty years in command of both domestic and foreign affairs. Originally a merchant from Córdoba, where he was born, he fled to Malaga in 1013 when the Berbers sacked his native city. He was then summoned to Granada to serve Habbus, a Berber ruler, as vizier and secretary; and remained with Habbus’ son and successor Badis as chief minister of state from 1038 until his death. As such, he accompanied the troops on their annual campaigns. He was a gifted linguist, scholar and poet. In what has survived of his poetry, Samuel paints a picture of a life filled with wars, murder, intrigue and treachery. Samuel also saw himself as a defender of Israel, sent by Providence to succour his people. In 1027 he was appointed nagid (‘governor’) of the Jewish community of Granada. Samuel was the acknowledged leader of Spanish Jewry. As an authority on Jewish law, he corresponded with contemporary scholars in Babylonia and Kairouan. Among his works was a criticism of the Koran, which drew a bitter response from the Moslem scholar Ibn-Hazm. He made generous donations to talmudic academies in Spain and abroad and endowed scholarships for poor students. His charitable works in Africa, Egypt, Mesopotamia and Palestine included supplying all the synagogues in Jerusalem with olive oil. It is apparent from many of his poems that he regarded Jewish life in exile as one of suffering, and for all his worldly success longed for the return to Zion. Samuel died during a military campaign, and was succeeded by his son Joseph. The Arab population was incited against the Jews and in the riots in Granada in 1066, Joseph was slain, together with some fifteen hundred local Jews.

Who’s Who in Jewish History after the period of the Old Testament. . 2012.

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  • SAMUEL HA-NAGID — (Ismail ibn Nagrelʿa; 993–1055 or 1056), vizier of granada , statesman, poet, scholar, and military commander. The meteoric rise and political and military career of Samuel ha Nagid marks the highest achievement of a Jew in medieval Muslim Spain …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Samuel ha-Nagid — ▪ Spanish Jewish scholar and statesman Arabic  Ismail Ibn Nagrelʿa   born 993, Córdoba, Spain died 1055/56, Granada       Talmudic scholar, grammarian, philologist, poet, warrior, and statesman who for two decades was the power behind the throne… …   Universalium

  • Samuel ibn Nagrela (Ha-Nagid; Ibn Nagdela; Ibn Nagrela; Samuel ha-Nagid) — (933 1055)    Spanish statesman, scholar and military commander. Born in Cordoba, he was forced to flee the city in 1013 and opened a spice shop in Malaga. He joined the staff of King Habbus, the Berber ruler of Granada, and was later appointed… …   Dictionary of Jewish Biography

  • NAGID — (Heb. נָגִיד, pl. נְגִידִים; Ar. raʾīs al yahūd), the head of the Jewish community in Islamic countries (except under   abbasid rule where Jewry was led by the exilarchs ). In the Middle Ages, beginning with the tenth century, there were negidim… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Samuel ibn Nagrela — …   Wikipédia en Français

  • SAMUEL BEN HANANIAH — (12th century), nagid of Egyptian Jewry. Samuel, who was known by the Arabs as Abu Manṣūr, was descended from a family of scholars. He himself was well versed in Jewish learning. Like his father, he was a physician and was one of the physicians… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Nagid — Nagid, (Hebrew: נגיד‎), is a Hebrew term meaning a prince or leader. This title was often applied to the religious leader in Sephardic communities of the Middle Ages, generally in Egypt. Among the individuals bearing this title are the following …   Wikipedia

  • Samuel Ha-Naguid — Samuel ibn Nagrela …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Samuel HaNaggid — Samuel ibn Nagrela …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Samuel Hanaggid — Samuel ibn Nagrela …   Wikipédia en Français

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