Re: Medieval Jewish Ancestors


That a person had an office under a king in no way dictates that the people respected that office as anything more than that.
However that a person had an office under a king, and then that there followed several *hundred* years of silence on the topic *certainly* begs for lengendary accretion as to what exactly that office entailed and meant.

Don't it.
It practically screams legendary accretion.





-----Original Message-----
From: Sholom Simon <sholom@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Wjhonson <wjhonson@xxxxxxx>; gen-medieval <gen-medieval@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sat, Oct 1, 2011 10:23 pm
Subject: Re: Medieval Jewish Ancestors


At 10:56 PM 10/1/2011, Wjhonson wrote:

Yes I dispute thatthe aramic term for 'exilarch' is 'reishgalusa'.

Question: Do you know any Aramaic? "Reish" means"head", in this case, as in "head of". "Galusa" means the area that the Jews settled outside ofIsrael, specifically, the Babylonian area, where there were great centersof learning, and where the Babylonian Talmud was written.

How would _you_ translate "Reish Galusa"?


This"translation" is back-forced, at any rate the entire concept ofexilarch is monumentally ridiculous ;)

Which concept are you talking about? There was a "head of theJews" in Babylonia. That's what we're talking about. Whyis that concept ridiculous. A religious group had a leader -- isthat so far fetched? Christians at the time had a leader, too -- doyou think they were the only religion to have one?

You want a contemporary source? The Talmud itself. SeeTractate Horayos 11a-b, where it explains that "Nasi" (which isthe leader of the Jews in Israel the time) is like a king, and thecounterpart in Babylonia is the Reish Galusa. (I.e, the king of theJews in Exile --i.e., Exilarch).


By theway how do you square the *fact* that after Mar Zutra we know....nothing... whatosever about the office, if it existed at all, and nothingat all about any potential claimaints ?

You're switching subjects. I am only trying to show you that"Reish Galusa" is the same as what we call"Exilarch" If you want to argue that today we don't knowthe descendants of Mar Zutra -- then, fine. I've got no dog in thatdiscussion Further, I know nothing on that subject.

But on the subject of Exilarch, I do have some knowledge.

-- Sholom


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