Annan Ben David

Annan Ben David is often regarded as the founder of the Karaïsme (form of Judaïsme which separated from the rabbinical Judaïsme by the rejection of the oral Loi), or at least the founder of a central group of the movement Karaïte, " ananites ", which adopted the ideas of Annan Ben David on the Bible, the Transmigration of the hearts, ascetic practices, rites of mourning, and the attitude vis-a-vis medicine etc

Wise karaïtes later was strongly critical towards its person and its lesson, which carried out some to think that it does not have a share with the karaïsme and that its movement, the ananism, would have been integrated later on there. However, the dynasty of Nessi' im which it founded reigned on the karaïtes during six generations.

Historical context

In second half of the seventh century and the totality of the eighth, a intellectual boiling, generated by the Arab conquests and the collision of the Islam with the old beliefs and cultures of the world, led to the emergence of many sects, particularly in Persia, Babylonia and Syria. The Judaism briefly saw réemerger tendencies disappeared like the sadduceism and the essenism in a transitory attempt from resurrection.

At that time, the Abbasid capacity, whose center was located at Damas, was transported to Baghdad, an important center rabbinical. The Gueonim, directors of the Babylonian talmudic academies, were seen like the last link in the chain of the Posqim (décisionnaires) of the oral tradition, and granted exclusiveness as regards biblical interpretation.
La Babylonian tradition being then transmitted to the other Jewish communities all over the world, the Torah was not included/understood any more but in gueonic terms of Babylonian Talmud and codes. This caused an increasing resentment with regard to Gueonim and the constitution of dissenting movements, generally centered on applicants with the messianity, opposed to Talmud and the oral law, denying any divine character to him.
Ces bunches, among which Isawites, Yudganites, Shadganites, Malakites, Mishawaites, etc were not intended to make failure more, and would undoubtedly have returned in the bosom of the Judaism pharisee without the intervention of Annan Ben David.

Biography

The life of Annan Ben David is rather little known, and the only sources that one has some belong to the tradition karaïte. According to this one, Annan was born in Perse in 715 EC., within a family of davidic Ascendance (from where her title of Nassi). It was as much a brilliant disciple of Wise (Talmid Hakham תלמידחכם) versed in the written Law than the oral Law.

Towards 760 EC., with died of the Jewish Exilarque of Babylon (probably Isaac Iskawi II), Josias (Hassan) was elected like successor by the Gueonim, directors of the Babylonian academy S and the notable ones. This choice was ratified by the caliph of Baghdad.
Selon the version karaïte of the facts, Annan Ben David would have been opposed to the chief of the large rabbinical court and to exilarque, starting to criticize the oral Torah and to stick only to the written Torah. The rabbanites would then have decided to fight it, and would have made run the noise that he rebelled against the caliphate, an punishable offense of mort.
Selon the version rabbanite of the facts, Annan, brother of Haninaï, was in string of succession for this station highly coveted with died of his/her uncle Solomon. He would have thus wished this station and not fought against him. In its Sefer HaKabbala , written with the twelfth century, that is to say 4 centuries after the facts by the Rav Abraham ibn Dawd, Wise the auprès whose studied Annan hardly appreciated it, feeling in him pride ( peritsout ) and a lack of fear (of the Eternal). This is why they would have preferred his/her Haninaï brother to him for the station of exilarque, and would have to him in return disputed this decision and gathered partisans resulting sects sadducéennes. Then, supported by them, he would have proclaimed himself antiexilarque, which would have been regarded as an act of rebellion towards the caliph by the Moslem authorities and, coming from a Dhimmi , like a capital offense. Annan Ben David thus would have been promptly stopped by the authorities one Sunday in 767, and is thrown in prison in waiting of her next execution, for crime of Trahison.

Annan would have however found her safety in the person of her companion of jail, Abu Hanifa Al-Nu' man Ibn Thabit, founder of the school casuistry of the Hanafite S. This one would have advised to him to be presented in the form of a founder of new a sect nun (i.e. a new current), which would enable him to leave unscathed the test. It would be necessary for that Annan Ben David interprets the ambiguous passages of the Torah in a way not only innovating, but opposed to traditional interpretation, and makes watch in the presence of the caliph of it. It was not unusual that the caliph is present during the executions, but Annan should for more safety ask her sectateurs to make sure the presence of the caliph. Having made her demonstration in front of him, Annan would not have to declare any more that its religion was different from the Judaism, called '' rabbanite '' (or rabbinical) because being based on the authority of the '' rabbanim '', and its partisans should entirely agree with the new doctrines. This last point would not be difficult to fill: the structure of Talmud even reduced any opposition to dimensions of an academic controversy, and the resentment against the rabbis was growing.

Thus, occurring Friday following her arrest in the presence of the caliph Al-Mansûr, Annan Ben David would have obtained the favor of the caliph and the life sauve.
Selon the tradition karaïte, Annan Ben David would have asked him and obtained for some time the authorization to go up later in Ground of Israel, to fix himself at Jerusalem and to build there a Kenesa (" Synagog karaïte"), because the partisans of the oral Law did not listen to it and did not turn over to the written law. The kenesa which carries its name always exists and is still used as place of prayer. She of this fact is regarded as one of the oldest synagogs still of use. It also founded an important center karaïte in Egypt.

Annan Ben David is deceased in the year 811 EC., at the 96 years age. It is buried opposite the place of burial of the prophet Zacharie, on the Moriah mount with Jerusalem.

Historical criticisms

However, all the researchers do not accept this version.
Some estimate that, because of their resemblances, these two stories could be forged one according to the other, without reflecting least historical reality. Leon Nemoy notes that " Natronaï, 90 years hardly after the secession of Annan, does not mention anything sound davidic Ascendance, nor of the argument for the station of exilarque which was the called upon cause of sound apostasie."
Il note also that Natronaï - a Jew deeply rabbanite - lived at the place where Annan was active, and which the Hakham Ya' acov Al-Qirqisani does not make either mention of the supposed chalk-lining of Annan nor of its candidature for the exilarcat.

A controversy also divides the researchers and the hakhamim, as well rabbanites as karaïtes as for knowing if Annan really founded the Judaism karaïte.
Selon the official version, he was a religious and political Master gathering all the opponents with the oral Torah, and creating the karaïsme to purify the Judaism of the traditions pharisiennes. However, itself was called Rabbenou by its disciples, and Ya' acov Al-Qirqisani, a hakham karaïte of the 10th century, estimates that those just like followed it in the rabbanites, even that its interpretation was strongly entâchée of rabbinism.

According to certain modern researchers, it did not found " que" the ananism, which differed appreciably from the karaïsme and it joined only in the centuries which followed. The existence of a ananite group particularized in margin of the other currents of the Judaism is mentioned so much by Al-Qirqisani, which mentions as the benjaminites) as by Messaoudi, a Moslem having written at the same period. An analysis of these sources recently resulted in formulating the assumption that separation between the ananism and the Judaism rabbanite did not take place of the time of Annan Ben David (they attended the same academies indeed) but of her back-small son, Annan II.

Others underline however which if Messaoudi described ananites and karaïtes like two different groups, they share the same calendar. An Afghan well-read man, Albironi (973-1048) regarded the ananites as a particular movement of karaïtes.

It seems in any case that Annan Ben David gave to the opponents with the oral Law two bases which they had missed until there: the legitimacy of a davidic ascent, and tools for the study leading to a built criticism of a differently impenetrable system. It is thanks to that it could gather a group and passed in the many memory karaïtes like or one of the founders of the current.

The system of Annan Ben David

Annan devoted himself to the development of her new approach of the religion and her new code. Its Sefer ha-Mitzvot (“the book of the precepts”) was published towards 770. It adopted many principles and opinion of other anti-rabbinical forms of Judaism which had previously existed. It would have begun again much with old the Sadducéens and Esséniens, whose certain memories always survived, and whose writings - or at least of the writings which were allotted to them - were always in circulation.

It also seems to have sudden the influence of the step of Abu Hanifah, which interpreted sometimes Coran in a direction symbolic system and nonliteral. Sefer ha-Mitzvot (" The Book off the Precepts") was published butt 770. He adopted many principles and opinions off other anti-rabbinic forms off Judaism that had previously existed. He took much from the old Sadducees and Essenes, whose remnants still survived, and whose writings - but At least writings ascribed to them - were still in circulation. Thus, for example, thesis older sects prohibited the burning off any lights and the leaving off one' S dwelling one the Sabbath; they also enjoined the actual observation off the new moon for the appointment off festivals, and the holding off the Pentecost festival always one has Sunday.

Abu Hanifah was accustomed in unquestionable boxes to take the words off the Qur' year not in their literal, goal in has symbolical judicious (Ta' awil); and Annan adopted the same method with the Hebrew text off the Bible. Illustrations off this method are not infrequently, indeed, afforded by the Talmud itself. Thus He interpreted the prohibition off plowing one Sabbath (e.g. xxxiv. 21) marital ace applying to free intercourse; the Word " brothers" (aḥim, Deut. xxv. 5) in connection with the levirate marriage He interpreted ace " relative, " etc

Now with Annan, too, it is found that the greater number off his innovations are based upon analogy. Goal He distinguished himself from his Muslim model in that He built mainly, not upon analogy off subject ace Abu Hanifah did, goal upon analogy off expressions, off words (the rabbinical gezerah shawah ), indeed even upon analogy off individual letters; system which edge hardly Be considered has step in advance. The earliest sources Tel. also off another doctrines borrowed by Annan from the Muslims; namely, the belief in the transmigration off the drunk (Metempsychosis). This doctrines, represented in Greek antiquity especially by Empedocles and the Pythagoreans, had always been wide-spread in India, and was encountered there by has Muslim sect called the Rawendites, adopted by them, and in the middle off the eighth century was carried to Babylonia (Iraq). It is also found in Kabbalah. Annan is said to cuts written has special work in its defense. -->

Regulations

The will of Ben David to return to the biblical text led it to harden certain regulations. In its “book of the precepts” it maintains that as long as Israel is in the exile the flesh of the pets is prohibited. This precept had already been preached before Annan, reporting Talmud that after the destruction of the second temple, certain ascetics ( perushim ) had sought to prohibit the meat and the wine because they had been used in the ritual of temple.

Contrary, Annan reprenit not talmudic prohibition to mix milk and the meat, but the prohibition of the flesh of the pets returned this flexibility of little object.

Laws for the ritual abbatage

Circumcision

Laws of Shabbat

Science

Annan Ben David, in contradiction with of Karaites like Daniel Al-Kumisi, had little respect for science, as it is often shown in his “book of the precepts”. It prohibits the use of medicine because of the biblical passage “because I am the Eternal, who cures you” (Exode 15:26). He issued that the Astronomie, at the time evil differentiated from the Astrologie, was a form of divination, which is prohibited by the bible. By doing this, it undermined the base even rabbinical calendar.

See too

Source

study of the bases and precepts karaïtes starting from the parasha T Emor by the rabbi of the campus of the university Bar-Ilan.

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