RABBI MEYUHAS BEN ELIJAH: HIS GEOGRAPHICAL PROVENANCE, WORKS, AND CHRONOLOGY

This article offers a reevaluation of the geography, works, and biographical chronology of Rabbi Meyuhas ben Elijah, a biblical exegete hailing from the Byzantine Empire. The discussion is based both on a reconsideration of previously discussed facts and on a review of new information. In terms of his geographical provenance, scholars agree that Rabbi Meyuhas hailed from a Greek-speaking country. However, based on new information, it appears that he grew up or at least lived for a number of years in an Arabic-speaking country. When it comes to determining the era in which he lived, scholars are divided: ranging from those who place him as early as the twelfth century to those who place him as late as the fifteenth. A careful analysis of Rabbi Meyuhas’ commentary – the sources he cites and uses; his grammatical approach to Hebrew; his acknowledgment (or omission) of philosophical and kabbalistic issues in his commentaries; and his literary and exegetical styles – yields the following conclusion: Rabbi Meyuhas wrote his commentary on the Pentateuch in the second half of the thirteenth century.