Eldad ha-Dani or Eldad HaDani or Eldad ben Mahli ha-Dani (Hebrew: אלדד הדני) was a merchant and traveler of the ninth century. He professed to have been a citizen of an "independent Jewish state" in eastern Africa, inhabited by people claiming descent from the tribes of Dan (hence his name, "ha-Dani" = "the Danite"), Asher, Gad, and Naphtali. Starting from this alleged state, Eldad visited Babylonia, Kairouan, and Spain, causing everywhere a great stir among the Jews by his fanciful accounts of the Ten Lost Tribes, and by the halakhot which he asserted he had brought from his native country. These halakhot, written in Hebrew, deal with the slaughtering and subsequent examination of animals (see Kosher). They differ widely from the Talmudic ordinances, and are introduced in the name of Joshua ben Nun, or, according to another version, of Othniel ben Kenaz. Eldad's accounts soon spread, and, as usual in such cases, were remolded and amplified by copyists and editors. There are no less than eight versions with important variations. The following is a summary of Eldad's narrative according to the most complete of these versions: The word Hebrew most likely means to cross over, referring to the Semitic people crossing over the Euphrates River. ... For other uses, see Jew (disambiguation). ... A world map showing the continent of Africa. ... Look up Dan in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In the Book of Genesis, Asher (אָשֵׁר, Standard Hebrew AÅ¡er, Tiberian Hebrew ʾĀšēr) is a son of Jacob and Zilpah, and the founder of the Tribe of Asher. ... Gad can refer to: Gad (see Gad Guard), a metallic cube artifact that figures prominantly in the anime Gad Guard Gad (Bible character), the sixth son of Jacob as related in Genesis 29 - 30 Tribe of Gad, one of the Hebrew tribes founded by Gad GAD as a three-letter... Naphtali (Hebrew: נַפְתָּלִי, Standard Tiberian  ; My struggle) is the sixth son of Jacob and the founder of the tribe of Naphtali, first mentioned in the Book of Genesis and as described in the Hebrew Bible. ... Babylonia, named for its capital city, Babylon, an ancient state in the south part of Mesopotamia (in modern Iraq), combining the territories of Sumer and Akkad. ... Mosque of Oqba Kairouan (Arabic القيروان) (variations include Kairwan, Kayrawan, Al Qayrawan) is a city in Tunisia, about 160 kilometres south of Tunis. ... It has been suggested that Israelite Diaspora be merged into this article or section. ... Halakha (Hebrew: הלכה; also transliterated as Halakhah, Halacha, Halakhot and Halachah with pronunciation emphasis on the third syllable, kha), is the collective corpus of Jewish religious law, including biblical law (the 613 mitzvot) and later talmudic and rabbinic law as well as customs and traditions. ... Hebrew redirects here. ... The circled U indicates that this can of tuna is certified kosher by the Union of Orthodox Congregations. ... The first page of the Vilna Edition of the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berachot, folio 2a The Talmud (Hebrew: תלמוד) is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history. ... Joshua stops the sun by Gustave Doré Joshua or Yehoshua (Hebrew: יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, Tiberian: , Israeli: YÉ™hoshúa) was an Israelite leader who succeeded Moses. ...

His alleged travels

On leaving the land "on the other side of the river of Kush (probably the Nile)," Eldad traveled with a man of the tribe of Asher. A great storm wrecked the boat, but God prepared a plank for him and his companion, on which they floated until thrown ashore among a cannibal Ethiopian tribe called Romrom. (As to the existence in former times of such a tribe, see Metz in "Das Jüdische Litteraturblatt," 1877, No. 41.) The Asherite, who was fat, was immediately eaten, while Eldad was put into a pit to fatten. Soon after a fire-worshiping tribe assailed the cannibals, and Eldad was taken prisoner. He remained in captivity during four years, when his captors brought him to the province of Azanian (according to another version, to China), where he was ransomed by a Jewish merchant for thirty-two pieces of gold. Eldad continued his journey, and fell in with the tribe of Issachar, dwelling among high mountains near Media and Persia, their land extending ten days' journey on every side. "They are at peace with all, and their whole energy is devoted to the study of the Law; their only weapon is the knife for slaughtering animals." Their judge and prince is called Nahshon and they use the four methods of capital punishment.The tribe of Zebulon occupies the land extending from the province of Armenia to the River Euphrates. Behind the mountains of Paran the tribe of Reuben faces them. Peace reigns between these two tribes; they war as allies and divide the spoils. They possess the Bible, the Mishnah, the Talmud, and the Haggadah. For other uses, see Kush (disambiguation). ... The Nile (Arabic: ‎, translit: , Ancient Egyptian iteru, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the longest river, though not the most voluminous, in the world. ... Cannibalism is the act or practice of eating members of the same species, e. ... Worship or deification of fire is known from various religions. ... Azania is the name that has been applied to various parts of sub-Saharan Africa. ... General Name, Symbol, Number gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 6, d Appearance metallic yellow Atomic mass 196. ... Issachar or Yissachar (יִשָּׂשׁכָר Reward; recompense, Standard Hebrew Yissaḫar, Tiberian Hebrew Yiśśâḵār) was the fifth son of Jacob and his first wife Leah. ... The Persian Empire was a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the old Persian homeland, and at times extending into central and mid-east Asia. ...

The tribe of Ephraim and half of Manasseh dwell in the southern mountains of Arabia, and are very warlike. This entry incorporates text from the public domain Eastons Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897. ... This entry incorporates text from the public domain Eastons Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897. ...

The tribe of Simeon and the other half of Manasseh are in the land of the Chazars. They take tribute from twenty-eight kingdoms, and many Mohammedans are subjected to them. Simeon, Symeon, or Shimon is a Hebrew name (שִׁמְעוֹן) meaning hearkening; listening, pronounced in Biblical Hebrew Šimʿon, Tiberian Hebrew Šimʿôn. ... This entry incorporates text from the public domain Eastons Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897. ... The Khazars were a Turkic semi-nomadic people from Central Asia who adopted Judaism. ...

The tribe of Dan emigrated to the land of gold, Havilah (Kush), shortly after the separation of Judah and Israel. The tribes of Naphtali, Gad, and Asher joined the Danites later. They have a king called Adiel ben Malkiel, a prince by the name of Elizaphan, of the house of Elihab, and a judge named Abdan ben Mishael, who has the power to inflict the four capital punishments prescribed in the Law. The four tribes lead a nomadie life, and are continually at war with the five neighboring Ethiopian kings. Each tribe is in the field three months, and every warrior remains in the saddle without dismounting from one Sabbath to the next. They possess the entire Scriptures, but they do not read the Roll of Esther (not having been included in the miraculous salvation mentioned in it) nor Lamentations (to avoid its disheartening influence). They have a Talmud in pure Hebrew, but none of the Talmudic teachers is mentioned. Their ritual is introduced in the name of Joshua, who had received it from Moses, who in his turn had heard its contents from the Almighty. They speak only Hebrew (Eldad himself professed not to understand a word of Ethiopic or Arabic).

On "the other side of the river of Kush" dwell the Bene Mosheh (tribe of Levi). The River Sambation encircles their land. It rolls sand and stones during the six working days and rests on the Sabbath. From the first moment of Sabbath to the last, fire surrounds the river, and during that time no human being can approach within half a mile of either side of it. The four other tribes communicate with the Bene Mosheh from the borders of the river. The Bene Mosheh dwell in beautiful houses, and no unclean animal is found in their land. Their cattle and sheep as well as their fields bear twice a year. No child dies during the lifetime of its parents, who live to see a third and fourth generation. They do not close their houses at night, for there is no theft or wickedness among them. They speak Hebrew, and never swear by the name of God. Levi or Levy (Hebrew: לֵוִי, Standard Levy Tiberian  ; joining) was the third son of Leah and Jacob and the founder of the Levite tribe of ancient Israel. ... This article needs to be wikified. ...

Reception of his story

This fanciful narrative, the origin of which is to be found in the haggadic literature, of which Eldad must have had a very extensive knowledge, was accepted by his contemporaries as true. The inhabitants of Kairwan were, it is true, troubled by the differences between his halakhot and those of the Talmud, and by some strange Hebrew expressions used by him; but the gaon Ẓemaḥ ben Hayyim of Sura, whose opinion they had asked, tranquilized them by saying that there was nothing astonishing in the four tribes disagreeing with the Talmud on some halakic points. Moreover, Eldad's personality, asserted the gaon, was known to him through Isaac ben Mar and R. Simḥah, with whom the Danite associated while he was in Babylonia. Hisdai ibn Shaprut; cites Eldad in his letter to the king of the Khazars, and Eldad's halakot were used by both Rabbinites and Karaites as weapons in defense of their respective creeds. Talmudic authorities like Rashi, Abraham ben David (RABaD), and Abraham ben Maimon quote Eldad as an unquestioned authority; and lexicographers and grammarians interpret some Hebrew words according to the meaning given them in Eldad's phraseology. Halakha (Hebrew: הלכה; also transliterated as Halakhah, Halacha, Halakhot and Halachah with pronunciation emphasis on the third syllable, kha), is the collective corpus of Jewish religious law, including biblical law (the 613 mitzvot) and later talmudic and rabbinic law as well as customs and traditions. ... The first page of the Vilna Edition of the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berachot, folio 2a The Talmud (Hebrew: תלמוד) is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history. ... Babylon was an ancient city in Mesopotamia (modern Al Hillah, Iraq), the ruins of which can be found in present-day Babil Province, about 50 miles (80 km) south of Baghdad. ... Hasdai (Abu Yusuf ben Yitzhak ben Ezra) ibn Shaprut Spanish physician, diplomat, and patron of Jewish science; born about 915 at Jaen; died 970 or 990 at Cordova. ... The Khazars (Hebrew Kuzari כוזרי Kuzarim כוזרים; Turkish Hazar Hazarlar; Russian Хазары; Tatar sing Xäzär Xäzärlär; Crimean Tatar: ; Greek Χαζάροι/Χάζαροι; Arabic خزر; Persianخزر ; Latin Gazari or Cosri) were a semi-nomadic Turkic people from Central Asia, many of whom converted to Judaism. ... For the astrological concept, see Jyotish#Rashi - the signs. ... Abraham ben David was a Jewish, French commentator on the Talmud. ...

Source of "Prester John"

The influence of Eldad's narrative extended beyond Jewish circles. It was the source of the apocryphal letter of the so-called "Prester John," which appeared in the twelfth century. Intending to refute Eldad's assertion of the existence of independent Jewish states — an assertion contrary to the teaching of the Roman-Catholic Church — the Christian writer told of a priest who ruled over the great kingdom of Ethiopia, to which were subject some Jewish tribes, including the Bene Mosheh who dwalt beyond the River Sambation. The only writers of the Middle Ages who expressed doubts as to the genuineness of Eldad's narrative and his halakot were Abraham ibn Ezra (Commentary to Exodus ii. 22) and Meïr of Rothenburg (Responsa, No. 193). For other uses, see Jew (disambiguation). ... Preste enthroned on a map of East Africa in an atlas prepared for Queen Mary, 1558. ... The Catholic Church, (also known as the Roman Catholic Church), is the Christian Church led by the Pope, currently Benedict XVI, and whose adherents constitute almost half of all Christians worldwide. ... Christians believe that Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant (see Hebrews 8:6). ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Rabbi Abraham Ben Meir Ibn Ezra (also known as Ibn Ezra, or Abenezra) (1092 or 1093-1167), was one of the most distinguished Jewish men of letters and writers of the Middle Ages. ... This article is about the second book in the Torah. ...

Modern opinions

Modern critics are divided in their opinions concerning Eldad. Pinsker, Grätz, and Neubauer saw in him a Karaite missionary endeavoring to discredit the Talmud by his statement that the four tribes did not know the names of the Tannaim and Amoraim, and that their halakot were different from those of the Talmud. This opinion was refuted by Schorr and Jellinek, who observed that Eldad's halakot contain rules concerning the examination of slaughtered animals which are not accepted by the Karaites. P. Frankl regarded Eldad as a mere charlatan whose sayings and doings are not worth attention. Reifmann denied outright the existence of Eldad, and considered the letters of the community of Kairwan and of Ẓemaḥ ben Ḥayyim of Sura to be forgeries. Metz was the first to analyze the contents of Eldad's book in the light of the reports of other travelers. A. Epstein followed Metz's method, and came to the conclusion that Eldad's book is somewhat of the nature of a historical novel in which truth is mixed with imagination. The halakot are, according to him, genuine, and were in use among the countrymen of Eldad, either in a province of eastern Africa or in Yemen, where the Jews at that time knew Hebrew, but not the Talmud. For Eldad could not have been a native of Ethiopia, the country of the Falashas, since there only Ge'ez is spoken; and no trace of this language appears in Eldad's Hebrew; there are, however, some traces of Arabic, which Eldad must have known, although he asserted the contrary. Leon Pinsker David Pinski, born Pinsker See also: Pinsky, Pinski, Pinsk This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Heinrich Graetz (October 31, 1817 - September 7, 1891) was the first historian in the modern times who wrote a comprehensive history of the Jewish people from a Jewish perspective. ... Karaite Judaism is a Jewish denomination characterized by reliance on the Tanakh as the sole scripture, and rejection of the Oral Law (the Mishnah and the Talmuds) as halakha (Legally Binding, i. ... The first page of the Vilna Edition of the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berachot, folio 2a The Talmud (Hebrew: תלמוד) is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history. ... The Mishnah (Hebrew משנה, Repetition) is a major source of rabbinic Judaisms religious texts. ... Amora, plural Amoraim, (from the Hebrew root amar to say or tell over), were renowned Jewish scholars who said or told over the teachings of the Oral law, from about 200 to 500 CE in Babylonia and Palestine. ... Schorr refers to Collier Schorr, see The erotic male in photography Daniel Schorr Friedrich Schorr, Austrian singer Gedaliah Schorr, rabbi and philosopher Glenn Schorr, see Financial analyst, Research report Herbert Schorr, see also Information Sciences Institute Hermann Schorr, Austrian cantor and singer Israel Schorr Joseph Schorr, see David Pogue Juliet... Jellinek refers to: Adolf Jellinek(Adolph Jellinek) (1821 Czech - 1893) Emil Jellinek, or Emil Jellinek-Mercedes (1853 Leipzig - 1918), son of Adolf Jellinek Georg Jellinek (1851 - 1911) George Jellinek Hans Jellinek (1901 - 1969) Max Hermann Jellinek (1868 - 1938), son of Adolf Jellinek Hermann Jellinek (1822 Czech - 1848) Oskar Jellinek (1886... Sura (sometimes referred to as Surah) ( ) is an Arabic term literally meaning picture, evidence, or proof. ... For other uses of Metz, see Metz (disambiguation) City motto: Si paix dedans, paix dehors (French: If peace inside, peace outside) City proper (commune) Région Lorraine Département Moselle (57) Mayor Jean-Marie Rausch Area 41. ... Abraham Epstein (Dec. ... Geez (also transliterated Giiz, , and pronounced IPA: ; ISO 639-2 gez) is an ancient South Semitic language that had developed in the current region of Eritrea and northern Ethiopia in the Horn of Africa, as the language of the peasantry. ...

Editions

Eldad's travels have been published from the various existing versions: Mantua, 1480; Constantinople, 1516; ib.1519; Venice, 1544, 1605, 1648; Fürth, with a Judæo-German translation by S. H. Weil, 1769; Zolkiev, 1772; Jessnitz, 1772; Leghorn, 1828; in Jellinek's "Bet ha-Midrash," iii., vi.; Presburg, 1891 (ed. by Abraham Epstein). As to the differences between the various versions, see D. H. Müller, "Die Recensionen und Versionen des Eldad ha-Dani," in "Denkschriften der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften" (vol. xli. Vienna, 1892). Eldad's narrative was translated into Latin by G. Genebrard (Paris, 1584), and also, anonymously, into Arabic (St. Petersburg MSS. Nos. 674, 703) and into German (Dessau, 1700; Jessnitz, 1723). Extracts of the Hebrew text are given by Bartolocci ("Bibl. Rab.," i. 100) and by Eisenmenger ("Entdecktes Judenthum," ii. 527).

Bibliography

• Pinsker, Liḳḳuṭe Ḳadmoniyyot, p. 100;
• Schorr, in He-Ḥaluẓ, vi. 64;
• P. Frankl, in Monatsschrift, 1873, p. 491;
• Neubauer, in Journal Asiatique, 1861, 3d ed., v. 239 et seq.;
  • idem, in Jew. Quart. Rev. i. 95, iii. 441;
• Grätz, Gesch. ii. 473;
• A. Epstein, Eldad ha-Dani (Hebr.), Presburg, 1891;
  • idem, inR. E. J. xxv.;
• Reifmann, in Ha-Karmel, viii.;
• Berliner's Magazin, xv. 65;
• Metz, in Das Jüdische Litteraturblatt, 1877, No. 40;
• Cassel, in Ersch and Gruber, section ii., part 27, p. 166;
• Steinschneider, Cat. Bodl. col. 923.G. I. Br.

This article incorporates text from the 1901–1906 Jewish Encyclopedia, a publication now in the public domain. The Jewish Encyclopedia was an encyclopedia originally published between 1901 and 1906 by Funk and Wagnalls. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...