The Arabic Translation and Commentary of Yefet Ben 'eli on the Book of Proverbs

This volume contains a critical edition and an introduction to the Arabic translation and commentary on the book of Proverbs by one of the most acclaimed, innovative, and prolific exegetes of the Karaite "Golden Age" (10th-11th centuries), Yefet ben 'Eli ha-Levi. Yefet's commentary on Proverbs attests to his rationalistic and revisionist ideology and to his egalitarian approach. His work is an invaluable link in the history of interpretation of the book of Proverbs. This edition is accompanied by an introduction including a thorough study of Yefet's style of writing compared with the Arabic model of his time, his hermeneutic devices contrasted with those of Saadiah Gaon and midrash, his theology in light of the doctrines of Islamic Mu'tazila, and his polemics against various groups.