Head of the remnant of the Palestinian Gaonate in Damascus
Senior posting
Predecessor
Solomon ben Elijah ha-Cohen (assumed)
Successor
Ezra ben Abraham
Abū Ṭāhir Abraham ben Mazhir (Hebrew: אברהם בן מזהיר, Arabic: ابو طاهر, died c. 1160) was head of the remnant of the Palestinian GaonateinDamascus in the first half of the 12th century.
Little is known about Abraham's origins. His father Mazhir is styled in a letter from the Cairo Genizah as "Yesod haYeshiva", "the foundation of the Yeshiva".[1] In a different letter Abraham's family is referred to as "coming from the powerful family of Kohanim".[2] This reference seems to indicate that Abraham's family was somehow related to the family of Kohanim who ruled the Palestinian Gaonate before him. Mann, followed by others, suggests that Abraham was the son-in-law of Solomon ben Elijah ha-Cohen Gaon, who had ruled as Gaon in Damascus in the first quarter of the 12th century.[3]
It is unclear when Abraham started his position in the Gaonate. Some scholars believe he was already Gaon after the passing of the aforementioned Solomon ha-Cohen, while Masliah Gaon was head of the other division of the yeshiva in Fustat.[3] Amir Ashur has argued that Masliah's control extended over Damascus and Abraham was not an opposing Gaon.[4][5]
Abraham is already mentioned as Gaon in a letter discussing the will of Masliah.[1][3][6]
Abraham was visited by Isaac ibn Ezra in 1142. Isaac composed a poem in Abraham's honor and compiled a manuscript of poems that he gifted to Abraham.[7][8] Abraham's interest in poetry is evident from this manuscript and the numerous other poems written for him.[9]
Abraham had four children; Nissim, Ezra, Sar Shalom, and Mazhir. All are praised in the aforementioned poem that Isaac ibn Ezra wrote.
Judah al-Harizi, during his stay in Aleppo in circa 1215, met several of Abraham's descendants and wrote extremely highly of them. He mentions two of Nissim's sons, Azaryahu and Shmuel, as well as Shmuel's son Mazhir.[10] A different poem of al-Harizi written in honor of Shmuel mentions an additional son of his named Eliezer.[11] Al-Harizi dedicated his Tachkemoni to Shmuel and composed other poems in both his honor and in honor of his son Mazhir.[12]
Abraham's son Ezra succeeded his father in leadership of the Yeshiva. He already appears as Gaon in circa 1168, so his father must have passed before then.[13][14] Abraham's second son Sar Shalom appears to have succeeded Ezra, and Mazhir outlived his two brothers and occupied a high position in the Yeshiva.
