Moses ben Elijah Ha-Levi
MOSES BEN ELIJAH HA-LEVI
MOSES BEN ELIJAH HA-LEVI (d. 1667), Karaite scholar from Feodosia (the Crimea), ḥazzan of the community and a teacher of Torah in the 17th century. In 1654–55 he went on a pilgrimage to Ereẓ Israel, which he described in his travel account (see Gurland; Ya'ari). Moses, with other members of the Karaite community, set out from Feodosia seaport. They traveled through Constantinople and Rhodes and spent Rosh Ha-Shanah and Yom Kippur on the ship. They visited Cairo and Alexandria, and he devoted part of his account to the depiction of Karaite communities of Egypt. From Egypt they moved to Gaza through the Sinai desert and then to Jerusalem. They also visited Hebron, Nablus, and Damascus. Moses copied Karaite books and was an author of the book Darosh Darash Moshe (jts 3317, [jnul, mic. 32002]), including 24 commentaries and sermons on different subjects. He composed several liturgical poems, which had been included in the Karaite siddur.
bibliography:
A.B. Gottlober, Bikkoret le-Toledot ha-Kara'im (1865), 204; H.Y. Gurland, Ginzei Yisrael, i (1865); Mann, Texts, 2 (1935), 1363; 1427–28; A. Ya'ari, Massa'ot Ereẓ Yisrael (1976), 305–23.
[Golda Akhiezer (2nd ed.)]