sooda
Veteran Member
After their expulsion from Spain in 1492, more Sephardi and Karaite Jews began to emigrate to Egypt and their numbers increased significantly with the growth of trading prospects after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. As a result, Jews from all over the territories of the Ottoman Empire as well as Italy and Greece started to settle in the main cities of Egypt, where they thrived.
But, that's not the beginning of the Jewish story in Egypt.
The history of the Jews of Alexandria dates from the foundation of the city by Alexander the Great, 332 B.C., at which they were present (Josephus, "Contra Ap." ii. 4; "Ant." xix. 5, § 2). From the very beginning their numbers seem to have been considerable; at all events, they formed a very large portion of the population under the successors of Alexander.
A separate section of the city was assigned to them by the first Ptolemies, so that they might not be hindered in the observance of their laws by continual contact with the pagan population ("B. J." ii. 18, § 7). The site of this ancient Jewish quarter—theexistence of which is testified to also by Strabo ("Ant." xiv. 7, § 2)—can be fixed with tolerable accuracy; for Apion derisively refers to the Jews as a people living on a harborless shore; whereupon Josephus rejoins that this is a very excellent situation; for, as a consequence, they resided in the vicinity of the Royal Palace("Contra Ap." ii. 4).
The palace was built on the spit of land called Lochias, and the harbor was in proximity to it, west of Lochias. Therefore the Jews must have inhabited that part of the city that extended eastward from the palace.
Moreover, the whole city was divided into five districts, which were named after the first five letters of the Greek alphabet. Of these five districts two were denominated Jewish districts, because the majority of their inhabitants were Jews (Philo, "In Flaccum," § 8; ed. Mangey, ii. 525). From this quite a clear conception of the strength of the Jewish population may be formed.
The Jewish Quarter.
According to Josephus, the fourth or "delta" district was populated by the Jews ("B. J." ii. 18, § 8); which fact warrants the inference that this isolation already existed in the time of Josephus (compare also "Contra Ap." ii. 4). At that time, however, the isolation was not strictly enforced; for, according to Philo, there were many Jewish dwellings scattered throughout the city. There were even synagogues distributed all over the city (Philo, "De Legatione ad Cajum," § 20; ed. Mangey, ii. 565).
ALEXANDRIA, Egypt—Ancient (Jewish Encyclopedia) - The Full Wiki
As regards number and position, the Jews in Alexandria enjoyed a greater degree of political independence there than elsewhere. While the Jewish inhabitants of other cities of the Roman empire, without any political separation, formed private societies for religious purposes, or else became a corporation of foreigners like the Egyptian and Phoenician merchants in the large commercial centers, those of Alexandria constituted an independent political community, side by side with that of the heathen population.
Strabo thus describes their constitution ("Ant." xiv. 7, § 2): "At their head stands an ethnarch, who rules and judges the people; and, like the archon of an independent city, gives special attention to the proper fulfilment of the duties and to the compliance with the various regulations."
Investigating the Origin of the Ancient Jewish Community at Elephantine: A Review
Elephantine is an island in the Nile River, to the west of Aswan (on the eastern bank of the Nile). In ancient times, the island has been the southern-most city of Egypt. South of Elephantine, for a distance of approximately 223 km, extends the Nubian Desert where even the Nile banks are inhospitable. Beyond this distance lie the lands of Sudan, homeland of the Nubian civilization, which to ancient Egypt represented a prominent military threat. Trade relations between Egypt and Nubia continued active throughout history and Elephantine was the point where trade routes from Nubia met. Hence, to the ancient Egyptians, the city represented the 'door to the South'.
The name Elephantine is Greek meaning 'elephant' and this expresses the city's function as a gate to the South, since elephants were brought from the south towards Nubia. Another name for the city by ancient Egyptians is 'Yebo', which also meant 'elephant'.
A Jewish garrison community that was already settled in the island by the fifth century B.C., played an essential role in the interaction between Nubia and Egypt. Some historians and archeologists directed attention and research towards this Jewish community for it provides a wide range of evidence for the earliest Diaspora Jewish settlement.
The task of the Jewish garrison in Elephantine was to protect the Egyptian border with Nubia (Kush). However, the garrison was also associated with insuring the safe passage of products coming from/to Nubia. Adjacent to the Jewish settlement in Elephantine was the Aramean garrison at Syene (Aswan), on the eastern bank of the Nile. While less evidence was available for the Armaean garrison at Syene, extensive records documented life within the Jewish garrison at Elephantine. In Elephantine the Jews built a temple for 'Yahweh', which resembled the Salomon's temple in Jerusalem. During the fifth century B.C., contemporary with the Persian rule of Egypt, the temple was destroyed by Egyptian rebels and at which time the Jewish settlement mysteriously vanished.
A collection of archives (known as the Elephantine Papyri) mostly written in Aramaic, and some in Hieratic and Demotic is found. The archives are concerned with diverse matters of the community; i.e. political, legal, social, economic, and religious. Some documents that belonged to members of the Aramean garrison were also found at Syene.
The collection of the archives has been first discovered and purchased by Giovanni Belzoni from a local market in Aswan (Egypt). A.H. Sayce and A.E. Cowley published the first collection of the papyri in 1906. Later excavations revealed more Papyri and ostraca. Thereafter, more publications followed such as those by W. Staerk and A. Ungnad.
Most of the archives associated with the Elephantine Jewish community date back to the Persian period, i.e. after 525 B.C. Owners of the contracts secured their documents by burying them under the floors of their houses and keeping them inside pottery vessels and jars. The Legal documents found are concerned with lawsuits; sales; marriage, loan, gifts, and other contracts related to property ownerships. The judicial court to which these contracts were drawn in accordance is uncertain (i.e., Persian or local Jewish courts). Although most of the contracts were written in Aramaic, they seem to have followed the same formula as that of the Egyptian contracts.
It is proven for certain, nonetheless, that members of this community were Jews. There names, identity, lifestyle, and religious traditions leave no doubt for their Jewishness. There is proof that they had observed the Shabbat and the Passover, and probably most of the other traditional Jewish holidays. Of special importance is the 'Passover Letter' which dated back to 419 B.C. The letter was from Hananiah to Jedenaiah of the Jewish garrison at Elephantine. On his letter, Hennania instructed the Jews to "keep the Festival of Unleavened Bread" and to "be pure and take heed."(C:21:6) along with other instructions related to the observance of the festival. Scholars suspect that this Hennaniah might have been the brother of the legendary Biblical figure, Nehemiah.
However, the Jews were not living in total isolation from their pagan environment, which, beside the Arameans, included Greeks, Babylonians, and Egyptians. Cases of intermarriages are documented and names bearing both Pagan and Jewish elements existed.
Family archives, on the other hand, provided a wide range of information with regard to the social structure that this Jewish community had enjoyed.
p Members of the garrison owned Egyptian slaves and took handmaidens regularly. Although the living standards at Elephantine are not well known, the Jewish settlers were certainly wealthier than the average Egyptian commoners. Some of them seemed to be real state, owning several houses; many kept more than one Egyptian slave and purchased expensive gifts for their brides -- 10 Shekels on average.
One of the most illustrative documents in the Elephantine Archives is the marriage contract of Ananiah b. Azariah, who was a treasury keeper of the Temple, to the Egyptian slave girl Tamut. Although Tamut was the wife of Ananiah after the contract was drawn, she still belonged to her original owner Meshullam b. Zaccur.
continued
Ancient Sudan~ Nubia: Investigating the Origin of the Ancient Jewish Community at Elephantine: A Review
But, that's not the beginning of the Jewish story in Egypt.
The history of the Jews of Alexandria dates from the foundation of the city by Alexander the Great, 332 B.C., at which they were present (Josephus, "Contra Ap." ii. 4; "Ant." xix. 5, § 2). From the very beginning their numbers seem to have been considerable; at all events, they formed a very large portion of the population under the successors of Alexander.
A separate section of the city was assigned to them by the first Ptolemies, so that they might not be hindered in the observance of their laws by continual contact with the pagan population ("B. J." ii. 18, § 7). The site of this ancient Jewish quarter—theexistence of which is testified to also by Strabo ("Ant." xiv. 7, § 2)—can be fixed with tolerable accuracy; for Apion derisively refers to the Jews as a people living on a harborless shore; whereupon Josephus rejoins that this is a very excellent situation; for, as a consequence, they resided in the vicinity of the Royal Palace("Contra Ap." ii. 4).
The palace was built on the spit of land called Lochias, and the harbor was in proximity to it, west of Lochias. Therefore the Jews must have inhabited that part of the city that extended eastward from the palace.
Moreover, the whole city was divided into five districts, which were named after the first five letters of the Greek alphabet. Of these five districts two were denominated Jewish districts, because the majority of their inhabitants were Jews (Philo, "In Flaccum," § 8; ed. Mangey, ii. 525). From this quite a clear conception of the strength of the Jewish population may be formed.
The Jewish Quarter.
According to Josephus, the fourth or "delta" district was populated by the Jews ("B. J." ii. 18, § 8); which fact warrants the inference that this isolation already existed in the time of Josephus (compare also "Contra Ap." ii. 4). At that time, however, the isolation was not strictly enforced; for, according to Philo, there were many Jewish dwellings scattered throughout the city. There were even synagogues distributed all over the city (Philo, "De Legatione ad Cajum," § 20; ed. Mangey, ii. 565).
ALEXANDRIA, Egypt—Ancient (Jewish Encyclopedia) - The Full Wiki
As regards number and position, the Jews in Alexandria enjoyed a greater degree of political independence there than elsewhere. While the Jewish inhabitants of other cities of the Roman empire, without any political separation, formed private societies for religious purposes, or else became a corporation of foreigners like the Egyptian and Phoenician merchants in the large commercial centers, those of Alexandria constituted an independent political community, side by side with that of the heathen population.
Strabo thus describes their constitution ("Ant." xiv. 7, § 2): "At their head stands an ethnarch, who rules and judges the people; and, like the archon of an independent city, gives special attention to the proper fulfilment of the duties and to the compliance with the various regulations."
Investigating the Origin of the Ancient Jewish Community at Elephantine: A Review
Elephantine is an island in the Nile River, to the west of Aswan (on the eastern bank of the Nile). In ancient times, the island has been the southern-most city of Egypt. South of Elephantine, for a distance of approximately 223 km, extends the Nubian Desert where even the Nile banks are inhospitable. Beyond this distance lie the lands of Sudan, homeland of the Nubian civilization, which to ancient Egypt represented a prominent military threat. Trade relations between Egypt and Nubia continued active throughout history and Elephantine was the point where trade routes from Nubia met. Hence, to the ancient Egyptians, the city represented the 'door to the South'.
The name Elephantine is Greek meaning 'elephant' and this expresses the city's function as a gate to the South, since elephants were brought from the south towards Nubia. Another name for the city by ancient Egyptians is 'Yebo', which also meant 'elephant'.
A Jewish garrison community that was already settled in the island by the fifth century B.C., played an essential role in the interaction between Nubia and Egypt. Some historians and archeologists directed attention and research towards this Jewish community for it provides a wide range of evidence for the earliest Diaspora Jewish settlement.
The task of the Jewish garrison in Elephantine was to protect the Egyptian border with Nubia (Kush). However, the garrison was also associated with insuring the safe passage of products coming from/to Nubia. Adjacent to the Jewish settlement in Elephantine was the Aramean garrison at Syene (Aswan), on the eastern bank of the Nile. While less evidence was available for the Armaean garrison at Syene, extensive records documented life within the Jewish garrison at Elephantine. In Elephantine the Jews built a temple for 'Yahweh', which resembled the Salomon's temple in Jerusalem. During the fifth century B.C., contemporary with the Persian rule of Egypt, the temple was destroyed by Egyptian rebels and at which time the Jewish settlement mysteriously vanished.
A collection of archives (known as the Elephantine Papyri) mostly written in Aramaic, and some in Hieratic and Demotic is found. The archives are concerned with diverse matters of the community; i.e. political, legal, social, economic, and religious. Some documents that belonged to members of the Aramean garrison were also found at Syene.
The collection of the archives has been first discovered and purchased by Giovanni Belzoni from a local market in Aswan (Egypt). A.H. Sayce and A.E. Cowley published the first collection of the papyri in 1906. Later excavations revealed more Papyri and ostraca. Thereafter, more publications followed such as those by W. Staerk and A. Ungnad.
Most of the archives associated with the Elephantine Jewish community date back to the Persian period, i.e. after 525 B.C. Owners of the contracts secured their documents by burying them under the floors of their houses and keeping them inside pottery vessels and jars. The Legal documents found are concerned with lawsuits; sales; marriage, loan, gifts, and other contracts related to property ownerships. The judicial court to which these contracts were drawn in accordance is uncertain (i.e., Persian or local Jewish courts). Although most of the contracts were written in Aramaic, they seem to have followed the same formula as that of the Egyptian contracts.
It is proven for certain, nonetheless, that members of this community were Jews. There names, identity, lifestyle, and religious traditions leave no doubt for their Jewishness. There is proof that they had observed the Shabbat and the Passover, and probably most of the other traditional Jewish holidays. Of special importance is the 'Passover Letter' which dated back to 419 B.C. The letter was from Hananiah to Jedenaiah of the Jewish garrison at Elephantine. On his letter, Hennania instructed the Jews to "keep the Festival of Unleavened Bread" and to "be pure and take heed."(C:21:6) along with other instructions related to the observance of the festival. Scholars suspect that this Hennaniah might have been the brother of the legendary Biblical figure, Nehemiah.
However, the Jews were not living in total isolation from their pagan environment, which, beside the Arameans, included Greeks, Babylonians, and Egyptians. Cases of intermarriages are documented and names bearing both Pagan and Jewish elements existed.
Family archives, on the other hand, provided a wide range of information with regard to the social structure that this Jewish community had enjoyed.
p Members of the garrison owned Egyptian slaves and took handmaidens regularly. Although the living standards at Elephantine are not well known, the Jewish settlers were certainly wealthier than the average Egyptian commoners. Some of them seemed to be real state, owning several houses; many kept more than one Egyptian slave and purchased expensive gifts for their brides -- 10 Shekels on average.
One of the most illustrative documents in the Elephantine Archives is the marriage contract of Ananiah b. Azariah, who was a treasury keeper of the Temple, to the Egyptian slave girl Tamut. Although Tamut was the wife of Ananiah after the contract was drawn, she still belonged to her original owner Meshullam b. Zaccur.
continued
Ancient Sudan~ Nubia: Investigating the Origin of the Ancient Jewish Community at Elephantine: A Review
