NAHAVENDI, BENJAMIN B. MOSES (rna '17171) inn p.), a celebrated Karaite commen tator who flourished about A. D. Soo, and derived his name from his native place Nahavend, in ancient Media. He not only immortalised his name by effecting a reformation and consolidation in the opinions of the Jewish sect called Karaites, and by being next in importance to Anon, the founder of this sect, but has greatly distinguished himself as an expositor of the Hebrew Scriptures. He wrote, (i.) A Commentary on the Pentateuch, in which he illustrates the Mosaic enactments by copious de scriptions of the manners and customs of the East. Comp. Pinsker, Likute Kadmoniat, p. 72, Ap pendix ; (2.) A Commentary on Isaiah; in which he explains away all the Messianic prophecies ; comp. Jepheth on Is. lilt. ; (3.) A Commentary on Daniel. He explains the ' thousand three hundred and thirty-five days' (xii. 12), as denoting so many years, and as referring to the end of time, which he calculated would begin row A. D. ; comp. Pinsker, ibid., p. 32, Appendix ; (4) A Commentary on the Five Megilloth, i.e., Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamen tations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther. In the comment
on Ecclesiastes, besides giving a thoroughly gram matical and literal exposition of its contents, he also applies it, in an allegorical or spiritual sense, to the ever-shifting condition of the Jewish nation. Pinsker p. 1094 II, Appendix) gives a spe cimen of this commentary, the MS. of which exists in the Paris library ; (5.) A Book of Command ments (flm* 1w), in which he propounds the Ka raite explanation of Scripture passages in opposi tion to the Rabbinic expositions ; (6.) in"T "MD, The Book of Legal Enactments, also called ntivb rnz, The Tribute of Benjamin, in which he sets forth the penal and civil laws of the Mosaic code ; printed at Eupatoria, 5834. Comp. Pinsker, Likute Kadmoniot, Vienna 186o, p. 44, ff. ; Graetz, Geschichte der y'uden, vol. v., Magdeburg 1860, pp. 288, ; 506, ff. ; 518, if. ; Geschichte des Karderthums, vol. L, Leipzig 1862, pp. 71, ff ; 157, 1T. ; Ginsburg, The Karaite:, their History and Literature, in the Proceedings of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Liverpool,' 1862. C. D. G.