JAPHETH B. ALI HA-LEVI (41t 4n), of Bassra, called in Arabic Abu Ali Hassan b. Ali al-Levi al-Boy-17 (4.69N .,1) In Ion +Sr .0t..1 'Invzti,), a very eminent Karaite grammarian and commentator of the O. T. who flourished about 950-99o, and who so distinguished himself through his literary labours that he obtained the honour able appellation of 1-tri -un5nn, //regrew' teacher, and a place among those who are mentioned in the Karaite prayer-book. Though his gigantic com mentaries must have exercised great influence on the development of Biblical exegesis, as may be concluded from the fact that Ibn Ezra had them constantly before him when writing his expositions of the O. T., and that he quotes them with the greatest respect, yet they have not as yet been pub lished, and we have still only the fragments which Ibn Ezra gives us. The MSS. of these commen taries, whicla consist of twenty large volumes, are in Paris and in Leyden. The eminent Orientalist
Munk brought in 1841 from Egypt to the royal library at Paris, eleven volumes, five of which are on Genesis, and many sections of Exodus, Leviti cus, and Numbers ; two volumes are on the Psalms, one is on Proverbs, and one on the Five Megilloth. The commentaries, which are in Arabic, are pre ceded by the Hebrew text, and an Arabic transla tion. The indefatigable Pinsker has examined twenty volumes of these commentaries and made extracts from them (cornp. Jost, Israelitisehe Anna len, Frankfort-on-the-Maine 184r, p. 76; Barges, Rabbi "aphet ben Heli Bassorensis Karaite in psal. Commentar Prefatio,1846; Pinsker, Lie-bele Kad monk', Vienna 1863, p. 169, supplement, p. r8t, etc. ; Graetz, Gem/Lie/de der yuden, vol. v., Magde burg 1860, P. 342)- —C. D. G.