The commentary of Yefet ben Eli the Karaite (second half of the tenth century) on The Song of Songs is example of an exegetical work obeying two imperatives: The explanation of the divine message of Salvation mixed with the assiduous Karaite effort to prove wrong their adversaries, the Rabbanites, with the help of the Bible. In so doing Yefet ben Eli wrote a thoughtful and original commentary on the very symbolic Song of Songs. Indeed, according to Yefet ben Eli nothing in the Book should be taken realistically. The ability of Yefet to replace symbols by historical events is one...

This book contains two commentaries on The Song of Songs by Tanchum Yerushalmi (c. 1220-1291), one of the best representatives of rational exegesis in the Middle Eastern rabbinical school of thought. His in depth knowledge of the Bible as well as his acquaintance with Greek philosophy, added to familiarity with his own Jewish tradition allowed him to write rich biblical commentaries. In so doing he showed himself as a worthy disciple of Saadia Gaon, Hai and Ibn Janah whom he mentions in his commentary on The Song of Songs. The extent of his knowledge can easily be seen in both...

La periode judeo-arabe (VIIIe-XIIe siecle) est l'une des etapes les plus significatives dans le developpement du judaisme et dans l'histoire de l'exegese du texte biblique. Le judaisme talmudique devait affronter le qaraisme qui constituait le defi le plus serieux aux rabbins par trop confiants dans les formulations classiques. C'est aussi le moment ou l'exegese du texte biblique cessait d'etre un ensemble d'histoires edifiantes et, grace a l'introduction massive des observations grammaticales, commencait a s'appuyer sur des bases scientifiques. Salmon ben Yeruham, dans son Commentaire sur...