Yefet ben Ali

Yefet ben Ali was a prominent figure in the literary world of the 10th century, renowned for his commentary on the Bible from a Karaite perspective. Born in Basra, within the Abbasid Caliphate, around 914, he would go on to live a long life of approximately 95 years. His birthplace in Basra was significant, but it was Jerusalem that would eventually become the city where he would spend the latter part of his life and ultimately pass away.

As a leading Karaite commentator, Yefet ben Ali's work flourished during what is often referred to as the "Golden Age of Karaism". His reputation earned him the distinguished epithet "maskil ha-Golah" among the Karaites. Between 950 and 980, he made the significant move from Basra to Jerusalem, a city that would become his home until his death around 1009. Through his contributions to biblical commentary, Yefet ben Ali left a lasting impact on the literary field, particularly within the context of Karaite scholarship.