Page:Jewish Encyclopedia Volume 1.pdf/405

357 distinguish between Severus, son of Antoninus, and Antoninus himself; and thirdly, Christians were just as much favored by Alexander as Jews; he was tolerant toward all. See

ALEXANDER (SENDER) SHOR. See

ALEXANDER SUSLIN HA-KOHEN OF FRANKFORT: One of the most important Talmudists of his time; flourished in the first half of the fourteenth century. He was rabbi first in Cologne and Worms, and then moved to Frankfort-on-the-Main, where he died some time before 1349. Alexander was the author of the book "Aguddah" (Collection), the contents of which justify its title. In concise fashion it enumerates the most important legal decisions, based on Talmudic law, made by preceding rabbinical authorities. Its purpose is to render such decisions accessible for guidance in their practical application. A comparison of the "Aguddah" with Jacob b. Asher's "Tur," written at the same time in Spain, reveals the deficiencies of the German Jews of that day in matters of method and systematization. While Jacob b. Asher, in spite of the fact that he partially discards Maimonides' order and method, exhibited in his"Yad ha-Hazakah," presents a comparatively concise compendium of the diuim (laws) in use, the "Aguddah" shows a conglomeration of legal enactments and personal comments on the Talmud-in which much foreign matter is interspersed-so that it would have proved actually worthless for the practical purpose for which it was intended. Among the German Jews, however, the "Aguddah" received a cordial welcome, while Sephardic Jews have almost absolutely ignored it. Such authorities of the beginning of the fifteenth century as Jacob Muelln (Maharil) and Jacob Weil consider Suslin's judgments to be decisive. Its reputation is also shown by the fact that extracts from the same were made a hundred years later (Hanau, 1610), under the title of "Hiddushe Aguddah" (Novellae from the "Aguddah"), comprising a selection from Alexander's own explanations in the "Aguddah." Characteristic of the author, his work, and the period in which he lived is his decision upon-Hul. i. 32.that the ("pupil of the wise ") of the present day can not claim the rights and privileges of the class thus named in the Talmud, because nowadays there is no longer any true /'//»'('</ hnknm. Alexander evidently acknowledged by this the decadence of Talmudical learning in his time and was conscious of his own inferiority.

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M. Unrovltz, Frnnhfurler Rahhiucn, No. 47B.

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.Mliliuct, iir hii-lliiiiuiiii.

L. G.

ALEXANDER SÜSSKIND BEN MOSES OF GRODNO: A great cabalist of the eighteenth century; died at Grodno, Lithuania, in 1794. He wrote "Yesod we Shoresh ha-'Abodah" (The Essence and Root of Worship), Novydvor, 1782, a work frequently republished. It contains directions for the right use and comprehension of the ritual, the daily prayers, and those for thr Sabbath and holy days; also divers exegetical articles on Rashi's commentary on the Prophets and Hagiographa, and articles on the Holy Land and the Temple. Alexander left also an ethical will to his sons, which contains admonitions regarding divine service. This work was published in Grodno in 1794.

ALEXANDER SÜSSKIND BEN MOSES KANTSHIGER: Biblical scholar of the eighteenth century. He was the author of "Miẓnefet Bad" (The Linen Miter), Zolkiev, 1747, a series of dissertations on the arrangement of the Pentateuch, divided according to the weekly sections. He should not be confounded with Alexander Süsskind ben Moses of Grodno. Fürst and Benjacob, in their bibliographical works, have Moses as the patronymic of the author of "Miẓnefet Bad."

ALEXANDER SÜSSKIND BEN SAMUEL ZANWIL: A grammarian and cabalist; born at Metz about the end of the seventeenth century. In 1717-18 he published at Köthen (Anhalt, Germany) a work on Hebrew grammar, entitled "Derek ha-ḳodesh" (The Sacred Way); appended to it is a Judæo-German essay on the Hebrew accents. In manuscript No. 90 of the Leyden collection three works are found of an Alexander ben Samuel, whom Steinschneider identifies with this Alexander Süsskind. They are: (1) "Yedi'at Elohim" (Knowledge of God), on the existence of God, immortality, etc.; (2) "Meleket ha-Mibṭa." a work on Hebrew grammar; (3) "Ẓori ha-Yehudim," or "Theriaca Judaica," a Hebrew translation of a German work by Solomon Uffenhausen. In 1758 he lived at Leyden, where he wrote for Prof. Philip Puseal a treatise on the Cabala under the title "Reshit Ḥokmah" (The Beginning of Wisdom), which is still extant in manuscript at Frankfort-on-the-Oder.

ALEXANDER, TIBERIUS JULIUS: Roman general of the first century; son of the alabarch Alexander, who gave him the name of Tiberius, probably in honor of the emperor Tiberius; but he himself assumed the name of Julius out of compliment to the reigning family of the Julii. Alexander, who was a nephew or cousin of Philo, forsook the faith of his ancestors and rose to high rank. In the year 46 he was appointed by Claudius procurator of Judea (Josephus, "Ant." xx. 5, § 2; idem, "B. J." ii. 11, § 6). Nero afterward made him a Roman knight, and, in the war against the Parthians, assigned him to the post of civil governor by the side of the military official, the general Corbulo (Tacitus, "Annales," xv. 28). He received from Nero the important post of prefect of Egypt; and Agrippa hastened from Jerusalem—where the rebellion had just broken out—to Alexandria, in order to congratulate Alexander.

The appointment of this apostate from Judaism to this exalted position was destined to be fatal to the Jews of Alexandria; for when they began their struggle with the Alexandrians in order to maintain their rights, Alexander ordered out the Roman legions, and they devastated the Delta, the quarter inhabited by the Jews, and slew about fifty thousand of them ("B. J." ii. 18, §§ 7, 8). In the contest between Vespasian and Vitellius for the position of emperor, Alexander, on receipt of a letter from Vespasian, caused (July 1, 69) the Egyptian troops to swear the oath of allegiance to the latter ("B. J." iv. 10, § 6; Tacitus, "Hist." ii. 79; Suetonius, "Vespasian," vi.). This was probably done at the instigation of Berenice, who was a relative of Alexander. As a reward for this service the latter was appointed to accompany Titus in the Jewish war as prafectus prœtorio—"general of the army" ("B. J." v. 1, § 6), probably the highest military office to which a Jew