Anan ben David

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Anan ben David

Anan ben David , fl. 8th cent., Babylonian Jewish theologian, founder of the Ananites from whom the Karaites claim spiritual descent. He is said to have been a descendant of Bostanai ben Chaninai . Anan rejected the Talmudic tradition and in its place sought a return to Scripture as the sole source for God's Law. It is evident from those writings attributed to him that he made use of rabbinic methods of scriptural interpretation in the formulation of legal decisions to meet the needs of his age. These decisions often represent a quite ascetic attitude.

Bibliography: See L. Nemoy, Karaite Anthology (1952).

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Anan ben David

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions | 1997 | | Â© The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions 1997, originally published by Oxford University Press 1997. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Anan ben David (8th cent. BCE). Jewish Babylonian sage, regarded as the founder of Karaism. According to Karaite legend, when the exilarchate of Babylon was bestowed on Anan's younger brother, Anan consequently founded an alternative sect. His immediate followers, the Ananites, rejected the Talmudic tradition and relied on the Bible alone as the source of divine law. Anan's own book, Sefer ha-Mitzvot (Book of Precepts), became an important text in the later Karaite movement.

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JOHN BOWKER. "Anan ben David." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 14 Nov. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN BOWKER. "Anan ben David." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (November 14, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-AnanbenDavid.html

JOHN BOWKER. "Anan ben David." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved November 14, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-AnanbenDavid.html

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