Ha-Reubeni (Rubinowitz), Ephraim

views updated

HA-REUBENI (Rubinowitz), EPHRAIM

HA-REUBENI (Rubinowitz ), EPHRAIM (1881–1953), botanist and pioneer in Ere? Israel. Born in Novo-Moskovsk, Ukraine, Ha-Reubeni settled in Ere? Israel in 1906 and worked as teacher of natural science in various high schools. In 1907 he founded the first museum of botany in Ere? Israel. Together with his wife Hannah (d. 1956) he founded in 1912 the Museum of Flora of the Bible and Talmud, in Rishon le-Zion. In 1936 they were transferred to the Hebrew University. He joined the academic staff of the Hebrew University in 1926 and in 1935 was appointed lecturer in botany of the Bible and Talmud. Ha-Reubeni contributed much to the investigation of plants in Ere? Israel, their uses and associated folklore. On the basis of their research, together with linguistic studies of plant names in Hebrew, Aramaic, Arabic, and other languages, the Ha-Reubenis did much to explain the ancient Hebrew botanical terms and to identify the plants mentioned in the Bible and Talmud. They wrote Me?karim bi-Shemot ?imhei Ere? Yisrael (1930) and O?ar ?im?ei Ere? Yisrael (1941).

bibliography:

C. Tartakower, in: Menorah, 2 no. 3 (Ger., 1924), 1–2; Tidhar, 12 (1962), 3946–47; Ha-Teva re-ha-Are?, 7 (1947), 303 (bibliography).

[Frederick Simon Bodenheimer]

More From encyclopedia.com