?alfon ben Nethanel Ha-Levi Abu Sa??d
?ALFON BEN NETHANEL HA-LEVI ABU SA??D
?ALFON BEN NETHANEL HA-LEVI ABU SA? ?D (12th century), wealthy businessman in Egypt. ?alfon's affairs extended from India and Yemen to Spain. Numerous letters, addressed to him from furthest parts of the Jewish Diaspora, which bear evidence of his generosity and wealth, have been found in the Cairo *Genizah. He was a close friend of *Judah Halevi, who also appears to have been his relative. Some of the letters which were sent by the latter to ?alfon have been preserved. It seems that the contacts between them dated from the time of ?alfon's visit to Spain in order to arrange personal affairs. Halevi then wrote poems and letters in the former's honor which were published by H. *Brody. When on his way to Ere? Israel, Halevi stayed at ?alfon's home in Cairo from 1140 to 1141. One of ?alfon's brothers was R. Moses b. Nethanel, the av bet din of the tribunal of the gaon*Ma?li'a? b. Solomon Ha-Kohen.
bibliography:
S.D. Goitein, A Mediterranean Society; vol. 1–4, index (vol. 6) idem, in: Sinai, 33 (1953), 228–30; idem, in: Tarbiz, 24 (1955), 21–47, 134–49; 25 (1956), 393–412; 28 (1959), 346–61; 31 (1962), 366–8; 35 (1966), 274–7; Schirmann, ibid., 9 (1938), 295; Strauss, in: Zion, 7 (1941/42), 145–51; Abramson, in: ks, 29 (1953/54), 136–7, 142; add. bibliography: M. Gil and E. Fleischer, Yehudah ha-Levi u-Benei Hugo. (2001), 27–80, 91–92, 100, 156–57, 210–12, 224–26, 236–38.
[Abraham David]