Gracian (Hebr. "Ḥen")

A prominent Spanish Jewish family descended from Judah ben Barzilai, the members of which, are known to have lived chiefly at Barcelona from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century. Most of the members used the name "Ḥen"; one of them, Solomon ben Moses, signed himself twice "Solomon b. Moses Ḥen" ("Minḥat Ḳena'ot," pp. 154, 157) and once "Solomon Gracian" (ib. p. 163). Several members of this family signed in 1305, together with Solomon Adret, the protestation against the teaching of philosophy (ib. pp. 61, 74, 154, 157, 162, 163). The following are the principal members of the family:

Astruc Vidal Gracian:

Flourished at the end of the fourteenth century. There is a responsum of his on the subject of taxes to be paid by persons who left Gerona and settled at Perpignan (Neubauer, "Cat. Bodl. Hebr. MSS." No. 22184e).

Bonseñor Gracian:

Contemporary of Astruc Vidal Gracian; wrote a responsum on the same subject (ib.).

Elijah Ḥen:

Flourished at Candia in the sixteenth century; mentioned by Jacob ha-Levi in his Responsa, No. 38, and by Joseph di Trani in his Responsa, ii., No. 15 (Conforte, "Ḳore ha-Dorot," pp. 47a, 48b).

Isaac Ḥen:

Lived at Candia in the sixteenth century; mentioned in the Responsa of Joseph b. Loeb, iii., Nos. 2, 102 (ib. p. 38a).

Isaac b. Moses ben Shealtiel Ḥen:

Signer of the protestation of 1305 ("Minḥat Ḳena'ot," p. 61).

Jacob en Shealtiel Ḥen:

Signer of the protestation of 1305 (ib. pp. 61, 162).

Judah b. Immanuel Ḥen:

Flourished at Candia in the sixteenth century, frequently mentioned in the Responsa of Joseph Caro (Conforte, l.c. 36b).

Makir ben Sheshet Ḥen:

Signer of the protestation of 1305 ("Minḥat Ḳena'ot," pp. 61, 157).

Shealtiel Ḥen.

See Gracian, Shealtiel.

Shealtiel ben Samuel:

Probably a grandson of the preceding.

Sheshet b. Shealtiel Ḥen:

Signer of the protestation of 1305.

Solomon ben Moses Ḥen.

See Gracian, Solomon ben Moses.

Zerahiah ben Isaac b. Shealtiel Ḥen.

See Gracian, Zerahiah ben Isaac ben Shealtiel.

Zerahiah ben Sheshet Ḥen:

Signer of the protestation of 1305 ("Minḥat Ḳena'ot," p. 157).

Bibliography:

  * Zunz, Notes on Benjamin of Tudela, ed. Asher, ii. 5.



G. M. Sel.