Dosa Ben Saadia

Son of Saadia Alfayyumi. Dosa was a Talmudic scholar and philosopher, but he did not succeed his father as gaon. A responsum by him has been preserved. According to Abraham ibn Daud's chronicle, he entered into correspondence with the nasi Ḥasdai ibn Shaprut of Spain, and Judah Almadari in his commentary on Alfasi includes him in the list of gaons; while in a glossary to Maimonides' "Moreh Nebukim" he is counted among the philosophers who combated the Greek conception of the eternity of the universe. Some scholars declare Dosa identical with David ben Saadia, who wrote a Talmudic work in Arabic (cited in Bezalel Ashkenazi's "Shiṭṭah Meḳubbeẓet" to B. M. 104b) which concerns itself with the refutation of several decisions found in the "Halakot Gedolot," and which contains a reference to another work written by David in Arabic on oath-taking.

Bibliography:

  * S. F. Rappaport, Biography of Saadia, in Bikkure ha-'Ittim, ix., note 13;
  * Harkavy, Studien und Mittheil. iv. 355;
  * S. Munk, Guide, i. 462.



G. A. K.