Medieval Sourcebook:
The Medieval Jewish Kingdom of the Khazars, 740-1259
[Marcus Introduction]
About the year 740, many of the Khazars, a powerful Turkish tribe
occupying the steppes of southern Russia, became converts to Judaism.
More than two centuries later, the report of the existence of this Jewish
kingdom aroused the curiosity of Hasdai ibn Shaprut (about 915-970). Ibn
Shaprut was not only the personal physician of the Spanish Califs
Abd-al-Rahman III (912-961) and his son Hakam II (961-976) but was also
inspector-general of customs and an adviser in foreign affairs. To
satisfy his curiosity he wrote to the ruler of the Khazars about 960 and
some time later received an answer from Joseph, the reigning king. The
letters of Hasdai and Joseph, both originally written in Hebrew, are
given below in extract.
Fragments of the Khazar kingdom persisted into the
thirteenth century.
See the Web site -
Khazaria Information Center
1: THE LETTER OF RABBI HASDAI, SON OF ISAAC IBN
SHAPRUT, TO THE KING OF THE KHAZARS, about 960
I, Hasdai, son of Isaac, son of Ezra, belonging to the
exiled Jews of Jerusalem in Spain, a servant of my lord the King, bow to
the earth before him and prostrate myself towards the abode of your
Majesty from a distant land. I rejoice in your tranquillity and
magnificence and stretch forth my hands to God in heaven that He may
prolong your reign in Israel....
Praise be to the beneficent God for His mercy towards
me! Kings of the earth, to whom his [Abd-al-Rahman's] magnificence and
power are known, bring gifts to him, conciliating his favor by costly
presents, such as the King of the Franks, the King of the Gebalim, who
are Germans, the King of Constantinople, and others. All their gifts pass
through my hands, and I am charged with making gifts in return. [Ibn
Shaprut, who knew several languages, received these embassies.] Let my
lips express praise to the God of heaven, who so far extends His
lovingkindness towards me, without any merit of my own, but in the
fullness of His mercies!
I always ask the ambassadors of these monarchs who
bring gifts about our brethren the Israelites, the remnant of the
captivity, whether they have heard anything concerning the deliverance of
those who have languished in bondage and have found no rest. [He was
anxious to know if the "lost ten tribes" existed as an independent Jewish
state anywhere.]
At length mercantile emissaries of Khorasan [a land
southeast of the Caspian Sea] told me that there is a kingdom of Jews
which is called Al-Chazar. But I did not believe these words for I
thought that they told me such things to procure my goodwill and favor. I
was therefore wondering, till the ambassadors of Constantinople came
[between 944 and 949] with presents and a letter from their king to our
king, and I interrogated them concerning this matter,
They answered me: "It is quite true, and the name of
that kingdom is Al-Chazar. It is a fifteen days' journey by sea from
Constantinople, but by land many nations intervene between us; the name
of the king now reigning is Joseph; ships sometimes come from their
country to ours bringing fish, skins, and wares of every kind [The
Khazars, great traders, got their wares from the Russians to the north.]
The men are our confederates and are honored by us; there is
communication between us by embassies and mutual gifts; they are very
powerful; they maintain numerous armies with which they occasionally
engage in expeditions." When I heard this report I was encouraged, my
hands were strengthened, and my hope was confirmed. Thereupon I bowed
down and adored the God of heaven. [Hasdai was happy: Christians could no
longer say the Jews were without a country as a punishment for their
rejection of Jesus.]....
I pray for the health of my lord the King, of his
family, and of his house, and that his throne may be established for
ever. Let his days and his sons' days be prolonged in the midst of
Israel!
II. THE LETTER OF JOSEPH THE KING, SON OF AARON THE
KING, THE TURK-MAY HIS CREATOR PRESERVE HIM TO THE HEAD OF THE ASSEMBLY,
HASDAI, THE SON OF ISAAC, SON OF EZRA-about 960
....I wish to inform you that your beautifully phrased
letter was given us by Isaac, son of Eliezer, a Jew of the land of
Germany [Isaac carried it through Germany, Hungary, and Russia to
Khazaria.] You made us happy and we are delighted with your understanding
and wisdom.... Let us, therefore, renew the diplomatic relations that
once obtained between our fathers, and let us transmit this heritage to
our children. [Joseph believed the Khazars had once had diplomatic
relations with the Spanish Arabs.]
You ask us also in your epistle: "Of what people, of
what family, and of what tribe are you?" Know that we are descended from
Japhet, through his son Togarmah. [In Jewish literature Togarmah is the
father of all the Turks.] I have found in the genealogical books of my
ancestors that Togarmah had ten sons. These are their names: the eldest
was Ujur, the second Tauris, the third Avar, the fourth Uauz, the fifth
Bizal, the sixth Tarna, the seventh Khazar, the eighth Janur, the ninth
Bulgar, the tenth Sawir. [These are the mythical founders of tribes that
once lived in the neighborhood of the Black and Caspian Seas.] I am a
descendant of Khazar, the seventh son.
I have a record that although our fathers were few in
number, the Holy One blessed be He, gave them strength, power, and might
so that they were able to carry on war after war with many nations who
were more powerful and numerous than they. By the help of God they drove
them out and took possession of their country. Upon some of them they
have imposed forced labor even to this very day. The land [along the
Volga] in which I now live was formerly occupied by the Bulgarians. Our
ancestors, the Khazars, came and fought with them, and, although these
Bulgarians were as numerous as the sand on the shores of the sea, they
could not withstand the Khazars. So they left their country and fled
while the Khazars pursued them as far as the Danube River. Up to this
very day the Bulgars camp along the Danube and are close to
Constantinople. The Khazars have occupied their land up till now. [The
Khazars, known since the second century, dominated southern Russia during
the early Middle Ages. ]
After this, several generations passed until a certain
King arose whose name was Bulan. He was a wise and God-fearing man,
trusting in his Creator with all his heart. He expelled the wizards and
idolaters from the land and took refuge in the shadow of his wings . . .
After this his fame was spread broadcast. [Bulan probably ruled about
740. He was the first Jewish Khazar ruler. ] The king of the Byzantines
and the Arabs who had heard of him sent their envoys and ambassadors with
great riches and many great presents to the King as well as some of their
wise men with the object of converting him to their own religion. [The
Byzantines and Arabs hoped to stop the raids of the Khazars by converting
them.]
But the King-may his soul be bound up in the bundle of
life With the Lord his God-being wise, sent for a learned Israelite. the
King searched, inquired, and investigated carefully and brought the sages
together that they might argue about their respective religions. Each of
them refuted, however, the arguments of his opponent so that they could
not agree. When the King saw this he said to them: "Go home, but return
to me on the third day…"
On the third day he called all the sages together and
said to them. "Speak and argue with one another and make clear to me
which is the best religion." They began to dispute with one another
without arriving at any results until the King said to the Christian
priest "What do you think? Of the religion of the Jews and the Muslims,
which is to be preferred?" The priest answered: "The religion of the
Israelites is better than that of the Muslims."
The King then asked the kadi [a Muslim judge and
scholar]: "What do you say? Is the religion of the Israelites, or that of
the Christians preferable?" The kadi answered: "The religion of the
Israelites is preferable."
Upon this the King said: "If this is so, you both have
admitted with your own mouths that the religion of the Israelites is
better Wherefore, trusting in the mercies of God and the power of the
Almighty, I choose the religion of Israel, that is, the religion of
Abraham. If that God in whom I trust, and in the shadow of whose wings I
find refuge, will aid me, He can give me without labor the money, the
gold, and the silver which you have promised me. As for you all, go now
in peace to your land." [This account of Bulan's conversion is apparently
legendary. Another Hebrew source tells us that Judaism was adopted by the
Khazars when a Jewish general was made king. Jewish fugitives from
Constantinople also made many converts in Khazaria.]
From that time on the Almighty helped Bulan, fortified
him, and strengthened him. He circumcised himself, his servants,
attendants, and ail his people. [Arabic sources say the royal family and
nobility became Jews, but only a part of the people.] Then Bulan sent for
and brought from all places wise men of Israel who interpreted the Torah
for him and arranged the precepts in order, and up to this very day we
have been subject to this religion. May God's name be blessed and may His
remembrance be exalted for ever!
Since that day [about 740], when my fathers entered
into this religion, the God of Israel has humbled all of their enemies,
subjecting every folk and tongue round about them, whether Christian,
Muslim, or pagan. No one has been able to stand before them to this day
[about 960]. All of them are tributary. [But only about ten years later
Joseph was defeated by the Russians, 969.]
After the days of Bulan there arose one of his
descendants, a king Obodiah by name, who reorganized the kingdom and
established the Jewish religion properly and correctly. He built
synagogues and schools, brought in Jewish scholars, and rewarded them
with gold and silver. [:The Jewish scholars could have come from Bagdad
and Constantinople.] They explained to him the Bible, Mishnah, Talmud and
the order of divine services. The King was a man who revered and loved
the Torah. He was one of the true servants of God. May the Divine Spirit
give him rest!
He was succeeded by Hezekiah, his son; next to him was
Manasseh, his son; next to him was Hanukkah, the brother of Obadiah; next
Isaac, his son; afterwards, his son Zebulun; then his son Moses; then his
son Nissi; then his son Aaron; then his son Menahem; then his son
Benjamin; then his son Aaron II; and I, Joseph, the son of Aaron the
King, am King, the son of a King, and the descendant of kings. [These
kings probably had Turkish names besides their Hebrew ones.] No stranger
can occupy the throne of my ancestors: the son succeeds the father. This
has been our custom and the custom of our forefathers since they have
come into existence. May it be the gracious will of Him who appoints all
kings that the throne of my kingdom shall endure to all eternity.
You have also asked me about the affairs of my country
and the extent of my empire. I wish to inform you that I dwell by the
banks of the river known as the Itil [Volga]. At the mouth of the river
lies the Caspian Sea. The headwaters of the river turn eastward, a
journey of four months distance.
Alongside the river dwell many tribes in cities and
towns, in open as well as fortified places.... Bear in mind that I dwell
at the delta of the Itil and, by God's help, I guard the mouth of the
river and do not permit the Russians who come in ships to enter into the
Caspian so as to get at the Muslims. Nor do I allow any of their [the
Muslims'] enemies who come by land to penetrate as far as Derbend
[Derbend, an Arab city, was the gate through which the nomads in Russia
hoped to rush through and raid the rich towns of Asia Minor.] I have to
wage war with them, for if I would give them any chance at all they would
lay waste the whole land of the Muslims as far as Baghdad. . .
You have also asked me about the place where I live. I
wish to inform you that, by the grace of God, I dwell alongside this
river On which there are situated three capital cities. The queen dwells
in one of them; it is my birthplace. It is quite large, built round like
a Circle, the diameter of which is fifty parasangs. [The King lived in an
island in the Volga; there were also towns on both banks. ]
Jews, Christians, and Moslems live in the second city.
Besides these there are many slaves of all nations in it. It is of medium
size, eight square parasangs in length and breadth.
In the third I reside with my princes, officers,
servants, cupbearers and those who are close to me. It is round in shape
and its diameter is three parasangs. The river flows within its walls.
This is my residence during the winter. From the month of Nisan
[March-April] on we leave the city and each one goes forth to his
vineyards, fields and to his work....
You mention in your letter that you yearn to see my
face. I also would very much like to see your pleasant countenance and
the rare beauty of your wisdom and greatness. Would that it were
according to your word. If it were granted me to be associated with you
and to behold your honored, charming, and pleasant countenance then you
would be my father and I your son. According to your command would all my
people be ruled, and according to your ord and discreet counsel would I
conduct all my affairs. Farewell.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
REFERENCES TO TEXTBOOKS
Roth, pp. 158-159, 264-265.
READINGS FOR ADVANCED STUDENTS
Graetz, 111, pp. 138-141, 214-230; Graetz-Rhine, III,
pp. 99 130; Margolis and Marx, pp. 308-312, 525-526
Dubnow, S. M., History of the Jews in Russia and
Poland, 1, "The Kingdom of the Khazars," pp. 19-29.
Frazer, J. G., Garnered Sheaves, Part I, Chap.
x, "The Killing of the Khazar Kings."
Mann, J., Texts and Studies in Jewish History and
Literature, 1, pp. 3ff:? "Hisdai ibn Shaprut and His Diplomatic
Intervention on Behalf of the Jews in Christian Europe."
JE, "Chazars"; "Hasdai abn
Yusuf ibn Shaprut."
ADDITIONAL SOURCE MATERIALS IN ENGLISH
Halper, B., Post-Biblical Hebrew Literature,
"The Four Captives," II, pp. 123-126. A legendary description of the
arrival of Rabbi Moses b. Enoch, One of the first Jewish scholars to come
to Arabic Spain. He was a contemporary of Hasdai ibn Shaprut. ;
Miscellany of Hebrew Literature,
I, pp. g2ff.: "The Epistle of R. Chisdai, Son of Isaac (of Blessed
Memory), to the King of the Cusars," and "the Answer of Joseph, King of
the Togarmi, etc." Another translation of the king's answer has been made
by H. Hirschfeld, Judah Hallevi's Kitab al al Khazari, 1931, pp,
:72-279.
SOURCE: Jacob Marcus, The Jew in the Medieval World: A
Sourcebook, 315-1791, (New York: JPS, 1938), 227-232. Some slight
spelling modifications have been made.
Later printings of this text (e.g. by Atheneum, 1969,
1972, 1978) do not indicate that the copyright was renewed)
This text is part of the
Internet Medieval
Source Book. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and
copy-permitted texts related to medieval and Byzantine history.
Unless otherwise indicated the specific electronic form
of the document is copyright. Permission is granted for electronic
copying, distribution in print form for educational purposes and personal
use. If you do reduplicate the document, indicate the source. No
permission is granted for commercial use.
© Paul Halsall October 1997
halsall@murray.fordham.edu
