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Nikomedeo, Aaron ben-Elija

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(also called האחרון, the Second), a noted Jewish savant of the Karaite sect, was born about the year 1300 at Cairo, the center of Karaite learning in Egypt. When thirty years of age he went to Nicomedia, whence he received the surname of Nicomedian (ניקמדיאן ). He wrote, עֵוֹ חִיַּים, "The Tree of Life," a system of religious .philosophy according to the doctrines of the Karaites (q.v.), in 114 chapters. It was first published by professor F. Delitzsch, of Leipsic, in 1841, under the title Ahron b. — Elias aus Nikonmedien, des Karaers, System der Relig-iofnsphilosophic, etc.: כֶּתֶר תַּוֹרָה, "The Crown of the Law," a commentary on the Pentateuch, of which some portions, with a Latin version and learned notes, have been published by Prof. Rosegarten, of Jena, Libri Coronce legis; id est Commentariii in Pentateuchum Karaitici ab A harone ben Elihu conscripti, etc. (Jense, 1824). The whole commentary has been published by A. Firkowitsch (Eupatoria, 1866-67, 4 vols.): סֵ גִּן עֵדֶן, or סֵ הִמַּצְוֹת "The Book of Precepts," giving in twentyfive treatises all the prayers and rites of the Karaites. Portions of this work have been published by S. Schupart, Secta Karceorum dissertationibus aliquot historico- philologicis'adunbrata (Jena, 1701), as well as by Trigland, Danz, and Lanzhausen. This work was also published by A. Firkowitsch (Eupatoria, 1866): — שְׁחַיטוֹת דַּינֵי, rules for the slaughtering of animals, in twenty- six chapters, portions of which Delitzsch published in the L. B. d. Or. 1840, No. 16 sq. Nikomedeo died in 1369. See Furst, Bibl. Judges 1:22 sq.; De Rossi, Dizionario storico degli autori Ebrei, p. 247 sq. (Germ. transl.); Basnage, History of the Jews, p. 685 (Taylor's translation); Gratz, Gesch. d. Juden. (Leips. 1873), 7:253 sq.; Jost, Gesch. d. Judenth. u.s. Sekten, 2:300, 329, 362; First, Gesch. d. Karaerthums, 2:261 sq.; Rule, History of the Karaite Jews, p. 200 sq.; Zeiger, Jidische Zeitschrift, 1869, p. 199 sq.; Ueberweg, History of Philosophy (New York, 1872), 1:428; Delitzsch, L. B. d. Or. 1840, Nos. 13, 32, 34, 39, 40, 48, 52; but above all his prolegomena to the עֵוֹ חִיַּים . (B. P.)