the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Encyclopedias
Eliezer ben Faruḥ
The 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia
or Jewish mathematician, said by certain Mohammedan authors to have first established the Jewish calendar. He is mentioned by Al-Biruni (972-1048) in his "Chronology of Ancient Nations"; and this account is repeated, almost word for word, in Al-Maḳrizi's (1364-1442) topographical history of Egypt. Steinschneider has connected him with a certain Andrazzur ibn Zadi Faruḥ, a famous Jewish astronomer mentioned by Al-Kabiṣi, the tenth-century Moslem astrologer, and by Abraham ibn Ezra in his "Sefer ha-Ṭe'amim." The first name seems to indicate that he was a Persian by birth; and it occurs in such varying forms as "Andruzagar," "Alezdegoz," "Alendruzgar." It has been suggested that there is a confusion here either with Eliezer ben Hyrcanus or Eleazar ben 'Arak. Sachau reads 
(1 Kings 4:17).
- Sachau, The Chronology of Ancient Nations, p. 68 (Arabic text, p. 58);
- De Sacy, Chrestomathie Arabe, 1:91 (for Al-Maḳrizi);
- Delitzsch, Anekdota zur Gesch. der Mittelalt. Scholastik, p. 375 (for Ibn Ezra);
- compare Steinschneider in Berliner's Magazin, 3:199;
- Monatsschrift, 33:479;
- Ha-Yonah, p. 18;
- Steinschneider, Hebr. Uebers. pp. 531, 854;
- idem, Arab. Lit. der Juden, p. 307.
These files are public domain.
Singer, Isidore, Ph.D, Projector and Managing Editor. Entry for 'Eliezer ben Faruḥ'. 1901 The Jewish Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tje/e/eliezer-ben-faruay.html. 1901.
