Nahray b. Nissim

Description / Bio

Abū Yaḥyā Nahray b. Nissim (ca. 1025–98) was a long-distance trader in the second half of the eleventh century. The archive he or his heirs deposited into the geniza of more than 400 letters, notes, and accounts comprises one of the largest corpora of geniza sources concerning a single individual. Born around 1025 and descended from a leader (nagid) of the Qayrawān community, Nahray migrated to Egypt around 1040, where he entered the patronage of his relative Barhūn b. Isḥaq al-Tahartī. He became central to a network of traders involved in the triangular trade between Egypt, Ifrīqiyā and Sicily. He lived briefly in Alexandria, the center of flax commerce, but eventually settled in Fustat, traveling regularly to the Maghrib and visiting Palestine at least once. Having studied at the Qayrawan academy of Nissim b. Ya`aqov, Nahray was learned in rabbinic literature; he acted as a professional jurisconsult in Fustat and responded to queries from North Africa. He also maintained ties to the Jerusalem academy and received two honorary titles from it. At various points, Nahray headed the Iraqi congregation in Fustat and managed the affairs of the Palestinian synagogue. He supported the Palestinian nasi David b. Daniel in his conflict with Mevorakh b. Sa'adya between 1082 and 1094, but supported Mevorakh after 1094. He also raised funds to redeem captives, in one case mobilizing the community to free Jewish merchants held by Byzantine forces in Amalfi, and served in other patronage and leadership capacities in the Jewish community. (Information mainly from Phillip Ackerman-Lieberman, "Nahray ben Nissim" in Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World)