Ishtori Haparchi

Title page of Ishtori Haparchi's Kaftor VaFerach, Venice 1549. In the first Hebrew book printed on the geography of the land of Israel, 180 locations mentioned in the Bible and Talmudic literature are identified.

Ishtori Haparchi (1280–1355), also Estori Haparchi and Ashtori ha-Parhi is the pen name of the 14th-century Jewish physician, geographer, and traveller, Isaac HaKohen Ben Moses.

Biography Ishtori Haparchi was born in Jewish Provence in 1280. Haparchi was descended from a line of sages and rabbis of fame. His father was Moshe HaParhi, a distinguished Talmudic scholar. His grandfather was of Trinquetaille, the author of Shaar HaTefisa. His great-grandfather was Meir ben Isaac of Carcassonne, author of Sefer ha-'Ezer.

He studied Torah with his father and grandfather and later with Eliezer ben Yosef of Chinon, who was burned at the stake as a martyr. Subsequently, he continued his studies in Montpellier under Jacob ben Machir ibn Tibbon of the renowned ibn Tibbon family. There are also references suggesting that he studied with Asher ben Jehiel.

Ish Tori, as he refers to himself in his book, may mean "Man of Tours", the capital of the medieval French county of Tourain. Another scholarly opinion suggests that the name Ish Tori refers to his profession and mean "man of tourism",

Works

In 1306, while in Barcelona, Ishtori Haparchi made a Hebrew translation of the Latin Tabula antidotarii of Armengaud Blaise.

Ishtori Haparchi was the author of the first Hebrew book on the geography of the Land of Israel, Kaftor va-Ferach (, "Knob and Flower" is a Hebrew idiom meaning "work of art," and is derived from the description of the menorah in . In the context of the book it refers to the agrarian laws practised by the people of the land. Haparchi lists the names of towns and villages in the Land of Israel and discusses the topography of the land based on first-hand visits to the sites. He describes its fruits and vegetables, and draws upon earlier rabbinic commentaries, such as the commentary compiled by Isaac ben Melchizedek of Siponto.

In his work, there are various factual accounts that contribute to the elucidation of contemporary geographical-historical issues. His contribution is so significant that modern scholars have bestowed upon him the title "The First Among the Researchers of the Land of Israel". Modern scholarship relies heavily upon the 180 ancient sites he identified and described in relation to other sites, among them Usha (one-time seat of the Sanhedrin), al-Midya (the ancient Modiʿin of the Maccabees) and Battir (the ancient Betar of Bar Kokhba fame).

Editions

Legacy Ishtori Haparchi was memorialized in the State of Israel by having streets named after him in major cities such as Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. In the Beit She'an area, several sites are named after him: Ein Kaftor and Ein Perach are two springs located between Tirat Zvi and Ein HaNatziv; near Beit She'an, there is Tel Ishtori, as well as a spring named Ma'ayan Ishtori.

In 2015, a book was published compiling scholarly articles in Hebrew focusing on the life and legacy of Ishtori HaParhi; the book is titled Rabbi Ishtori HaParhi: A Pioneer in the Study of the Land of Israel. The volume was edited by and Shlomo Glicksberg and was published by in Jerusalem.