Yahia Ben Yahi III
Encyclopedia
Yahia Ben Yahi III, also known as Jahia Negro Ibn Ya'isch, was a Sephardi Jew
born in Cordoba
in 1115 to Yahia Ben Rabbi
, also known as Yahya Ha-Nasi, Yahya Ibn Yaish or Don Yahia "El Negro", (known as Lord of the Aldeia dos Negros, Portugal
– Village of the Blacks), the son of Yahia Ben Rabbi
and said to be a direct descendent of the Exilarch
s of Babylon
.
King Afonso I of Portugal
entrusted Yahia Ben Yahi III with the post of supervisor of tax collection and nominated him the first Chief-Rabbi
of Portugal
. King Sancho I of Portugal
continued his father's policy, making Jose Ben Yahia, the grandson of Yahia Ben Rabbi, High Steward of the Realm. The clergy, however, invoking the restrictions of the Fourth Council of the Lateran
, brought considerable pressure to bear against the Jews during the reign of King Dinis I of Portugal, but the monarch maintained a conciliatory position. Yahia ben Yahi III died in 1185 in Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal.
At some point, some of Yahia Ben Yahi III's descendants seem to have converted to Christianity
. Amongs these, no longer Jews, but Mozarab
s (Iberian
Christian
s living under Muslim
domination), would be Yahia Ben Bakr
, Bakr Ben Yahia
and Aloandro Ben Bekar
, all Governors of the city of Faro
, in the Algarve
.
Sephardi Jews
Sephardi Jews is a general term referring to the descendants of the Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula before their expulsion in the Spanish Inquisition. It can also refer to those who use a Sephardic style of liturgy or would otherwise define themselves in terms of the Jewish customs and...
born in Cordoba
Córdoba, Spain
-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
in 1115 to Yahia Ben Rabbi
Yahia Ben Rabbi
Yahia Ben Rabbi, also known as Yahya Ha-Nasi, Yahya Ibn Yaish, Dom Yahia "o Negro" or Don Yahia "El Negro" , known as Lord of Aldeia dos Negros, Portugal - ), and said to be a direct descendent of the Exilarchs of Babylon, was the eponymous ancestor of the "Ibn Yahya" Family...
, also known as Yahya Ha-Nasi, Yahya Ibn Yaish or Don Yahia "El Negro", (known as Lord of the Aldeia dos Negros, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
– Village of the Blacks), the son of Yahia Ben Rabbi
Yahia Ben Rabbi
Yahia Ben Rabbi, also known as Yahya Ha-Nasi, Yahya Ibn Yaish, Dom Yahia "o Negro" or Don Yahia "El Negro" , known as Lord of Aldeia dos Negros, Portugal - ), and said to be a direct descendent of the Exilarchs of Babylon, was the eponymous ancestor of the "Ibn Yahya" Family...
and said to be a direct descendent of the Exilarch
Exilarch
Exilarch refers to the leaders of the Diaspora Jewish community in Babylon following the deportation of King Jeconiah and his court into Babylonian exile after the first fall of Jerusalem in 597 BCE and augmented after the further deportations following the destruction...
s of Babylon
Babylon
Babylon was an Akkadian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...
.
King Afonso I of Portugal
Afonso I of Portugal
Afonso I or Dom Afonso Henriques , more commonly known as Afonso Henriques , nicknamed "the Conqueror" , "the Founder" or "the Great" by the Portuguese, and El-Bortukali and Ibn-Arrik by the Moors whom he fought, was the first King of Portugal...
entrusted Yahia Ben Yahi III with the post of supervisor of tax collection and nominated him the first Chief-Rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. King Sancho I of Portugal
Sancho I of Portugal
Sancho I , nicknamed the Populator , second monarch of Portugal, was born on 11 November 1154 in Coimbra and died on 26 March 1212 in the same city. He was the second but only surviving legitimate son and fourth child of Afonso I of Portugal by his wife, Maud of Savoy. Sancho succeeded his father...
continued his father's policy, making Jose Ben Yahia, the grandson of Yahia Ben Rabbi, High Steward of the Realm. The clergy, however, invoking the restrictions of the Fourth Council of the Lateran
Fourth Council of the Lateran
The Fourth Council of the Lateran was convoked by Pope Innocent III with the papal bull of April 19, 1213, and the Council gathered at Rome's Lateran Palace beginning November 11, 1215. Due to the great length of time between the Council's convocation and meeting, many bishops had the opportunity...
, brought considerable pressure to bear against the Jews during the reign of King Dinis I of Portugal, but the monarch maintained a conciliatory position. Yahia ben Yahi III died in 1185 in Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal.
At some point, some of Yahia Ben Yahi III's descendants seem to have converted to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. Amongs these, no longer Jews, but Mozarab
Mozarab
The Mozarabs were Iberian Christians who lived under Arab Islamic rule in Al-Andalus. Their descendants remained unconverted to Islam, but did however adopt elements of Arabic language and culture...
s (Iberian
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s living under Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
domination), would be Yahia Ben Bakr
Yahia Ben Bakr
Yahia Ben Bakr was an important Mozarab figure in Medieval Portugal.Yahia Ben Bakr was of Jewish descent, the son of a Bakr Ben Yahia and related to or a descendant of Yahia Ben Yahi III, a Sephardi Jew.Yahia Ben Bakr was succeeded in office by his son, Bakr Ben Yahia...
, Bakr Ben Yahia
Bakr Ben Yahia
Bakr Ben Yahia II was an important Mozarab figure in Medieval Portugal.Bakr Ben Yahia II was the son of Yahia Ben Bakr. Both father and son were Governors of the city of Faro in the 13th century and executed important construction there...
and Aloandro Ben Bekar
Aloandro Ben Bekar
Aloandro Ben Bekar or Ben Bakr , was the Mozarab Governor of Faro, in Portugal...
, all Governors of the city of Faro
Faro, Portugal
Faro is the southernmost city in Portugal. It is located in the Faro Municipality in southern Portugal. The city proper has 41,934 inhabitants and the entire municipality has 58,305. It is the seat of the Faro District and capital of the Algarve region...
, in the Algarve
Al'Garb Al'Andalus
The Al-Gharb Al-Andalus , or just Al-Gharb , was the name given by the Moors of Iberia to the modern region of Algarve and, by extension, to most of Portugal.-See also:*Timeline of Portuguese history...
.