JUDAICA - Wisdom In Torah

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erly Tell Beit Mirsim, and recent studies have shown that this
identification is no less probable (cf. *Debir).
Bibliography: Albright, in BASOR, 17 (1925), 7ff.; Elliger,
in: PJB, 30 (1934), 67f.
[Michael Avi-Yonah]
EGLON (Heb. ןול ֹ גְ ע; ֶ lit. “calf ”), king of Moab in the period
of the Judges, apparently in the first half of the 12th century
B.C.E. The Bible relates that Eglon assembled the *Ammonites
and the *Amalekites and with them attacked Israel, subduing
the land for 18 years (Judg. 3:12–14). It is likely that Eglon had
previously conquered the plain north of the Arnon, a region
disputed by Israel and Moab. Eglon and his allies crossed
the Jordan, captured the city of Jericho, and from there penetrated
to the center of the country and subdued the tribes of
Benjamin and Ephraim. It is natural, therefore, that a Benjaminite,
the “judge” *Ehud, son of Gera, assassinated Eglon
by a ruse and freed Israel from Moabite rule. The events related
in Judges 3 appear historically plausible although some
scholars have argued that the mention of Eglon’s gross obesity
(vs. 17, 22) and the chapter’s apparent scatological references
(vss. 21–25) are indications that the story is fictional
political satire.
[Bustanay Oded]
In the Aggadah
Eglon is identified as the grandson of Balak (Yal. 665). Because
of the respect he showed to God through rising from
his throne when Ehud told him that he had a message from
the Lord, he was rewarded: Ruth was his granddaughter (Naz.
24b) and her descendant David “sat on the throne of the Lord”
(Ruth R. 2:9).
Bibliography: E.G. Kraeling, in: JBL, 54 (1935), 205–10; K.
Galling, in: ZDPV, 75 (1959), 1–13; A.H. van Zyl, The Moabites (1960);
Y. Kaufmann, Sefer Shofetim (1962), 104–11; W. Richter, Traditionsgeschichtliche
Untersuchungen zum Richterbuch (1963), 1ff.; A. Malamat,
in: B. Mazar (ed.), Ha-Historyah shel Am Yisrael, ha-Avot ve-ha-Shofetim
(1967), 229–30. Add. Bibliography: B. Halpern, The Bible’s
First Historians (1980), 39–75; idem, in: ABD, 2, 414; M. Brettler, in:
HUCA, 62 (1991), 285–304; Y. Amit, Judges (1999), 71–79.
EGOZI, Turkish family, members of which served as rabbis
of Constantinople in the 16th and 17th centuries. MENAHEM
BEN MOSES EGOZI (second half of 16th century) was a rabbi,
preacher, and poet. His sermons, Gal shel Egozim, were published
in the printing press of Gracia *Nasi in Belvedere between
1593 and 1599. Ginnat Egoz, a manuscript collection of
his letters and poems, some showing considerable talent and
of historical importance, is in the British Museum (Or. 11.111).
A responsum by him is included in the responsa of Elijah b.
Ḥayyim (no. 38). ḥAYYIM, a contemporary of the former, was
a member of the bet din of Elijah b. Ḥayyim in Constantinople,
their signatures appearing together in a document of 1601. A
manuscript of his book on the laws of divorce is in the Jerusalem
National Library (no. 119, 8°). DAVID (d. c. 1644) was
rabbi of the indigenous Turkish community of Constantino-
ple. He was appointed to be in charge of the congregational
property and was in halakhic correspondence with Ḥayyim
and Moses *Benveniste. NISSIM BEN ḥAYYIM, rabbi and
dayyan, was involved in the Shabbatean controversy which
engaged the Constantinople rabbis in 1666.
Bibliography: Rosanes, Togarmah, 3 (1938), 33; Scholem,
Shabbetai Ẓevi, 2 (1957), 416–7; A. Yaari, Ha-Defus ha-Ivri be-Kushta
(1967), 140–1, no. 228, 147.
EGYENLÖSÉG, a political weekly newspaper, its title meaning
“Equality,” which was published in the Hungarian language
in Budapest from 1881. The official mouthpiece of the Neolog
(non-Orthodox) sector of Hungarian Jewry, it circulated
among Hungarian Jewry as a whole. Its founder was Moritz
Bogdányi, who published daily editions during the proceedings
of the *Tiszaeszlár blood libel trial of 1882–83. Miksa
*Szabolcsi headed the editorial staff from 1884, later becoming
its owner, and after the Tiszaeszlár trial took up the struggle
anew for religious equality of the Jews of Hungary. Some
of the best-known Hungarian Jewish writers were among its
contributors, such as Adolf *Agai, Hugo *Ignotus, József *Kiss,
Tamás *Kóbor, Emil *Makai, and Péter Ujvári. The declared
policy of the paper was assimilationist, aiming at moderate religious
reform but complete integration in the life of the state.
With the appearance of organized Zionism, the paper took
up an anti-Zionist stand. After the death of Miksa Szabolcsi
in 1915, his son Lajos Szabolcsi edited the paper and took a
bold stand against the “numerus clausus” and the excesses of
the “White Terror” after the revolution of 1918–19. The paper
was banned in 1938.
Bibliography: Magyar Zsidó Lexikon (1929), 213–4.
[Baruch Yaron]
EGYPT, country in N.E. Africa, centering along the banks of
the River Nile from the Mediterranean coast southward beyond
the first cataract at Aswan. The ancient Egyptians named
their land “Kemi,” the “Black Land,” while the neighboring
Asiatic peoples used the Semitic word “Miṣr” which is still
the country’s name in both Hebrew (Heb. םִירְצִמ; ַ Miẓrayim)
and Arabic. Geographically Egypt consists of two areas, Lower
Egypt, the northern part of the land, which contains the
Delta, and Upper Egypt, the south, which comprises the narrow
strip of cultivable land on both sides of the river as far
south as Aswan.
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egyptian history can be divided into seven periods
that correspond to the major dynastic ages of Pharaonic history:
1. Predynastic – (prehistory)
2. Early Dynastic Period (Archaic) – Dyn. 1–3, 2920–2575
3. Old Kingdom – Dyn. 4–8 (Pyramid Age), 2575–2134
4. First Intermediate Period – Dyn. 9–10, 2134–2040
5. Middle Kingdom – Dyn. 11–12 (“Classical” Period),
2040–1640
222 ENCYCLOPAEDIA JUDAICA, Second Edition, Volume 6