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Bostanai (Hebrew: בוסתאני) was the first exilarch under Arabian rule; he flourished about the middle of the seventh century. The name is Aramaized from the Persian "bustan" or "bostan" (as proper name see Ferdinand Justi, ''Iranisches Namenbuch'', p. 74). Almost the only exilarch of whom anything more than the name is known, he is frequently made the subject of legends. Bostanai was the son of the exilarch Hananiah. Hai Gaon, in "Sha'are Ẓedeḳ," p. 3a, seems to identify Bostanai with Haninai, and tells that he was given for wife a daughter of the Persian king Chosroes II (died 628), by the calif Omar (died 644). (See Rapoport, in "Bikkure ha-'Ittim," x.83; B. Goldberg, in "Ha-Maggid," xiii.363). Abraham ibn Daud, however, in his "Sefer ha-Ḳabbalah" (Adolphe Neubauer's ''Medieval Jewish Chronicles'', i.64), says that it was the last Sassanid king, Yezdegerd (born 624; died 651-652; see Nöldeke, "Tabari," pp. 397 et seq.), who gave his daughter to Bostanai. But in that case it could have been only Calif Ali (656-661), and not Omar, who thus honored the exilarch (see "Ma'aseh Bet David"). It is known also that Ali gave a friendly reception to the contemporary Gaon Isaac (Sherira II's "Letter," ed. Neubauer, ib. p. 35; Abraham ibn Daud, ib. p. 62); and it is highly probable, therefore, that he honored the exilarch in certain ways as the official representative of the Jews. The office of the exilarch, with its duties and privileges, as it existed for some centuries under the Arabian rule, may be considered to begin with Bostanai. ==The Dispute among his heirs== The relation of Bostanai to the Persian princess (called "Dara" in "Ma'aseh Bet David," or "Azdad-war" (Nöldeke, "Isdundad"), according to a ''genizah'' fragment), had an unpleasant sequel. The exilarch lived with her without having married her, and according to the rabbinical law she should previously have received her "letter of freedom," for, being a prisoner of war, she had become an Arabian slave, and as such had been presented to Bostanai. After the death of Bostanai his sons insisted that the princess, as well as her son, was still a slave, and, as such, was their property. The judges were divided in opinion, but finally decided that the legitimate sons of the exilarch should grant letters of manumission to the princess and her son in order to testify to their emancipation. This decision was based on the ground that Bostanai had probably lived in legitimate marriage with this woman, and, although there were no proofs, had presumably first emancipated and then married her. Nevertheless, the descendants of the princess were not recognized as legitimate 300 years afterward (Hai Gaon, l.c.). The statement in the genizah specimen (see bibliography below) is doubtless dictated by enmity to the exilarch; Abraham ibn Daud's statement (l.c.) is contrariwise prejudiced in favor of the exilarch; but compare genizah fragment published by Schechter In ''Jew. Quart. Rev.'' xiv.242-246. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Bostanai」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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