Samuel ha-Shelishi

Samuel ben Hosha‘na ha-Shelishi was a leading figure (the third in rank) in the Jerusalem academy. He was involved in communal affairs around the Jewish Mediterranean, traveling to Italy and Egypt. In Fustāt (Old Cairo), after attending the funeral of a communal notable, Samuel was seized by a mob of Muslims and imprisoned with several other Jews. He was later freed by the Fātimid caliph al-Ḥākim (d. 1021). He composed The Scroll of Egypt (Megilat Mitsrayim) to memorialize these events. Samuel also wrote liturgical poetry. Upon his death, he was praised for his knowledge of Torah. His family remained active in the Jerusalem academy for several generations.