SAADIA GAON’S IDENTIFICATION OF THE BIBLICAL MERI: A CASE OF INTERPRETIVE ANACHRONISM

This article examines Rabbi Saadia Gaon’s identification of the biblical meri with the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), known in Arabic as jāmūs. The meri, mentioned in biblical descriptions of sacrificial animals, festive slaughter, and eschatological peace, was traditionally understood as a type of fattened bovine. While earlier Jewish and ancient translations associated the term either with a ram or with fattened cattle, Saadia Gaon uniquely identified it with the water buffalo in his Arabic biblical translation, his commentary on the Book of Genesis, and lexicographical writings. The article analyzes the linguistic, historical, and zoological background of this interpretation and assesss its plausibility in light of modern archaeozoological research and historical evidence. Current evidence indicates that the water buffalo was most likely introduced into the Land of Israel during the early Islamic period. Some scholars claim that it arrived here during the Mishnaic period (1–3 centuries CE), However, there is no reliable evidence to support this view, such as bone remains. In any case, the water buffalo was unknown in the Land of Israel during biblical times. This raises significant difficulties regarding Saadia’s interpretation, particularly since he regarded the jāmūs as a domesticated animal suitable for sacrifice. The study further argues that Saadia’s identification reflects the cultural and environmental realities of his own era rather than historical conditions in the biblical period. Additional examples from his biblical exegesis demonstrate similar interpretive tendencies, whereby contemporary animals, medicinal substances, and cultural phenomena were projected onto biblical terminology. The article concludes that Saadia’s interpretation constitutes a clear example of exegetical anachronism.