Eldad ha-Dani

Eldad ha-Dani or Eldad HaDani or Eldad ben Mahli ha-Dani (Hebrew: אלדד הדני‎‎) was a Jewish, Hebrew-writing merchant and traveler of the ninth century. He professed to be a citizen of an "independent Jewish state" in eastern Africa, probably in the Gihon region, inhabited by people claiming descent from the tribes of Dan (hence his name, "ha-Dani" = "the Danite"), Asher, Gad, and Naphtali. Starting from this state, Eldad visited Babylonia, Kairouan, and Iberia, causing everywhere a great stir among the Jews by his fanciful accounts of the Ten Lost Tribes, and by the halakhot which he claimed he had brought from his native country. These halakhot, written in Hebrew, deal with the slaughtering and subsequent examination of animals (see Kosher). They differ in many places from the Talmudic ordinances, and are introduced in the name of Joshua ben Nun, or, according to another version, of Othniel Ben Kenaz. Eldad's accounts soon spread, and, as usual in such cases, were remolded and amplified by copyists and editors. There are no fewer than eight versions with important variations. The following is a summary of Eldad's narrative according to the most complete of these versions:

On leaving the land "on the other side of the river of Kush (probably the Nile)," Eldad traveled with a man of the tribe of Asher. A great storm wrecked the boat, but God prepared a plank for him and his companion, on which they floated until thrown ashore among a cannibal Ethiopian tribe called Romrom. (As to the existence in former times of such a tribe, see Metz in "Das Jüdische Litteraturblatt," 1877, No. 41.) The Asherite, who was fat, was immediately eaten, while Eldad was put into a pit to fatten. Soon after a fire-worshiping tribe assailed the cannibals, and Eldad was taken prisoner. He remained in captivity for four years. His captors brought him to the province of Azanian (according to another version, to China), where he was ransomed by a Jewish merchant for thirty-two pieces of gold. Eldad continued his journey, and fell in with the tribe of Issachar, dwelling among high mountains near Media and Persia, their land extending ten days' journey on every side. "They are at peace with all, and their whole energy is devoted to the study of the Law; their only weapon is the knife for slaughtering animals." Their judge and prince is called Nahshon and they use the four methods of capital punishment. The tribe of Zebulon occupies the land extending from the province of Armenia to the River Euphrates. Behind the mountains of Paran the tribe of Reuben faces them. Peace reigns between these two tribes; they war as allies and divide the spoils. They possess the Bible, the Mishnah, the Talmud, and the Haggadah.

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