only when it is not possible to explain the passage literally. Thus, notwithstanding his veneration for Anan ben David, the founder of Karaism, and for Benjamin Nahawandi, he often rejects their interpretations. He follows the Targum very closely (he is the first known Karaite commentator to do so), though he never acknowledges it as a source, and he quotes Talmudic teachings frequently, likewise without attribution. In his style and idioms also he bears a deep debt to Talmudic writings, and his interpretations are very often borrowed from the exegetical works of Saadia Gaon or the doctrines of Mutazilism. Yefet was an adversary of the philosophico-allegorical treatment of Scripture. He, however, symbolizes several Biblical narrations, as, for instance, that of the burning bush, in which he finds a representation of Israel, whom enemies can not annihilate; and he admits that the Song of Solomon is an allegory. Yefet attacked Islam with the greatest violence. For him the words of Isaiah, "Woe to thee that spoilest" (Isa. xxxiii. 1), refer to Mohammed, who robbed all nations and dealt treacherously with his own people, and Isa. xlvii. 9 to the downfall of Islam. In the following verse, he sees an allusion to the sufferings inflicted by Muslim rulers on the Jews, who are loaded with heavy taxes, compelled to wear badges, forbidden to ride on horse-back, etc. Yefet was no less bitter in his attacks on Christianity and on rabbinical Judaism, to which he refers many prophecies. Unlike his predecessors, he was not an opponent of secular science. To him the word "da'at" (Prov. i. 7) denotes "the knowledge" of astronomy, medicine, mathematics, etc., the study of which is to be undertaken before that of theology. Influence Yefet's commentaries were much used by succeeding Karaite exegetes and were often quoted by Abraham Ibn Ezra. Written in Arabic, some of them were rendered into Hebrew either in full or abridged. Editions Nearly the whole Arabic text on all the Biblical books is extant in manuscripts in European libraries (Leiden, Oxford, British Museum, London, Paris, Berlin, etc.). The parts which have been published are: Genesis 1:1-5 (Stroumsa 2000) 11:10-25:18 (Zawanowska 2012) Joseph Narratives (Polliack, announced) Babel and Binding of Isaac (Zawanowska 2022) Numbers Balaam poetry (Avni 2003) Deuteronomy 32 (Sokolow 1974, dissertation) Joshua (Robinson 2015) Judges (Wechsler, announced) Jeremiah (P. D. Wendkos 1969, dissertation; Joshua A. Sabih 2009, 2013) Hosea (Schroeter 1867; Tottermann 1880; Birnbaum