RABAN (1"21Å°11) - i.e., RABBENU ELfEZER B. NATHAN of Mainz - was one of the most famous Halakhic teachers of the 12th century. He lived at Mainz and corresponded with Rashi's son-in-law, Rabbenu Meir b. Shemuel, and his three distinguished sons, RASHHAM (q.v.), Ribam (R. Yishak b. Meir, who died young and left seven orphans), and Rabbenu Tham (R. Ydakob). His great Halakhic work, ri)vm nmv, or "Itip, 11Z.1, is commonly called by the combination of the author's initials which heads this article, the Book of Raban, and was printed at Prague in 1610 fol.3 Other Halakhic literature by him is to be found in Kol Bo, § 123 (without place or date, but probably Naples, towards the end of the 15th century), and its reprints. More lies in MS. in libraries ; thus the Eben Haroshah, of which no other copy is known, is preserved in the Cambridge Univprsity Library (Add., 498). R. Eli`ezer was also a fine liturgical poet, vying both in sentiment and elegance with the poets of the Sepharadie school, as appears, for example, from the Ophan and other pieces designed for a Sabbath when there is a circumcision. o Rabbenu Eli`ezer died in the 12th century. The date 5007 ( =1247) which appears in the formulas of a bill of divorcement and a deed of manumission of a slave is most assuredly due to a scribe of the 13th century, who in transcribing Raban's book conformed the date to his own time - a practice often to be met with.

Dr A. Jellinek of Vienna has published a History of the First Crusade (l"aro-, rinta rnunp, Leipsic, 1854, 8vo) - a little book interesting in more than one way - which bears the name of Raban. It cannot, however, be by the subject of this article, as one can see by comparing with his genuine work the questionable poetic stuff which forms part of the yanyres. The author is no doubt &Than of Cologne. Nor does the commentary on mit,: 5N (for Pentecost belong to this Rffban, though it has been ascribed to him for 600 years. Its writer was undoubtedly a Provençal. (S. M. S.-S.)