Polemical works
David, the father of Jewish philosophy, was almost unknown until the latter part of the 19th century. The publication of Judah Barzilai's commentary to the Sefer Yezirah (''Meḳiẓe Nirdamim'', 1885), in which is found a poor Hebrew translation of the ninth and tenth chapters of David's philosophical work, first brought the latter into notice. Barzilai says that he does not know whether David was one of the Geonim, but claims to have heard that Saadia Gaon, Saadia had known him and had profited by his lessons. Pinsker and Heinrich Graetz, Grätz, confounding him with Daniel ha-Babli of Cairo, make him a Islam, Mohammedan convert to Karaism, on the ground that he is quoted by Karaite scholars, and is called by Hadasi "ger ẓedeḳ" (pious proselyte). The discovery by Abraham Harkavy, Harkavy of the ''Kitab al-Riyaḍ wal-Ḥada'iḳ,'' by the Karaite Al-Ḳirḳisani, threw further light on David. Al-Ḳirḳisani cites a work by him on the various Jewish sects, and says that David had "embraced Christianity" (tanaṣṣar), that he was for many years the pupil of a renowned Christian physician and philosopher named Hana, and that, after acquiring considerable knowledge of philosophy, he wrote two works against Christianity which became famous. But it seems more probable that the word "tanaṣṣar" means simply that David had intercourse with Christians. Ḳirḳisani, indeed, does not mention his return to Judaism, and no Rabbinite mentions his conversion to Christianity. His conversion to Christianity can hardly be reconciled with the fact that he is cited by Baḥya, by Jedaiah Bedersi (in ''Iggeret Hitnaẓẓelut''), and by Moses ibn Ezra. Ḳirḳisani mentions two other books by David: ''Kitab al-Khaliḳah,'' a commentary on Book of Genesis, Genesis extracted from Christian exegetical works; and a commentary on Ecclesiastes. He is incorrectly mentioned as a learned Karaite by David al-Hiti in his chronicle of Karaite doctors, published by George Margoliouth, Margoliouth (''Jew. Quart. Rev.'' ix.432).20 Chapters on Philosophy
In 1898 Harkavy discovered in the Imperial Library of St. Petersburg fifteen of the twenty chapters of David's philosophical work entitled ''Ishrun Maḳalat'' (Twenty Chapters). The subject-matter of these fifteen chapters is as follows: # The Aristotelianism, Aristotelian Categories (Aristotle), categories # Science and the reality of its existence # The creation of the world # The evidence that it is composed of Essence, substance and Accident (philosophy), accidents # The properties of substance and accident # A criticism of those who maintain the eternity of matter # Arguments in favor of the existence of God and His creation of the world # The unity of God, refuting the Sabians, the Dualists, and the Christians # The divine attributes # Refutation of anthropomorphism and Christian ideas # Why God became our Lord # Showing that God created us for good and not for evil, and combating absolute pessimism as well as absolute optimism # The utility of prophecy and prophets # Signs of true prophecy and true prophets # Mandatory and prohibitive commandments. David as well as other Karaites—for instance, Joseph al-Basir and Al-Ḳirḳisani—was a follower of the Motazilite kalam, especially in his chapter on the attributes of God, wherein he holds that, though we speak of these attributes as we speak of human attributes, the two can not be compared, since nothing comes to Him through the senses as is the case with man. God's "life" is a part of His "being", and the assumption of attributes in the Deity can in no way affect His unity. "Quality" can not be posited of the Deity. In his tenth chapter, on "Rewards and Punishments," David holds that these are eternal in the future world. This chapter has many points in common with Saadia Gaon, Saadia, both drawing from the same source (Schreiner, ''Der Kalam,'' p. 25).Other works
David quotes two others of his own works which are no longer in existence: ''Kitab fi al-Budud'' and ''Kitab fi 'Arḍ al-Maḳalat 'ala al-Manṭiḳ,'' on the categories. In one passage David relates that he had a philosophical disputation in Damascus with a Muslim scholar, Shabib al-Baṣri. A fragment of another work, ''Kitab al-Tauḥid,'' Book on the Unity (of God), has been discovered among genizah fragments, and has been published by E. N. Adler and I. Broydé in ''Jew. Quart Rev.'' (xiii.52 et seq.). David does not betray his Jewish origin in his philosophical work. Contrary to the practice of Saadia Gaon, Saadia, Bahya ibn Pakuda, Bahya, and other Jewish philosophers, he never quotes the Bible, but cites Greek philosophy, Greek and Arab philosophy, Arabic authorities. It is possible that this accounts for the neglect of his work by the Jews.Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography
*Julius Fürst, Fürst, in ''Literaturblatt des Orients'', viii.617, 642; *Gabriel Polak, ''Halikot Ḳedem'', pp. 69 et seq.; *Pinsker, ''Liḳḳuṭe Ḳadmoniyyot'', ii.17 et seq.; *Heinrich Graetz, Grätz, ''Gesch.'' v.285; *Abraham Harkavy, A. Harkavy, ''Le-Ḳorot ha-Kittot be-Yisrael', in Grätz, ''Gesch.'' iii.498 et seq. (Hebr. transl.); *idem, in ''Voskhod'', Sept., 1898; *Samuel Poznanski, in ''Jew. Quart. Rev.'' xiii.328; *Moritz Steinschneider, Steinschneider, in ''Jew. Quart. Rev.'' xi.606, xiii.450; *idem, ''Hebr. Uebers.'' p. 378; *David Kaufmann, ''Attributenlehre'', Index, passim.Recent Bibliography
* Sarah Stroumsa, ''Dawud ibn Marwan al-Muqammis's 'Ishrun Maqala'' (Etudes sur le judaisme medieval XIII, Leiden: Brill, 1989)References
* {{DEFAULTSORT:David ibn Merwan al-Mukkamas 930s deaths Year of birth unknown Year of death uncertain Philosophers of Judaism 10th-century Abbasid rabbis 9th-century Abbasid rabbis Converts to Christianity from Judaism Converts to Judaism from Christianity Critics of Christianity 9th-century Arabic writers 10th-century Arabic writers People from Raqqa Governorate