Ben Zizit Ha-Kasat
(Second Temple Period)
BEN ẒIẒIT HA-KASAT (or ha-Kassaf; "silversmith"), wealthy and prominent citizen of Jerusalem at the time of the destruction of the Second Temple (Git. 56a; Gen. R. 42:1; Lam. R. 1:5, no. 31). It is related that Ben Zizit and his associates undertook to provide the needs of the inhabitants of Jerusalem throughout the war with Rome, but the Zealots burned their stores (see also *Ben Kalba Savu'a ). Ben Zizit is possibly the Hebrew equivalent of the Latin crispus ("curly-headed").
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Graetz, Gesch, 3 pt. 2 (19065), 528; Epstein, in: MGWJ, 63 (1919), 262ff.; Klein, in: Leshonenu, 1 (1928/29), 343.
[Zvi Kaplan]
Source: Encyclopaedia Judaica. © 2008 The Gale Group. All Rights Reserved.
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