Jacob ibn Zur
Jacob ben Reuben ibn Ẓur or Jacob Abensur was a poet, scholar and leading Moroccan rabbi of the 18th century.
Biography
Jacob was born in 1673 in Fez. He studied under the rabbis Vidal Serfaty and Menahem Serero. In 1693, he was appointed as registrar at the bet din of Fez, and then as a rabbi and head of the bet din in 1704, a post which he held for another thirty years. Thereafter, oppressive taxation induced him to move to Meknès, where he became a member of the bet din for eleven years, and after that he moved to Tétouan to serve in its bet din for another seven years.In his old age, Ibn Zur ordained five of his students: Samuel b. R. Jacob b. Danan, R. Ephraim b. Abraham Monsonyego, his son R. Raphael Obed Ibn Zur, R. Elijah b. A. Joseph HaSarfati, and his grandson R. Matitya b. R. R. Jacob b. Menahem II Serero; who later became known as the “Court of Five”.