exilarch

1 9.9

A leader of the Jewish community living away from their homeland who represented them to rulers

noun
/ˈɛksɪlɑrk/

Archaic

: exilarca

Many exilarchs were influential leaders in Babylon.

Examples

The exilarch played a crucial role in the Jewish community.
Historical records describe the ceremonies surrounding the installation of a new exilarch.
The exilarch played a crucial role in representing the Jewish community to the ruling authorities.
For centuries, the exilarch was recognized as both a political and spiritual leader in Babylon.
The exilarch was responsible for representing the Jewish community to the Babylonian authorities.
In ancient Babylon, the exilarch played a crucial role in maintaining the Jewish traditions.
During the exile, the Jewish people looked to their exilarch for guidance and leadership.

Synonyms

alabarch

vsexilarch

Archaic

1 9.9

A Jewish official in ancient Alexandria who manages community and taxes

represents the exiled community to ruling authorities in Babylon

Surface Forms

exilarch singular

exilarchs plural

Morphology

exilarch = exile (semi-transparent) = exil + arch

The combination 'exile' + '-arch' literally means 'ruler of the exiles', but the suffix '-arch' ('ruler') is a less productive/less familiar element for many learners, making the formation only partly obvious.

Etymology

The word exilarch comes from the parts exile and arch, where exile means 'being sent away' and arch (as in monarch) means 'ruler'. It comes from a Hebrew/Aramaic title that meant 'head of the exile', so an exilarch was the leader who represented the Jewish community living away from their homeland.