[8] [The author, evidently relying on the authority of Harkavy, writes _Ibn Sharzi_. The writer referred to by Harkavy is Ali Ibn Ja`far ash-Shaizari (wrongly called Ibn Sharzi), who made an extract from Ibn Fakih's "Book of Countries" about 1022. This extract has since been published by de Goeje in his _Bibliotheca Geographicorum Arabicorum_, vol. v. Our reference is found there on p. 271. I have put Ibn Fakih's name in the text, as there is no reason to doubt that our passage was found in the original work, which was written more than a hundred years earlier.] [9] [See on the name of this city de Goeje's remarks in his edition of Ibn Fakih, p. 271, note _a_.] [10] A group of Slav nations. [11] A group of Caucasian cities (Semender = Tarku, near Shamir-Khan-Shur; Bab al-Abwab = Derbent). [12] A group of Crimean cities (Kerch, Sudak, Mangup, and others). [13] [_I. e._ Sea of Constantinople, another name for the Black Sea.] [14] This supposition is confirmed by a recently discovered Genizah fragment containing a portion of another Khazar epistle, which supplements and modifies the epistle of King Joseph. See Schechter, "An Unknown Khazar Document," Jewish Quarterly Review, new series, iii. 181 ff. [15] [During the early centuries of its existence Russia was made up of a number of independent principalities, over which the Principality of Kiev, "the mother of Russian cities," exercised, or rather claimed, the right of overlordship. From 1238 to 1462 the Russian lands were subject to the dominion of the Tatars. During the fourteenth century, while yet under Tatar rule, the Principality of Moscow gained the ascendancy over the other Russian states. The absorption of the latter and the creation of the autocratic Tzardom of Muscovy was the work of Ivan III. (1462-1505), his son Basil (1505-1533), and his grandson Ivan IV. the Terrible (1533-1584).] [16] [Also written Witowt. Another form of the name is Witold.] [17] [_Basurman_, or _Busurman_, mutilated from _Mussulman_, is an archaic and contemptuous designation for Mohammedans and in general for all who do not profess the Greek Orthodox faith.] [18] [The name is derived from their founder, Carp Strigolnik.] [19] [For later "Judaizing" tendencies in Russia, see pp. 251 _et seq._ and 401 _et seq._] CHAPTER II THE JEWISH COLONIES IN POLAND AND LITHUANIA 1. THE IMMIGRATION FROM WESTERN EUROPE DURING THE PERIOD OF THE CRUSADES