Aaron Ben Amram

Aaron Ben Amram, also known as Hārūn ibn ʿImrān in Arabic sources, was a merchant and banker who had a prominent role in the financial administration of the ʿAbbasid Empire.

Aaron began his career as merchant, dealing in partnership with Joseph ben Phinehas (Yūsuf ibn Fīnḥās), and eventually expended his business activities to banking. He acted as private banker for the Vizier and other high officials in the empire. His firm also attracted the patronage of Jewish merchants from Bahgdad, vast provinces in the Empire and beyond its boundaries. Namely, diaspora communities gave the contributions to the upkeep of the talmudical academies in Babylonia through the letters of credit drawn on banking houses, as that of Aaron and his partner.

Through banking activities, they also became involved in international trade. After they acquired considerable wealth and reputation as private bankers, Aaron and his partner were eventually assigned the official position of “jahbadh”, or court banker. That function involved the collecting of state revenues, the issue of bills of exchange on behalf of the government, and long-term loans to the caliph’s administration.

His heirs inherited his official position and prominence in the ʿAbbasid Empire.