The Maimran family originated in Spain, but settled in Meknes after the expulsion in 1492. Joseph Maimran and his son Abraham both served as adviser to the Alawid sultan Moulay Ismāʿīl (r. 1672–1727) and shaykh-al-yahūd (government-recognized head of the Jewish community; see nagid). The few sources that mention Joseph Maimran confirm that he had influence with the sultan, as can be seen from Germain Mouette’s Histoire des conquestes de Moulay Archy (Paris, 1683), or from a letter sent by Baron de Saint-Amans to Louis XIV on June 26, 1682. On behalf of the sultan, Joseph rees…