R. Joseph b. Benjamin Samega (d. 1629), Italian rabbi and author. Samegah was born in Salonika where he later became rabbi. Compelled to leave, seemingly because of persecution by his community, he went to Venice, where he served as rabbi and head of a yeshivah. According to Isaac Hayyim Cantarini in his Pahad Yizhak, Samegah headed a yeshivah in Padua. Among his pupils were Hayyim Benveniste and Joseph Solomon Delmedigo. Joseph was the author of Mikra'ei Kodesh (2 pts., Venice 1586), on the meaning of the precepts of the Torah; Porat Yosef (pt. 1, Venice, 1590); Perush Derekh Yemin (ibid., 1606), a criticism of the Yemin Adonai Romemah of Menahem Azariah Da Fano. Joseph's responsum permitting the use of the mikveh of Rovigo, about the ritual fitness of which arose a great controversy involving many scholars, was published in the Mashbit Milhamot (ibid., 1606). In the introduction to Mikra'ei Kodesh he refers to two other works he wrote—"Binyan Olam," homilies, and "Kevod Elohim."