HEBREW
LITERATURE
OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the discussion, students will
be able to:
•
•
•
Identify the literary of Hebrews and it’s
contribution.
Describe the literary contribution of
the Hebrews.
Appreciate Hebrew Literature.
ISRAEL
FLAG
•
GEOGRAPHY
Lies at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. It is
bordered by Egypt on west Syria, Jordan on the east, and
Lebanon on the north.
The Bible
DC Museum
1,000 years Hebrew Bible
•
Hebrew Bible, also called Hebrew Scriptures, Old
Testament, or Tanakh, collection of writings that was first
compiled and preserved as the sacred books of
the Jewish people. It also constitutes a large portion of
the Christian Bible, known as the Old Testament. Except for a
few
passages
in
Aramaic,
appearing
mainly
in
the apocalyptic Book of Daniel, these scriptures were written
originally in Hebrew during the period from 1200 to 100 BCE.
The Hebrew Bible probably reached its current form about the
2nd century CE.
From Hebrew Bible to Christian Bible: Jews,
Christians and the Word of God
•
In his teaching, Jesus often quoted the Jewish
Scriptures; after his death, his followers turned to them
for clues to the meaning of his life and message. Biblical
scholar Mark Hamilton discusses the history of these
ancient texts and their significance for early Christians
and their Jewish contemporaries.
HEBREW LITERATURE
 Literature written by Jews in Hebrew and, by extension,
certain theological and scholarly works translated from the
Hebrew by Jewish scholars.
 Hebrew was the principal literary language of the Jews until
the 19th century, when European languages came into use for
works of modern Jewish scholarship and Yiddish became a
vehicle of literary expression.
 Since the establishment of Hebrew as the official language of
Israel in 1948, a large body of fiction and nonfiction has been
written in the language
•
•
01
02
ETYMOLOGY
WHO ARE THE
HEBREWS?
Hebrew comes from the
Middle English word
“EBREU“
Which come from the
old French derived from
the
Latin
word
HEBRAEUS
•
•
•
Ancestors of
Samaritan and Jews
03
WHAT COUNTRY
DO THEY LIVE?
•
Descendants of the
Hebrew
Descendants of
Biblical Patriarch
•
Ancient Middle East, 1400 BC
they settle in Canaan( formerly
known as Israel the country of
the eastern coast Mediterranean
sea that the territory of modern
Israel Jordan Lebanon in Syria)
Hebrew is a Member of the
Canaanite group of Semitic
languages (it was the language
of the early Jews but from 586
BC it started to be replaced by
Aramaic.
04
05
WHAT DID THEY
EAT?
WHAT DID THEIR
BUILDING LOOK LIKE?
•
•
•
•
Bread
House made of sand dried mud
•
Meat
bricks (for the wealthier people)
•
Fish
•
Wine
Tent (poor or ordinary people)
Jerusalem
Temple
or
the
Church of the Hebrew(the first
temple
was made by king
Solomon and was covered by
Gold)
06
WHAT DID THEY
WEAR?
•
Fringes
•
Tekhelet ribbon
•
Tekhelet was
translated in the King
James Version KJV
to mean blue,
however, it means
violet in Hebrew,
not blue.
HEBREW LITERATURE
•
It consists of ancient, medieval and modern writings
in the Hebrew language.
•
It is one of the primary forms of Jewish Literature
though there have been cases of literature written in
Hebrew by non-jews.
•
It was produced in many different parts of the world
throughout the medieval and modern eras.
•
Hebrew literature is largely Israeli literature. In 1966,
Agnon won the Nobel Prize for Literature for novels
and short stories that employ a unique blend of
biblical, Talmudic and modern Hebrew, making him
the first Hebrew writer to receive this award.
ANCIENT HEBREW LITERATURE
•
Ancient Hebrew literature consists mainly of the Hebrew Bible (also known as
the Old Testament )
•
It forms the bedrock of much subsequent Hebrew literature as a source of
authority, themes, and language.
•
Viewed in literary terms, the core of the Hebrew Bible is an epic saga that
extends from the book of Genesis to the book of Kings and describes the
formation of the Jewish people and their relation w.ith God.
•
This story is told through different kids of literary materials, mainly narrative,
poetry, and law
ANCIENT HEBREW LITERATURE
•
Literature in Hebrew begins with the Oral
Literature of the Leshon Hakodesh or the "Holy
Language".
•
The most important work of Ancient Hebrew is
the Hebrew Bible named Tanakh.
•
Mishna - primary rabbinic codification of laws as
derived from the torah. It was written in Mishnaic
Hebrew.
MEDIEVAL HEBREW LITERATURE
•
•
During the medieval period, the
majority of Jewish and Hebrew
was composed in Islamic North
Africa, Spain, Palestine, and
Middle East.
Many works of medieval
philosophical literature such as
Maimonides Guide to the
Perplexed and the Kuzari, as
well as many works of fiction,
were written in Judeo-Arabic.
•
•
•
“Fox fables” is one work of
fiction which was written in
Hebrew by Berechiah haNakdan, a Jewish scholar
who lived in 12th – 13th
century France or England.
Hebrew fables which
resembles Aesop fables much
medieval jewish poetry was
written I Hebrew including the:
Liturigical Piyyutim- in
Palestine by Yose ben, Yose,
Yanai, and Eleazae kalir.
“The Siddur- written by
Amram Gaon and Saadia
Gaon.
MODERN HEBREW LITERATURE
•
In addition to writing traditional rabbinic
literature in Hebrew, MODERN Jews
developed new forms of fiction, poetry,
and essay writing which are called
“Modern Hebrew Literature”.
•
Hebrew authors went a little further by
exploring other genre. Although it is
typical to see religious elements in
Hebrew literature it is in modernity
when other themes that add diversity to
this branch are manifested.
FOUNDATIONS OF HEBREW
LITERATURE
HEBREW BIBLE
(Tanakh)
•
The Bible is the various collections of
sacred scripture of the various
branches of Judaism and Christianity.
(jews have often been called the people
of the book then the book is the
Hebrew Bible which tells the history of
the Hebrews and presents the basic
laws and teachings of the jewish faith.
TALMUD
•
A collection of numerous treatises
which are chiefly dedicated to the
laws and legends of the Jews. The
Hebrew term Talmud means to study
or learning commonly refers to a
compilation of ancient teachings
regarded as secret and normative by
use from the time it was compiled.
HEBREW BIBLE (TANAKH)
CATEGORIES
So jewish bible or tanakh is divided into three
categories:
•
•
•
The Five Books of the Torah. which
contains the law or teaching compromised
origins of the Israelite nation. According to
tradition they were writted by Moses.
The Nevi’im (“prophets”) containing the historic
account of Israel and Judah plus works of
prophecy.
The Ketuvim (“writings”) poetic and
philosophical works such as the psalms and
the book of job which contains a rich variety
of general genres`or types of literature.
SECTIONS
•
•
•
The Old Testament it is made with 39
books and classified in six groups
history, poetic books, lyric poetry,
drama, wisdom literature and tales.
The New Testament is an account of
the origin of the early development of
Christianity. It is made of 4 biographies
of Jesus which are the gospels, a
church history, 21 apostles and
unpocalypse. It has 27 books.
The Apocrypha collection of 14 books
it consist of 4 books of history 5 tales, 2
books of wisdom and 1 apostle, song
and prayer..
CHARACTERISTICS OF HEBREW
LITERATURE
•
•
•
•
•
There was no development of pictorial art on the other hand there
was a important development of poetry and literature.
Much of literature is related to religion
The teachings and precepts that are compiled in the so-called
sacred works.
The first works are related to lived facts and personal experiences
with God.
The old testament has been translated into several languages.
LITERARY GENRES
POETRY
PROPHETIC
HISTORICAL
Fictional stories, legends, myths
and stories as well as
biographical information about
the messiah.
Gender related to visions,
oracles and
announcements
Most common genre
LAW
SAPIENTIAL
Guide the Hebrews from the
religious daily and moral
Teachings and lessons
18th CENTURY

“La- Yesharim Tehillah”
-
It is a allegorical drama
1st product of modern Hebrew Literature.
It was written by Moses Hayyim Luzatto

Moses Mendelsshon’s translation of the Hebrew Bible into German inspired interest
in the Hebrew language that led to the founding of a quarterly review written in
Hebrew.
“Shire Tif’eret” and “Mosiade”
- Poems made by Nephtali Hirz and Wessely.
19th CENTURY

In the 19th century Galicia poets, scholars, and
popular writers who contributed to the
discrimination of Hebrew and to the
emancipation of the Jews of Galicia.

-
Joseph Perl
Writer and educator
In 1819, he published Revealer of Secrets, the
1st Hebrew novel.

Nachman Krochmal
- a philosopher, theologian, and historian
19th CENTURY

Solomon Judah Loeb Rapoport
- a rabbi, poet, and biographer

Isaac Erter
- a satirical poet, whose collection of essays, “HaTzofet le-Bet Yisrael, is one of the purest works of
modern Hebrew Literature.
19th CENTURY


Meir Halevy Letteris
- a lyric poet
Julius Barasch
- A notable Jewish author in Romania
20th
CENTURY

Hayim Nahman Bialik
- one of the pioneers of modern Hebrew poets.

Yitzhaq Shami
- novelist, Palestinian Jewish native of Hebron

2004 – he was recognized by Palestinian
Academic Society as one of the important
Palestinian writers.
20th

CENTURY
Leah GoldBerg
- prolific writer and pioneer of
Israel Children’s Literature.
CONTEMPORARY HEBREW LITERATURE

My Michael and Black box
- novels by Amos Oz

The Lover and Mr. Mani
-by A.B Yehoshua

Anton Shammas
- Israel author who published the Hebrew
novel “Arabesque”.
ASSESSMENT
Identify the following Questions
1. The most important work of Ancient Hebrew is the Hebrew Bible named?
2. During in this period the majority of Jewish and Hebrew was composed in Islamic
North Africa , Spain., Palestine and Middle East.
3. In this period Jews developed new forms of fiction poetry and essay writing which
are called?
4. In what period this liturgy was compiled in book as “the siddur “ by rabbis including
Amram Gaon and Saada Gaon?
5. What did Hebrew literature bring to the world that was particularly significant?
REFERENCES
WWW.HEBREWISRAELITECULTURE.COM
WWW.JEWISHVIRTUALLIBRARY.ORG
WWW.WIKEPEDIA.ORG
WWW.OMNIGLOT.COM
WWW.ANCIENT.EU
WWW.THEISRAELBIBLE.COM