|
Zionides
Zionides () are ''piyyutim'' which express the longing of the Jewish nation to see the Temple Mount, hill of Zion and the city of Jerusalem shine again in all their former glory. They date back to the time immediately after the destruction of Solomon's Temple. Since that period the poets and singers of Israel have devoted their best talent to painting in the most brilliant colors the ancient glories of Zion. By far the greater number of these songs unite in voicing a heartfelt desire to see the nation, the city of Jerusalem, Mount Zion, and the Temple restored to their former splendor. Biblical songs The oldest song of Zion in Jewish literature was written around the fifth century BCE, and is a lamentation that the enemy compels Israel to live on foreign soil; this is the celebrated Psalm 137:1-3. A similar Zionide of the same period is Psalm 86; in it the poet, full of hope, sings of the day when the Captivity shall be over and the joyfully returning exiles shall sing a new so ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Judah Ha-Levi
Judah haLevi (also Yehuda Halevi or ha-Levi; ; ; c. 1075 – 1141) was a Sephardic Jewish poet, physician and philosopher. Halevi is considered one of the greatest Hebrew poets and is celebrated for his secular and religious poems, many of which appear in present-day liturgy. Judah haLevi was born in Tudela, in the region of Navarre, then part of Muslim Spain. Although little is known about his early life or education, it is clear that he was well-versed in Arabic, Hebrew, and classical sciences including medicine and philosophy. In his youth, he began composing Hebrew poetry, and his reputation eventually reached Moses ibn Ezra in Granada. After initial difficulties in traveling due to political shifts, haLevi was able to establish literary connections across major Jewish centers in al-Andalus. HaLevi's poetic corpus includes a wide array of genres, including panegyrics, friendship poems, wine songs, riddles, didactic verse, and wedding poems. However, he is best remembered f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |