Hebrew literature facts for kids

Hebrew literature includes ancient, medieval, and modern writings. These works are all written in the Hebrew language. It is a main part of Jewish literature. Sometimes, even non-Jews have written in Hebrew. For a long time, Hebrew literature was created in many different countries. Today, much of it is Israeli literature.

In 1966, Agnon won the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was the first Hebrew writer to get this important award. His stories mix old biblical and modern Hebrew styles.

Ancient Hebrew Writings

Hebrew literature started with spoken stories. These were in Leshon HaKodesh, meaning "The Holy Language." This began with the teachings of Abraham, around 2000 BCE. He was one of the first leaders of Israel. The most important ancient Hebrew work is the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh).

The Mishna was put together around 200 CE. It is a main collection of Jewish laws. These laws come from the Torah. The Mishna was written in Mishnaic Hebrew. But its main explanation, the Gemara, was mostly in Aramaic. Many other classic Jewish writings, called midrash, were also in Hebrew.

Medieval Hebrew Literature

During the Middle Ages, most Jewish and Hebrew literature came from Islamic North Africa, Spain, and the Middle East. Many important books on philosophical ideas were written in Judeo-Arabic. Examples include Maimonides' Guide to the Perplexed.

However, many religious Jewish books were written in Hebrew. These include:

• Torah commentaries by Abraham ibn Ezra and Rashi.
• Books of Jewish law, like Maimonides' Mishneh Torah.
• Ethical books, like Chovot ha-Levavot by Bahya ibn Paquda.

One Hebrew storybook from this time was "Fox Fables." It was written by Berechiah ben Natronai ha-Nakdan. These fables are similar to Aesop's fables.

Much medieval Jewish poetry was also in Hebrew. These poems were often added to Jewish prayers. Poets like Yose ben Yose and Eleazar Kalir wrote them. Later, poets in Spain and Italy wrote both religious and everyday poems. Famous poets included Solomon ibn Gabirol and Yehuda Halevi. They also translated many Jewish books from Arabic into Hebrew.

Only one Hebrew poem by a woman is known from this time. It was written by the wife of Dunash ben Labrat. She wrote it when her husband went into exile.

Modern Hebrew Literature

In modern times, Jewish writers kept creating traditional religious books in Hebrew. But they also started new types of writing. These included fiction, poetry, and essays. This is what we call "Modern Hebrew Literature."

18th Century Beginnings

In the early 1700s, Jewish literature was still mostly by Sephardic authors. They often wrote in Judeo-Arabic. Moses Hayyim Luzzatto's play "La-Yesharim Tehillah" (1743) is seen as the first modern Hebrew work. People called it "a poem that is almost as perfect as the Bible."

Later in the 18th century, the Haskalah movement began. This was the Jewish enlightenment. It aimed to help Jews gain more rights in Europe. Jewish writers then started creating more literature like the earlier Middle Eastern authors. Moses Mendelssohn translated the Hebrew Bible into German. This made people more interested in the Hebrew language. It led to new Hebrew magazines. Poet Naphtali Hirz Wessely became very famous during this time.

19th Century Growth

In the 1800s, many writers helped spread Hebrew in Galicia. They also worked for Jewish rights. Some key figures were:

• Joseph Perl (1773–1839), who wrote the first Hebrew novel, Revealer of Secrets, in 1819.
• Nachman Krochmal (1785–1840), a thinker and historian.
• Isaac Erter (1792–1841), a poet who wrote against old superstitions.

In the Russian empire, many important Hebrew writers emerged. Mordecai Aaron Günzburg was known as "the father of prose." Abraham Baer Lebensohn was called the "father of poetry." Abraham Mapu (1808–67) created the Hebrew novel. His book "Ahabat Tziyyon" was very important for Hebrew writing. The poet Judah Leib Gordon was known for his funny poems.

20th Century Revival

As more Jewish people moved to Palestine in the early 1900s, Hebrew became a shared language. This was for new immigrants and local Palestinian Jews. They continued the writing traditions of earlier authors. Eliezer Ben-Yehuda worked hard to make Hebrew a modern language. He used old Hebrew sources to create words for new ideas.

With the rise of Zionism, Jewish writers in Europe started to lead Hebrew literature. Key writers like Shmuel Yosef Agnon and Hayim Nahman Bialik helped build modern Israeli writing. Bialik (1873–1934) became Israel's national poet. He helped bring the Hebrew language back to life. Before him, Hebrew was mostly used for religious or scholarly texts.

Some Jewish writers in Palestine were influenced by Arabic traditions. They used Hebrew but added Arabic and local themes. Yehuda Burla, born in Jerusalem in 1886, was a novelist. He taught Hebrew and Arabic. In 1961, he won the Israel Prize for literature. Yitzhaq Shami was another writer from Hebron. His work included both Arabic-speaking Jewish and Muslim Palestinian viewpoints.

In 1966, Agnon won the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was honored for his novels and short stories. Translators like Leah Goldberg also helped a lot. They brought international books into Hebrew. Goldberg was also a pioneer in writing children's books in Hebrew.

Contemporary Hebrew Literature

After the State of Israel was created in 1948, a new group of Hebrew writers appeared. These included novelists like Aharon Megged and poets like Yehudah Amichai. Authors like Amos Oz and A. B. Yehoshua wrote about life in the new country. Their books also explored family conflicts and new ideas about Judaism and Zionism.

Many Hebrew writers in the late 1900s wrote about the the Holocaust. They also wrote about women's issues and the Arab–Israeli conflict. Another topic was the differences between Jews from Europe (Ashkenazim) and those from the Middle East (Mizrahim and Sephardim). In 1986, Anton Shammas, a Palestinian-Israeli author, published "Arabesques." This was the first major Hebrew book by a non-Jewish Israeli.

Today, many Israeli authors are known around the world. These include David Grossman, Etgar Keret, and Meir Shalev. Poets like Dalia Ravikovitch and Ronny Someck are also well-known. Every year, thousands of new books are published in Hebrew. These are both original works and translations from other languages.

See also

In Spanish: Literatura hebrea para niños