Joseph Zabara facts for kids

Joseph ben Meïr Ibn Zabara (born around 1140, died around 1200) was a smart person from Spain. He was a doctor, a poet, and someone who wrote funny stories that made fun of things (a satirist). Most of his writings are now lost. But he is famous for one book called Sefer Sha'ashu'im, which means The Book of Delights.

Life of Joseph Zabara

Joseph ibn Zabara was born in Barcelona, Spain, in 1140. He lived there for most of his life. His first teacher was his father, Yosef, who was a doctor.

Zabara's Education

Later, Joseph went to the Hebrew School of Medicine in Narbonne. There, he studied with Joseph Kimhi, who started the famous Kimhi family. Joseph also learned about religious ideas, philosophy, astronomy, and the Arabic language.

The Book of Delights

Joseph ibn Zabara's only known book is Sefer Sha'ashu'im, or The Book of Delight. It is written in a style called maqāmah, which uses rhyming prose. People think he finished this book around the year 1200.

Stories in the Book

The book is a collection of stories and fables. Fables are short stories that teach a lesson. His book is similar to other famous story collections like Kalilah wa-Dimnah and Arabian Nights.

Zabara's Unique Writing Style

Joseph Zabara was probably the first writer to use rhyming prose in Hebrew. This style was popular with Arabian poets. His book also includes short poems mixed into the stories.

Some parts of the book seem to be about Zabara's own life. In his writing, he sometimes praised women and sometimes wrote funny stories that made fun of them. His book is special because it is one of the earliest collections of fables and witty sayings from Europe. These stories came from both Indian and Greek traditions.

Fables in The Book of Delights

Here are some of the fables found in The Book of Delights:

See also

In Spanish: Yosef ben Meir ibn Sabarra para niños