A Brief History of Hebrew/ Yiddish Literature

(Jewish writers who wrote in Arabic are in the Arabic timeline)

The dates of ancient works are obviously wildly approximate. See Steve Moore: "The Novel" for synopses of the novels. "Tanakh/ Old Testament" (Hebrew, 8## BC) [h] "Book of J - from the Tanakh" (Hebrew, 3## BC) "Deuteronomistic History/ These Are the Words - from the Tanakh" (Hebrew, 3## BC) "Book of Job" (Hebrew, 5## BC) [t] "Shir ha-Shirim/ Song of Songs" (Hebrew, 2## BC) [p] "Qohelet/ The Book of Ecclesiastes" (Hebrew, 2## BC) [h] "Book of Enoch" (Hebrew, 1## BC) "Dead Sea Scrolls" (Hebrew, ## BC) "Talmud" (Hebrew, 5##) [h] Aha of Shabcha (Hebrew, 68#): "Sheilthoth" (7##) [h] "Alphabet of Ben Sira" (8##) Saadia ben Joseph al-Fayumi (Hebrew, 882): "The Book of Beliefs and Opinions" (9##) [h] Dunash ben Labrat (Hebrew, 920): "Poems" (990) [p] Samuel ibn Nagdelah (Hebrew, 993): "Poems" (10##) [p] Solomon ibn Gabirol/ Avicebron (Hebrew, 1021): "Poems" (1058) [p] Solomon ibn Gabirol/ Avicebron (Hebrew, 1021): "Meqor Hayyim/ Fountain of Life" (10##) [h] Moses Ibn Ezra (Hebrew, 1055): "Arugat ha-Bosem" (10##) [h] Moses Ibn Ezra (Hebrew, 1055): "Tarshish" (11##) [p] Yehudah/Judah Halevi (Hebrew, 1075): "Poems" (1141) [p] + Abraham ben Meir ibn Ezra (Hebrew, 1092): "Poems" (1167) [p] "Mishle Sendebar/ Tales of Sendebar" (11##) Yehuda al-Harizi/ Judah Alharizi (Hebrew, 1165): "Sefer Tahkemoni/ The Book of Tahkemoni" (1220) [p] + Yosef ibn Zabara (Hebrew, 11##): "Sefer Sha'ashu'im/ Book of Delights" (11##) [p] + Moshe de Leon (Hebrew, 124#): "Sefer ha-Zohar/ Book of Radiance" (12##) + Moshe ben Maimon/ Moses Maimonides (Hebrew, 1135): "Moreh Nevuchim" (11##) [h] Abraham ben Samuel Abulafia (Hebrew, 1247): "Poems" (129#) [p] Isaac Abravanel (Hebrew, 1437): "Commentaries" (14##) [h] Yosef Ha-Cohen (Hebrew, 1496): "Emeq ha-Bakh'a" (1575) [h] Yitzhak Lurya/ Isaac Luria (Hebrew, 1534): "Poems" (1572) [p] Abraham Yagel (1553): "Gei Hizzayon/ A Valley of Vision" (1578) Moses Hayyim Luzzatto (Hebrew, 1707): "Mesillat Yesharim/ Path of the Just" (1740) [h] Moses Hayyim Luzzatto (Hebrew, 1707): "La-Yesharim Tehillah" (1743) [t] + David Franco Mendes (Hebrew, 1713): "Gemul Atalyah" (1770) [t] Naphtali Hartwig Wessely (Hebrew, 1725): "Shire Tif'eret/ Mosiade" (1802) [p] Moses Mendelssohn (Hebrew, 1729): "Pene Tebel" (1872) [p] Susskind Raschkow (Hebrew, 17##): "Hayye Shimshon" (1824) [p] Samuel Molder (Hebrew, 1789): "Beruriya" (1825) [p] Shalom Kohn (Hebrew, 17##): "Ner David" (1834) [p] Nachman Krochmal (Hebrew, 1785): "Moreh Nebuke ha-Zeman/ Guide for the Perplexed of the Time" (1851) [h] Abraham Bar Lebensohn (Hebrew, 1789): "Shire Sefat Kodesh/ Leipzig" (1842 [p] Solomon Lewison (Hebrew, 1789): "Melizat Yeshurun" (18##) [p] Meir Halevy Letteris (Hebrew, 1800): "Poems" (1871) [p] Samuel David Luzzatto (Hebrew, 1800): "Kinnor Na'im" (18##) [p] Abraham Mapu (Hebrew, 1808): "Ahavat Zion/ Love of Zion" (1853) + Abraham Mapu (Hebrew, 1808): "Ayit Zanua/ The Hypocrite" (1858) Hirsch Wassertrilling (Hebrew, 18##): "Hadrat Elisha" (1857) [p] Micah Joseph Lebensohn (Hebrew, 1828): "Ahavat David u-Mikal" (1856) [p] Judah Leib/ Jehuda/ Leon Gordon (Hebrew, 1830): "Historical Poems" (1892) [p] + Sholem 'Mendele Seforim' Abramovich (Hebrew, 1836): "Fischke der Krummer" (1888) Sholem 'Mendele Seforim' Abramovich (Hebrew, 1836): "Masoes Benyomin Hashlishi/ The Travels of Benjamin III" (1878) + Sholem 'Mendele Seforim' Abramovich (Hebrew, 1836): "Wuenschfingerl/ Dos Vinshfingeril/ The Wishing Ring" (1889) Sholem 'Mendele Seforim' Abramovich (Hebrew, 1836): "Ha-Abot we-ha-Banim/ Fathers and Sons" (1868) Perez/ Peter Smolenskin (Hebrew, 1842): "Ha-toeh be-darkhe ha-Hayyim/ A Wanderer on the Path of Life" (1870) Perez/ Peter Smolenskin (Hebrew, 1842): "Qeburath Hamor/ Burial of the Ass" (1874) Itzhok-Lejb Perez/ Isaac-Leib Peretz (Hebrew, 1852): "Baynakht oyfn altn mark/ Night at the Old Market" (1907) [t] + Itzhok-Lejb Perez/ Isaac-Leib Peretz (Hebrew, 1852): "Di Goldene Keyt/ Golden Chain" (1909) [t] Shalom Aleichem/ Rabinovitsh (Hebrew, 1859): "Yossele Solovey/ The Nightingale" (1889) Shalom Aleichem/ Rabinovitsh (Hebrew, 1859): "Menakhem Mendl" (1913) Shalom Aleichem/ Rabinovitsh (Hebrew, 1859): "Motl" (1915) Shalom Aleichem/ Rabinovitsh (Hebrew, 1859): "Tewje/ Tevje the Dairyman" (1916) Solomon Anski/ Shloyme Rappoport (Hebrew, 1863): "Tsvishn Tsvey Veltn - Der Dibuk/ The Dybbuk/ Between Two Worlds" (1920) [t] + Hayyim-Nahman Bialik (Hebrew, 1873): "Ha-Matmid/ The Talmud Student" (1898) [p] Hayyim-Nahman Bialik (Hebrew, 1873): "Be Ir HaHaregah/ In the City of Slaughter" (1904) [p] Hayyim-Nahman Bialik (Hebrew, 1873): "Megilat Ha-esh/ Scroll of Fire" (1905) [p] + Hayyim-Nahman Bialik (Hebrew, 1873): "Ha-brekha/ The Pool" (1905) [p] Shaul Tschernichowski/ Saul Cernichovskij (Hebrew, 1875): "Poems" (1943) [p] + Sholem Asch (Hebrew, 1880): "Farn Mabul/ Before the Flood" (1931) Sholem Asch (Hebrew, 1880): "Got fun Nekome/ God of Vengeance" (1907) [t] Sholem Asch (Hebrew, 1880): "Ist River/ East River" (1946) Joseph Brenner (Hebrew, 1881): "Breakdown and Bereavement" (1920) 'Mani Leib' Brahinsky (Hebrew, 1883): "Baladn / Ballads" (1918) [p] David Bergelson (Hebrew, 1884): "Baym Dnieper" (1932) Moyshe-Leyb Halpern (Hebrew, 1886): " Di Goldene Pave/ The Golden Peacock" (1924) [p] Zalman Shneur (Hebrew, 1887): "Pandrei Ha-Gibor/ Pandre The Hero" (1936) Shmuel Agnon (Hebrew, 1888): "Hachnasath Kallah/ The Bridal Canopy" (1931) Shmuel Agnon (Hebrew, 1888): "Sipur Pashut/ A Simple Story" (1935) Shmuel Agnon (Hebrew, 1888): "Temol Shilshom/ "Only Yesterday/ Ieri e Avant'ieri" (1945) + Leivick Halpern (Hebrew, 1888): "Der Goylem/ The Golem" (1921) [t] + Leivick Halpern (Hebrew, 1888): "Di Keytn fun Meshiekh/ Chains of the Messiah" (1939) [t] Leivick Halpern (Hebrew, 1888): "Abelar un heloiz/ Abelard and Heloise" (1935) [t] + Leivick Halpern (Hebrew, 1888): "Di Khasene in Fernvald/ The Wedding in Foehrenwald" (1949) [t] Leivick Halpern (Hebrew, 1888): Pogrom poems "Er/ He, Dos Kranke Tsimer/ The Sick Room, Der Volf/ The wolf, Di Shtal/ The stable" (1920) [p] Leivick Halpern (Hebrew, 1888): "Nyu-yorkishes/ New Yorkish" (1924) [p] Asher Barash (Hebrew, 1889): "Ahava Zara" (1938) David Fogel/Vogel (Hebrew, 1891): "Lifney Hasha'ar Ha'afel/ Before the Dark Gate"(1923) [p] David Fogel/Vogel (Hebrew, 1891): "Hayey Nisu'im/ Married Life" (1929) + Israel Joshua Singer (Hebrew, 1893): "Yoshe Kalb" (1936) Israel Joshua Singer (Hebrew, 1893): "Di Bruder Ashkenazi/ The Brothers Ashkenazi" (1937) + Ernest Nister (Hebrew, 1895): "Di Mishpokhe Mashber" (1938) Uri Zvi Grinberg (Hebrew, 1896): "Poems" (1981) [p] Jacob Glatstein (Hebrew, 1896): "Nishgut-lapitut hot Farloyrn dem Mut/ Goblin Nogood Has Run Out of Clout" (1943) [p] Hayyim Hazaz (Hebrew, 1898): "Daltot Nehoshet/ Gates of Bronze" (1968) Avraham Shlonsky (Hebrew, 1900): "Poems" (1973) [p] Isaac-Bashevis Singer (Hebrew, 1904): "Der Sotn in Goray/ Satan in Goray" (1935) Isaac-Bashevis Singer (Hebrew, 1904): "Die Familje Moshkat/ The Family Moskat" (1950) + Isaac-Bashevis Singer (Hebrew, 1904): "Der Hoyf in Forverts/ The Estate" (1955) Isaac-Bashevis Singer (Hebrew, 1904): "Der Kunstnmakher fun Lublin/ The Magician of Lublin" (1960) Isaac-Bashevis Singer (Hebrew, 1904): "Der Knekht/ Slave" (1962) Isaac-Bashevis Singer (Hebrew, 1904): "Shosha" (1978) Natan Alterman (Hebrew, 1910): "Poems" (1970) [p] Chaim Grade (Hebrew, 1910): "Di Agune/ The Agunah" (1961) Chaim Grade (Hebrew, 1910): "Tsemakh Atlas/ The Yeshiva" (1968) + Lea Goldberg (Hebrew, 1911): "Poems" (1970) [p] Gabriel Preil (Hebrew, 1911): "Poems" (1993) [p] Aharon Megged (Hebrew, 1920): "Mahbarot Evyatar/ Evyatar Notebooks" (1973) Aharon Megged (Hebrew, 1920): "Al Etzim Ve-Avanim/ Of Trees and Stones" (1974) Moshe Shamir (Hebrew, 1921): "Hu Halach Ba-Sadot/ He Walked Through the Fields" (1947) [t] Moshe Shamir (Hebrew, 1921): "Be-Mo Yadav/ With His Own Hands" (1951) Ephraim Kishon (Hebrew, 1924): "Ha-Ketubbah/ The Marriage Contract" (1953) [t] Ludwig 'Yehuda Amichai' Pfeuffer (Hebrew, 1924): "Ba-Gina Ha-Tziburit/ In the Public Garden" (1959) [p] Ludwig 'Yehuda Amichai' Pfeuffer (Hebrew, 1924): "Me-Achorei Kol Ze Mistater Osher Gadol/ Behind all this Hides a Great Happiness" (1974) [p] + Ludwig 'Yehuda Amichai' Pfeuffer (Hebrew, 1924): "Ha-Zman/ Time" (1977) [p] Ludwig 'Yehuda Amichai' Pfeuffer (Hebrew, 1924): "Shalva Gdola/ Great Tranquillity" (1980) [p] Ludwig 'Yehuda Amichai' Pfeuffer (Hebrew, 1924): "Sh'at Ha-Chesed/ The Hour of Grace" (1982) [p] Carmi Charney (Hebrew, 1925): "Ein Prahim Shehorim/ No Black Flowers" (1953) [p] Carmi Charney (Hebrew, 1925): "Nahash Ha-Nehoshet/ The Brass Serpent" (1961) [p] Amalia Kahana-Carmon (Hebrew, 1926): "Liviti Otah Ba-Derech Le-Veita/ With Her on Her Way Home" (1994) David Shahar (Hebrew, 1926): "Kayitz Be-Derech Ha-Nevi'im/ Summer in the Street of the Prophets" (1969) + David Shahar (Hebrew, 1926): "Ha-Masa Le-Ur Kasdim/ A Voyage to Ur of the Chaldees" (1971) David Shahar (Hebrew, 1926): "Yom Ha-Rozenet/ The Day of the Countess" (1976) + David Shahar (Hebrew, 1926): "Nin-Gal" (1983) David Shahar (Hebrew, 1926): "Yom Ha-Refa'im]/ Day of the Ghosts" (1986) David Shahar (Hebrew, 1926): "A Tammuz Night's Dream/ Chalom Leil Tammuz" (1988) David Shahar (Hebrew, 1926): "Al Ha-Ner Ve-Al Ha-Ruach/ On Candles and Winds" (1994) Shulamith Hareven (Hebrew, 1930): "Ir Yamim Rabim/ City of Many Days" (1972) Yoram Kaniuk (Hebrew, 1930): "Adam Ben Kelev/ Adam Resurrected" (1968) + Yoram Kaniuk (Hebrew, 1930): "Ha-Yehudi Ha-Acharon/ The Last Jew" (1981) Yoram Kaniuk (Hebrew, 1930): "Aravi Tov/ Confessions of a Good Arab" (1983) Yoram Kaniuk (Hebrew, 1930): "Bito/ His Daughter" (1987) + Yoram Kaniuk (Hebrew, 1930): "Post Mortem" (1992) Natan Zach (Hebrew, 1930): "Zefonit Mizrahit/ North by Northeast" (1979) [p] Natan Zach (Hebrew, 1930): "Anti-Mehikon/ Anti-erasure" (1984) [p] Natan Zach (Hebrew, 1930): "Keivan she-Ani ba-Sevivah/ Because I Am Around" (1996) [p] Dan Pagis (Hebrew, 1930): "Gilgul/ Transformation" (1970) [p] + Dan Pagis (Hebrew, 1930): "Shaon Ha-Tzel/ The Shadow Dial" (1959) [p] Dan Pagis (Hebrew, 1930): "Milim Nirdafot/ Double Exposure" (1982) [p] Dan Pagis (Hebrew, 1930): "Shneim Asar Panim/ Twelve Faces" (1984) [p] Aharon Appelfeld (Hebrew, 1932): "Badenhaim Ir Nofesh/ Badenheim 1939" (1978) + Aharon Appelfeld (Hebrew, 1932): "The Immortal Bartfuss" (1989) David Avidan (Hebrew, 1934): "Berazim Arufei Sefataim" (1954) [p] Yaakov Shabtai (Hebrew, 1934): "Zikhron Devarim/ Past Continuous" (1977) + Abraham Yehoshua (Hebrew, 1936): "Mul Ha-Ya`arot/ Facing the Forests" (1966) Abraham Yehoshua (Hebrew, 1936): "Ha-Meahev/ The Lover" (1977) + Abraham Yehoshua (Hebrew, 1936): "Gerushim Meuharim/ A Late Divorce" (1982) Abraham Yehoshua (Hebrew, 1936): "Mar Manni/ Mr Mani" (1990) + Abraham Yehoshua (Hebrew, 1936): "Masah El Sof Ha-Elef/ A Journey to the End of the Millennium" (1997) Dahlia Ravikovitch (Hebrew, 1936): "Ahavat Tapu'ach Ha-Zahav/ The Love of an Orange" (1959) [p] Dahlia Ravikovitch (Hebrew, 1936): "Ahavah Amitit/ True Love" (1987) [p] Dahlia Ravikovitch (Hebrew, 1936): "Me-Rov Ahava/ Because of Love" (1998) [p] Amos Oz (Hebrew, 1939): "Michael Sheli/ My Michael" (1968) Amos Oz (Hebrew, 1939): "Kufsah Shorah/ Black Box" (1988) + Nurit Zarchi (Hebrew, 1941): "Poems" () [p] Haim Be`er (Hebrew, 1945): "Poems" () [p] Batya Gur (Hebrew, 1947): "Lo Kach Tearti Li/ I Didn`t Imagine it Would Be This Way" (1994) Meir Shalev (Hebrew, 1948): "Roman Russi/ The Blue Mountain" (1988) Anton Shammas (Palestine, 1950): "Arabeskot/ Arabesques" (1986) + Anton Shammas (Palestine, 1950): "No Man's Land" (1979) [p] Anat Gov (Israel, 1953): "Best Friends" (1999) [t] Anat Gov (Israel, 1953): "Oh My God" (2008) [t] Anat Gov (Israel, 1953): "Happy Ending" (2012) [t] + David Grossman (Hebrew, 1954): "Ayen Erech Ahava/ See Under Love" (1986) + David Grossman (Hebrew, 1954): "Yesh Yeladim Zig-Zag/ The Zigzag Kid" (1994) David Grossman (Hebrew, 1954): "Sefer Ha-dikduk Ha-penimi/ The Book of Intimate Grammar" (1991) David Grossman (Hebrew, 1954): "Isha Borachat Mi'bsora/ A Woman Flees a Message/ To the End of the Land" (2008) David Grossman (Hebrew, 1954): "Sus Echad Nichnas Lebar/ A Horse Walks into a Bar" (2014) + Ronit Matalon (Hebrew, 1959): "The Sound of Our Steps" (2008) Etgar Keret (Hebrew, 1967): "Ha'Keytana Shel Kneller/ Kneller's Happy Campers" (1998) TM, ®, Copyright © 2006 Piero Scaruffi All rights reserved.