Preface

The rich and diverse medieval Hebrew literature that appeared between the 7th and the 16th centuries was inspired by traditional Jewish sources (adaptations of biblical and rabbinic tales), as well as by contemporary Arab and Christian literature (by means of genres, such as the maqamah, diwan, and sonnet, and themes, motifs, and cultural symbols). Although many of the authors of the Hebrew essays written in this period are unknown (e.g. Sefer ha-Maʿasim [The Book of Tales]), s…