Abraham Bar Hillel

One of the few Hebrew poets in Egypt; lived in the second half of the twelfth century, and wrote the "Megillah Zuṭṭa" in elegant rimed prose, narrating an important episode of Jewish history in Egypt. As a prologue and an epilogue, he added poems which show their author to have been a skilful versifier. This work was completed in 1176. In view of the fact that there are very few literary remains of the Jews who dwelt in Egypt during the Middle Ages, these efforts of Abraham bar Hillel, which were only discovered in 1896 in the genizah of Cairo, have especial value.

Bibliography:

  * Neubauer, in Jew. Quart. Rev. 1896, viii. 541-561;
  * D. Kaufmann, ibid. 1897, ix. 168-172.



L. G.