rʾshyt hytsyrh hfyyṭnyt vvvl: fyṿṭy r' ḥyym ʾlvrdʾny / Early Stages in the Babylonian Piyyut: Hayim al-Baradani and his Poetic Heritage

The accepted view that the Babylonian rite of prayer in the geonic period did not contain poetical embellishments (piyyuṭim) has been lately questioned by various authors. The ongoing studies in the genizah manuscripts shed new light on tenth century Jewish life in Babylonia. The article shows that...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Beʾeri, Ṭovah (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:Hebrew
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
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Published: HUC 1998
In: Hebrew Union College annual
Year: 1997, Volume: 68, Pages: א-לג
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Summary:The accepted view that the Babylonian rite of prayer in the geonic period did not contain poetical embellishments (piyyuṭim) has been lately questioned by various authors. The ongoing studies in the genizah manuscripts shed new light on tenth century Jewish life in Babylonia. The article shows that liturgical poetry (piyyuṭ) was not only known and used in public services in Babylonia of that time, but that such poetry was also created by local poets, who served as cantors (ḥazanim) in their synagogues. Moreover, it is claimed that these piyyuṭim were in no way different from those used in the Palestinian rite of the time. Hayim al-Baradani — the subject of this paper — seems to be one of the earliest known payṭanim in Babylonia. He flourished around 930 C.E. Some fourteen of his extant liturgical poems, all recovered from the Cairo geniza, are edited and analyzed here. R.Hayim is the father of the great hazan and prolific payṭan, Joseph al-Baradani, of whom Rav Hai Gaon speaks admiringly. Other members of the Baradani family are also known from various geniza manuscripts. Six generations of this family can be traced in genizah documents: four of them were active cantors and payṭanim.
Contains:Enthalten in: Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Hebrew Union College annual