The Arts Literature : Isreal

The compilation of the biblical narrative was followed by the age of the Mishnah (100 BCE-700 CE) during which time halukha (law derived from the Bible) and agada (elaboration on non-legal biblical aspects) were compiled. This age also saw the growth of the piyyut (liturgical poem). Jewish poetry proliferated in the Middle Ages in such oeuvres as Megillat Antiohus and Megillat Hanuka. Narrative prose of the Middle Ages focused on demonological legends.

The increasing revival of Hebrew as a secular language in the 18th century’ brought a drastic shift in Hebrew literature. Josef Perl and Isaac Erter parodied Hasidic works in their writings. In Tsarist Russia, Abraham Mapu, the first Hebrew novelist, wrote The Hypocrite, the first novel to portray modern Jewish social life in a fictional context. Following generations moved toward realism, often employing the more versatile language of Yiddish.