Hebrew Humor and Other Essays

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Chotzner, J. (Joseph), 1844-1914.

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"Hebrew Humor and Other Essays" by J. Chotzner is a collection of essays written in the early 20th century. The essays explore the theme of humor in Hebrew literature, particularly in ancient and modern Hebrew writings. Through various discussions, the author aims to highlight the often-overlooked elements of satire and wit manifest in Hebrew literature, aiming to draw interest from both literary enthusiasts and general readers. The opening of the book offers a preface in which Chotzner introduces the concept of humor found within the Hebrew Bible, arguing that it is characterized by its unique style and poignancy, distinct from the humor seen in classical literatures such as those of Cervantes and Voltaire. He draws on examples from biblical texts to illustrate the presence of humor, including satirical remarks by prophets like Isaiah and the playful use of names, shedding light on the richness of biblical language and the cultural contexts which shape its humor. This introductory approach sets the tone for a deeper exploration of humor across different periods in Hebrew literature throughout the essays that follow. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Contents:

Humour of the Bible

The Bible and the ancient classics

Art among the ancient Hebrews

The life of the Hebrew women of old

Curiosities of certain proper names in the Bible

Sketch of the Talmud

The humour of some mediaeval and modern Hebrew writers

Yedaya Bedaresi, a fourteenth-century Hebrew poet and philosopher

Immanuel di Roma, a thirteenth-century Hebrew humorist, and a friend of Dante

Kalonymos ben Kalonymos, a thirteenth-century satirist

Abraham ibn Chasdai, and his book "The Prince and the Dervish"

Isaac Erter, a modern Hebrew humorist

Leopold Zunz

Samuel David Luzzato and Zachariah Frankel

The influence of Hebrew literature on Heinrich Heine

Modern Hebrew journalism.

Credits:

Produced by Enrico Segre and the team at Distributed Proofreaders Canada

Notes:

Reading ease score: 65.8 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.

Release date is 2014-02-28