1.

AFFRICA
Afru-ika (eg.)- mother land TYPES OF AFRICAN LITERATURE
Aphrike (grk.)- without cold
Aprica (lat.)- sunny
Oral African literature
 2nd largest continent
 54 countries -performative
-Theme: mythological, historical
 Nile river (largest river)
-Key components: performance, tone, riddles, proverbs
 0ver 2,000 languages
 Most the world’s diamond came here Pre-colonial African literature
 Rich in natural resources - includes Atlantic slave trade
 3 PERIODS: Pre-colonialism, During colonialism, Post colonialism -based on the folklore of different regions in Africa
 90% of the population live in informal housing and lack of basic needs -written in native languages
 “Cradle of humankind’=the only continent with fossil of evidence of human
being (homo sapiens) Colonial African literature
 “African diaspora” – African slave trade
- produced between the end of WWI and African independence
 “Scramble of Africa “- period of rapid colonization of the African continent by
European powers. -Themes: independence, liberation, negritude (a movement led by Africans
controlled by French who were raising awareness off “black consciousness”)
AFRICAN LITERATURE
Aime Cesaire – first to use the word negritude
 is not just voices of Africans during colonialism and slave trade. It is more
than that. Leon Pamas
 reflects stories of people before & now Sedar Senghor
 it brings underrepresented voices to the fore
 allows them to re-tell their experiences of the world covers the stories of Post- colonial literature
African people: pre-colonialism, during colonialism, post-colonialism.
-wrote in both western and African languages
CHARACTERISTICS -Themes: relationship between modernity and tradition, relationship between Africa’s
 Language past & present, individuality and collectivism; notion to foreignness and indigenous;
- oral literature capitalism and socialism; what is means to be African
-European languages
 Historical influence -Achinua Achebe – Arrow of God
-Themes: freedom and independence, questions of identity and - Ngugi Wa Thiong’o – “Wizard of the Crow
liberation
-1884-1914- scramble of Africa
-3 countries untouched by the Europeans:
Dervish state, Liberia, Ethiopia
- 1st gen narrators: Ottobah Cugaono, Olaudah Equiano, Ignatius Sancho

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2
 I AM NOT MY SKIN I AM NOT MY SKIN
By Neema Komba By Neema Komba

Yona Kazadi
It’s a succinct story of an albino man, Yona Kazadi, narrating his experiences in the hands of
– he/she is the main character in the story
his fellow humans who, in an evil way believe that a part of an albino’s body will bring wealth
- he is an 18-year-old African native who has albinism that lost his one arm to them. This story tells of Yona’s childhood fears and the different ways he has been able to
survive. It also tells of his growth into courage and his wavering belief in an almighty god.
during his childhood
- he was applying to be a security guard
THINGS FALL APART
Bibi Ghasia
By Chinua Achebe
- Yoda’s grandmother Characters:
-she was his only protector and made him believe that there is God
Unoka
watching as above Baba Joseph Okonkwo
– the owner of Kivulini Asylum Ikemefuna
-he saved Yoda and took him the asylum
Ekweli
-after the tragedy on his family where his wife and son murdered by bad
Ojiugo
guys, he built the kivulini asylum
Lina Ezinma

-a little girl who died in malaria in the asylum. Ogbuefi ezeudu

-she was abandoned by her mother when she was only 2 years old Nwoye
Sophia
Uchendu
- the only adult in the asylum who took care and nurse Lina and the other
Obierika
children.
Saimoni Mr. Kaiga
- the gate-keeper of the asylum. Mr. Brown
Reverend James Smith
-he was attempted to be killed by Yoda as he was accused as bad person
just like the abductees he encountered. Enoch

3
Okonkwo is a wealthy and respected warrior of the Umuofia clan, a lower Nigerian tribe that is part of a consortium of nine connected villages. He is haunted by the actions
of Unoka, his cowardly and spendthrift father, who died in disrepute, leaving many village debts unsettled. In response, Okonkwo became a clansman, warrior, farmer, and family
provider extraordinaire. He has a twelve-year-old son named Nwoye whom he finds lazy; Okonkwo worries that Nwoye will end up a failure like Unoka.In a settlement with a
neighboring tribe, Umuofia wins a virgin and a fifteen-year-old boy. Okonkwo takes charge of the boy, Ikemefuna, and finds an ideal son in him. Nwoye likewise forms a strong
attachment to the newcomer. Despite his fondness for Ikemefuna and even though the boy begins to call him “father,” Okonkwo does not let himself show any affection for him.

During the Week of Peace, Okonkwo accuses his youngest wife, Ojiugo, of negligence. He severely beats her, breaking the peace of the sacred week. He makes some sacrifices to
show his repentance, but he has shocked his community irreparably. Ikemefuna stays with Okonkwo’s family for three years. Nwoye looks up to him as an older brother and, much to
Okonkwo’s pleasure, develops a more masculine attitude. One day, the locusts come to Umuofia—they will come every year for seven years before disappearing for another
generation. The village excitedly collects them because they are good to eat when cooked.Ogbuefi Ezeudu, a respected village elder, informs Okonkwo in private that the Oracle has
said that Ikemefuna must be killed. He tells Okonkwo that because Ikemefuna calls him “father,” Okonkwo should not take part in the boy’s death. Okonkwo lies to Ikemefuna, telling
him that they must return him to his home village. Nwoye bursts into tears. As he walks with the men of Umuofia, Ikemefuna thinks about seeing his mother. After several hours of
walking, some of Okonkwo’s clansmen attack the boy with machetes. Ikemefuna runs to Okonkwo for help. But Okonkwo, who doesn’t wish to look weak in front of his fellow
tribesmen, cuts the boy down despite the Oracle’s admonishment. When Okonkwo returns home, Nwoye deduces that his friend is dead. Okonkwo sinks into a depression, neither
able to sleep nor eat. He visits his friend Obierika and begins to feel revived a bit. Okonkwo’s daughter Ezinma falls ill, but she recovers after Okonkwo gathers leaves for her
medicine.The death of Ogbuefi Ezeudu is announced to the surrounding villages using the ekwe, a musical instrument. Okonkwo feels guilty because the last time Ezeudu visited him
was to warn him against taking part in Ikemefuna’s death. At Ogbuefi Ezeudu’s large and elaborate funeral, the men beat drums and fire their guns. Tragedy compounds upon itself
when Okonkwo’s gun explodes and kills Ogbuefi Ezeudu’s sixteen-year-old son.

Because killing a clansman is a crime against the earth goddess, Okonkwo must take his family into exile for seven years to atone. He gathers his most valuable belongings and takes
his family to his mother’s natal village, Mbanta. The men from Ogbuefi Ezeudu’s quarter burn Okonkwo’s buildings and kill his animals to cleanse the village of his sin.Okonkwo’s
kinsmen, especially his uncle, Uchendu, receive him warmly. They help him build a new compound of huts and lend him yam seeds to start a farm. Although he is bitterly
disappointed at his misfortune, Okonkwo reconciles himself to life in his motherland. During, the second year of Okonkwo’s exile, Obierika brings several bags of cowries (shells used
as currency) that he has made by selling Okonkwo’s yams. Obierika plans to continue to do so until Okonkwo returns to the village. Obierika also brings the bad news that Abame,
another village, has been destroyed by the white man.Soon afterward, six missionaries traveled to Mbanta. Through an interpreter named Mr. Kiaga, the missionaries’ leader, Mr.
Brown, speaks to the villagers. He tells them that their gods are false and that worshipping more than one God is idolatrous. However the villagers do not understand how the Holy
Trinity can be accepted as one God. Although he aims to convert the residents of Umuofia to Christianity, Mr. Brown does not allow his followers to antagonize the clan.
Mr. Brown grows ill and is soon replaced by Reverend James Smith, an intolerant and strict man. The more zealous converts are relieved to be free of Mr. Brown’s policy of restraint
One such convert, Enoch, dares to unmask an egwugwu during the annual ceremony to honor the earth deity, an act equivalent to killing an ancestral spirit. The next day,
the egwugwu burn Enoch’s compound and Reverend Smith’s church to the ground.The District Commissioner is upset by the burning of the church and requests that the leaders of
Umuofia meet with him. Once they are gathered, however, the leaders are handcuffed and thrown in jail, where they suffer insults and physical abuse.

After the prisoners are released, the clansmen hold a meeting, during which five court messenger approach and order the clansmen to desist. Expecting his fellow clan members to
join him in uprising, Okonkwo kills their leader with his machete. When the crowd allows the other messengers to escape, Okonkwo realizes that his clan is not willing to go to
war.When the District Commissioner arrives at Okonkwo’s compound, he finds that Okonkwo has hanged himself. Obierika and his friends lead the commissioner to the body.
Obierika explains that suicide is a grave sin; thus, according to custom, none of Okonkwo’s clansmen may touch his body. The commissioner, who is writing a book about Africa,
believes that the story of Okonkwo’s rebellion and death will make for an interesting paragraph or two. He has already chosen the book’s title: The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes
of the Lower Niger.

4
 EGYPTIAN WRITING:
FACTS ABOUT EGYPT Hieroglyphics
- small symbols/ images of objects
 “Egypt” comes from the ancient Greek name “Aigyptos”
 Arabic name “Misr” comes from the Akkadian word “misru” meaning border or frontier. -hieroglyphs – “holy carving”, “words of god”
 Cairo gets its name from the Arabic “al-Qahira” which means “the victorious”. Hieratic
 Capital: Cairo -cursive form of hieroglyphics -used in religious texts and in sacred ceremonies
 country located in north Africa bordering Israel, Libya, Sudan and the Palestinian territory - “sacred writings”
of Gaza - used most commonly in funeral papyri
 is ethnically homogeneous with Egyptians comprising more than 99% of the population. -used in scribal record-keeping
 Egypt is famous for its ancient civilization.
Demotic
 For almost 3,000 years, ancient Egypt was the most notable civilization in
- informal writing
the Mediterranean world.
 is part of an area known as the Fertile Crescent, also known as the “Cradle of - “popular writing”
Civilization”. The Fertile Crescent covers a roughly crescent-shaped area of fertile land -created everyday
that includes parts of present-day Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Syria, Turkey, Iran, -still used for monumental, religious writings
Iraq and Cyprus.
 Ancient Egypt ended when Alexander the Great, of ancient Macedonia, conquered Egypt Old kingdom
in 332 BC and founded Alexandria.
- papyrus
 By population, Egypt is now the world’s largest Arab country.
-pyramid text
 has seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites: In Africa, only South Africa (10), Ethiopia
(9), Morocco (9) and Tunisia (8) have more.
 At least 118 pyramids were built by the pharaohs as royal tombs. Middle kingdom
 Great Pyramid of Giza which is the only wonder of the ancient world that has survived to - hymns and songs for deity
the present day. - cleopatra
 is the most visited country in Africa receiving over 13 million tourists a year.
 The ancient Egyptians invented the 365-day calendar. New kingdom
-military, colonial, heroism
 The Egyptian calendar was based on 12 30-day lunar cycles (360 days in total).
Last new kingdom
 The longest documented reign of any monarch is that of Egypt’s Pharaoh Pepi II - adventures of various magicians
who ruled for 94 years from around 2281 BC. He became king when he was just six years
old.
HEIRARCHY OF SOCIETY IN EGYPT
 From 1859 to 1869, the Suez Canal was built in Egypt connecting the Mediterranean Sea
to the Red Sea via a 193.3km (120 miles) artificial sea-level waterway. It is one of the 1. Pharoah
world’s most heavily used and important shipping lanes. 2. Vizier
 The rest of Egypt is largely covered by the Sahara Desert (world’s largest hot desert.) 3. Priesthood
 home to the fossil remains of the earliest, and now extinct, species of whale. 4. Army general
 Tarkhan Dress- world’s oldest dress 5. Officials
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 2. EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
The purpose of literature in Ancient Egypt
 Comprises a wide array of narrative and poetic forms including: inscriptions on
tombs, stele, obelisks, and temples; myths, stories, and legends; religious
 Having the ability to read and write in Ancient Egypt was a requirement for serving in roles
writings; philosophical works; wisdom literature; autobiographies; biographies;
concerning public office.
histories; poetry; hymns; personal essays; letters and court records.
 Even government officials were assisted by individuals with exceptional literary skills, known as
scribes.
The Great Hymn to the Aten- a collection of hymn-poems created in
 However, the role of scribes went far beyond just government. Their services were apparent in
worship to the sun-disk deity Aten.
letter drafting, bureaucratic roles such as sales documentation, and even legal documents.
This hymn provides a glimpse into the religious ideology and art that
 These scribes were in credible demand as it is believed that they were a minority of the
was birthed from such worship.
population, and so their services incredibly valuable. The rest of the population occupied roles
Pharaoh Akhenaten forbade the worship of other gods, turning
such as farmers, labourers, and artisans where literacy wasn’t as crucial to the success of the
Ancient Egypt’s polytheistic worship into a monotheistic one.
job. This led to a hierarchy of roles within Ancient Egypt, with the literate scribes being treated
as superior intellectuals.
The Westcar Papyrus- is a collection of five stories that dates back
 Literature was also used in religious practices. Literature was used in funerary literature to
to Ancient Egypt.
protect the souls of their deceased monarchs in the afterlife. This literature was not just limited
These five stories concern the miracles and magic performed by
to poems and hymns, but includes spells and incantations.
priests and magicians in their era.
 The knowledge of literature was one that was predominantly understand and guarded by male
Each of these tales are told at the royal court of king Khufu, by each
scribes, but that does not mean there were no works written by women.
of his sons.
 However, it is also possible that women hired others to write these documents.
This offers a fantastic insight into the culture of Ancient Egypt and
the art that arose from religious beliefs.

6
-all of Egyptian society existed in two kingdoms: Upper Egypt, Lower Egypt
Around 3,100 B.C.E. King Menes (upper Egypt), started the long string of
dynasties by conquering Lower Egypt.
King Menes - he unified the regions and built his capital city at Memphis, near the
border of these two kingdoms. Because Memphis was located on an island in the
Nile, it was easy to defend.
Early Dynastic Period- first dynasty
- Little is known of the pharaohs (rulers) of the early dynasties.
The Egyptian word "pharaoh" literally means "great house."
Pharaohs were more than just rulers. They were considered gods and were
believed to possess the secrets of heaven and earth.
Pharaohs led the government and the army and wielded unlimited power.
 Old kingdom
About 300 years after Menes united Egypt, its rulers formed a central government
in which they held supreme power. This was the beginning of the Old Kingdom.
(Kings tend to rule from a central place, which is why the early dynastic period is
not considered a kingdom.)
- pyramid building flourished.
-Cheops had the six-million-ton Great Pyramid of Giza constructed as his tomb.
-Under Chephren, a Fourth Dynasty ruler, the Great Sphinx was built.
-The end of the Old Kingdom was marked by civil wars between pharaohs and
nobles
 Middle kingdom
 Montuhotep II -eleventh dynasty pharaoh, was the last ruler of the Old
Kingdom and the first ruler of the Middle Kingdom.
 is remembered as a time of flourishing arts, particularly in jewelry making.
 Amenemhet III -twelfth Dynasty, was responsible for the construction of two
great projects.
-He completed the building of the giant waterwheels of the Faiyum region
that diverted the floodwaters of the Nile.
-Amenemhet also constructed the Pyramid of Hawara, which became known
as the Labyrinth. It contained about 3,000 rooms.
 Hyksos, a Semitic-Asiatic group, invaded the Nile Delta region.
 New kingdom
 Early pharaohs of the New Kingdom evicted the Hyksos.
 remembered as a time of renaissance in artistic creation, but also as the end of dynastic
rule.
 this period was also marred by corrupt priests and tomb-robbing by government officials.
 Tutankhamun or king kutkut
-may be the most famous of Egypt's pharaohs because of the discovery of his untouched
tomb in 1922.
 Amenhotep IV -who triggered a religious revolution.
-Before Amenhotep's rule, Egypt was a polytheistic society that believed in many gods, the
most important named Amon.
- But Amenhotep believed only in Aton, the sun god. Belief in only one God (monotheism)
was a radical notion.
-To show his devotion to Aton, the pharaoh changed his name to Akenhaton ("he who is loyal
to Aton").
-Akenhaton moved his capital from Thebes, where Amon was worshipped, to Tell el Amarna.
 Ramses II, or Ramses the Great,
- He reigned for 67 years and died in about 1,213 B.C.E. at age 96. His nearly 200 wives and
concubines bore 96 sons and 60 daughters.
- build a great family, he also built two temples at Abu Simbel, Ramesseum, a compound
consisting
of two temples and a palace.
-After Ramses' rule, Egypt fell into steady decline.
 Pharaoh Nectanebo II
- retreated to Memphis to avoid death at the hands of oncoming Persian invaders in 343
B.C.E., he became the last Egyptian-born pharaoh, ending over 2,500 years of Egyptian self-
rule
 Mohammad Ali- Pharoah modernized Egypt by building the first port last 1805
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 3.SAUDI ARABIA

 Capital: Riyadh TYPES OF MUSLIMS

 95% of the land is dessert Sunni- highest form of Muslims (80%)
 People: Arabs
Shiite- 10-16 person
 Religion: Islam
 Language: Arabic Sufis- experience of God
 Homeland of Islam Baha- modern Muslim
 Arabian Peninsula- another homeland of Islam
 Empires: Umayyad empire, Ottoman empire, Abbasid empire 2 MAJOR TYPES OF MUSLIMS
 Jihad- holy war between Christians and Muslims. Secularist Muslim
 Arabia was the cradle of Islam, and through this faith it influenced every - who do not have the knowledge of the Quran.
Muslim people
- modern Muslims
  TheUmayyad Empire
Shipwrecked Sailo
o Arabic prose literature - they only know some verses of the Quran (Surat Al Kahf)
o ghazals (love lyrics) Fundamentalist
 Abbasid Empire
- foundations of Quran
- they want to apply the more extreme verses of the Quran to the letter.
 “One thousand and one nights”- also called the “Arabian Nights” Fundamentalist’s beliefs:
o the collection of Middle Eastern South Asian stories and folk tales.
1. 1.The Prophet Muhammad urges Muslims to fight in the cause of Allah.
 Richard Francis Burton – translated the One thousand and one nights to
2. 2.The Quran commands Muslims no to befriend Jews or Christians.
English 3. 3. The Quran commands Muslims to fight Jews or Christians.
 Rawis- story tellers. 4. 4. The Quran commands Muslims to fight non- Muslims until they are exterminated.
 Arabian culture is a branch of Semitic civilization; because of this and 5. 5. The Quran declares that Muslims who fight and die in the battle are promised
because of the influences of sister Semitic cultures to which it has been forgiveness and a sexual luxurious life in paradise.
subjected at certain epochs, it is sometimes difficult to determine what is 6.
specifically Arabian.

ISLAM
 Prophet: Muhammad 7.
 Sacred scripture: Quran
 Holiest pilgrimage cities:
 - mecca (the blessed)
 - medina (the radiant)
 Ramadan- holiest season marks fasting
 Haram food: pork

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 ARABIAN LITERATURE One Thousand and One Nights
storytelling
The One Thousand and One Nights, or the Arabian Nights, as it is also known, is constructed as a “frame
story” to which all the other tales are subsequently added. The tales themselves come in a very wide
Saj (rhyme prose)- are presented in a dramatic or narrative context
most suitable for the display of the author's eloquence, wit, and variety of genres, including fables, adventures, mysteries, love-stories, dramas, comedies, tragedies,
erudition.
horror stories, poems, burlesque, and erotica. Very simply put, the frame story itself is one of a king, King
Occasional poems Shahrayar, who has been betrayed by his wife, and who is off commiserating with his brother, King
Shahzaman, who had suffered a similar fate himself. On their journey, they encounter a beautiful woman
-Modern period- who is being held captive by the most fearsome genie. The woman threatens to awaken the genie and
Nahdah- “reawakening” thus incur certain death upon them, unless they have sexual relations with her. This encounter reinforces
Golden age / Arabic prose King Shahrayar’s loathing of women and confirms his paranoia that women are simply not to be trusted.

Mora- interactive and assuring anecdotes While his brother simply swears off women completely, our main protagonist, Shahrayar has a more

Al- Mu’llagqat – group of Islamic odes. shockingly sinister plan in mind. He rides off back to his kingdom, and swears that he will wed every

3 types of collection
Al-Mu-Allkat- “suspended”
Al hamasa- Anthology compiled by poets
Mujaddiyat- collection of poems Kasidas (type of literature)
adab (etiquette)
The Quran , The Arabian Nights, The lady and her five suitors
Love by Khalil Gibran , The Prophet , The Twelve Apostle
Ophet Bewildered Arab, The food of paradise
The greedy jackal , Count not your chicken before they hatched
eligible bride in the land, only to have her executed the next morning before she has had a chance to
cuckold him. As might be expected, the king soon runs out of brides to marry, and his grand vizier’s
daughter, Shahrazad, who is well-known for her penchant for story-telling, decides to take it upon herself
to marry the king despite the vehement protests of her father. Shahrazad, however, has a plan herself: at
a certain point every night, she has her young sister Dunyazad come to the royal quarters and urge the
new queen to entertain the King and her with one of her famous stories. Shahrazad then puts her talent
to good use, beginning a tale every night, but never ending it before daybreak, thus leaving the King
enthralled, and willing to spare her life one more night so he can find out what happens with the story.
Hence, whenever she finishes a tale — never at daybreak — Shahrazad is sure to start another equally
captivating tale, which will go on for another night or so. This continues for one thousand and one nights,
until finally, the King is cured of his paranoia and decides he wants keep his queen forever after.

9

 Hebrew comes from the middle english word "Ebreu" which come from the old
French derived from the Latin word "Hebraeus"
 Hebrews were ancestors of Samaritans and Jews.
 Jews were the descendant of Hebrews
 Hebrews claim to be the descendant of Biblical Patriach Abraham
 Aramiac - is a family of languages or dialects belonging to the Semitic subfamily of the
Afroasiatic language family. More specifically, it is part of the Northwest Semitic
group, which also includes the Canaanite languages such as Hebrew and Phoenician.
 Jerusalem Temple – church of the Hebrews (the first temple was built by King
Solomon) covered with gold.
• wine- a popular drink
Hebrew literature: Ancient, Medieval, Modern
Ancient Hebrew literature begins with oral literature of the Leshon Hakodesh on the Holy
Language since very ancient times and with the teaching of Abraham the first of the
Biblical Patriarch of Israel.
Parable of the Good Samaritan - is a didactic story told by Jesus in Luke 10:25-37. It is
about a traveler who is stripped of clothing, beaten, and left half dead alongside the road.
The Story of Ruth- is the Narrative of a love story, yet also has some important Genealogy.
The timeline of this book is intertwined during the period of the Judges
The parable of prodigal son , The parable of the talents , The story of Joseph
HEBREW LITERATURE
- is cataloged within classical literature and corresponds to the compilation of works (in
verse and prose)
- written in Hebrew by Jewish and non-Jewish authors, whose origins date back to the
12th century BC. C.
- Hebrew literature is one of the most widespread and extensive cultural manifestations
in the world.
- It was produced in different historical moments, presenting its maximum splendor
between the medieval and modern times.
- This literature has a very marked religious character; in fact, his most representative
works belong to sacred books.
- Within the Hebrew literature stand out the books of the Old Testament, section of the
Bible, and the Torah.
- date from the expressions and oral lessons from the time of Abraham.
Abraham
- considered one of the most important figures in Christianity and Judaism.
Characteristics
- Due to the precepts contemplated in the Old Testament that contemplated the prohibition
of the veneration of images, there was no development of pictorial art.
- Much of literature is related to religion.
- The teachings and precepts that are compiled in the so-called sacred works, such as the
Torah, come from the oral tradition of the first Jewish peoples.
- The first works are related to lived facts and personal experiences with God.
- The Hebrew Bible handles historical stories, teachings and morals supported by metaphors.
It also has chants and poems made in order to propagate the basic precepts of religion.
- The Old Testament has been translated into several languages, which is why it is
considered one of the most widespread works in the world.
Themes:
Religious
Secular
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Medieval Period
- it is there when a set of moral and ethical precepts for the behavior that the Jew
should have, is established.
- Other literary genres were also developed, such as poetry, which became fertile
ground for secular and non-secular pieces.
- Even some of these pieces are included in liturgies read by rabbis today.
Modern Period
-Hebrew authors went a little further by exploring other genres such as fiction
and written essays, which added to the poetry that had already developed for the
time.
-Although it is typical to see religious elements in Hebrew literature, it is in
modernity when other themes that add diversity to this branch are manifested.
-one begins to write about the inconveniences that the Jews suffer in exile,
satires towards the behavior of the rabbis and even criticisms towards certain
superstitions of this culture.
-The diversity of Jewish works in recent times has also allowed the expression of
conflicts of religious and political tendencies among practitioners of Judaism.
-With the creation of the State of Israel there is a new need to give diffusion and
importance to Hebrew works, especially in the field of literature and language.
-The intention is to promote the translation of modern non-Hebrew and Jewish
works to this type of language, for the inclusion and knowledge of literary
movements in the world.
-Some writers do not have international recognition. However, there have been
very relevant authors for Jewish literature.
-One of them is Shmuel Yosef Agnón, Jewish writer who won the Nobel Prize for
Literature in 1966 thanks to his stories about the life of the Jews and the process
that was experienced during the founding of the State of Israel.
The Tanach (main work)
-The main books of Hebrew literature are those that make up the Tanach, a Jewish-
Jewish work in which the sacred precepts of the Jewish and Christian religions are
found.
3 Essential parts:
T: Torah ( the law)
N: Nevi’im (the prophets)
CH: Ketuvim (the writings)
The law (Torah)
-The five books of Moses (Old Testament): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers &
Deuteronomy.
-also called Pentateuch
-these describe the most important events, such as the creation of the world, the
departure of the Jewish slaves in Egypt and the delivery of the 10 commandments.
- occupies an essential part of the Hebrew history and its antecedents, as well as of
the customs and traditions of both the Jewish and the Christian people.
The prophets (Nevi’im)
-Highlights the works of Joshua, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel.
-The writings that these books contemplate have to do with the meaning of the
prophecies, which rather make an invitation towards the hope of the arrival of a
messiah.
The writings (Ketuvim)
- these books contain some of the Bible’s most beautiful poetry. Among the
twelve books are Psalms and Proverbs
- They are related to chants, poems and historical books, as well as more dramatic
and painful works such as those contemplated in the book of Job, in the Bible. They
include:
Psalms (considered songs made by the hand of King David)
Proverbs (which contain brief teachings and fast learning)
Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Maccabees, I Chronicles and II Chronicles.
11

Genesis – this books recounts to story of creation and the lives of the
patriarchs and matriarchs of the Jewish people.
Exodus – This book details the story of slavery in Egypt, the Exodus, and
the Ten Commandments.
Leviticus- The third book of the Torah details the role of the priests and
sacrifices in ancient Jewish practice. Leviticus includes many of the ethical
and ritual laws that are still practiced today.
Numbers- This book recounts the wandering of the ancient Israelites
through the desert and spells out more of God’s laws.
Deuteronomy- Moses, in his speeches to the Children of Israel offers
them an ethical will, beseeching them to follow God’s ways as they
prepare to enter the Promised Land.
LITERARY GENRES
 Historical
They include real and fictional stories, legends, myths and stories, as well as
biographical information about the messiah.
 Law
Compilation of norms and precepts to guide the Hebrews from the religious,
daily and moral. The most immediate reference is the 10 commandments.
 Prophetic
Gender related to visions, oracles and announcements of those who claim to
speak in the name of God.
 Sapiential
They contain teachings and lessons as lived by the wise.
 Poetry
It is the most common genre in Hebrew literature, since it expresses very
intimate and personal feelings. In fact, some can be found in Psalms,
Lamentations, Job and Song of Songs (attributed to Solomon).
The 5 most prominent authors of Hebrew literature
1- Isaiah
It is one of the most relevant prophets of Hebrew literature. Isaiah reflects a series of
visions and prophecies of what would await the world in the future. It stands out
thanks to its refined and structured style.
2- Joshua
Although some of his writings were lost, he was able to recover several of his precepts
in which he tells the political and military history of the Jewish people.
3- Dunash ben Labrat
Introduces the Arabic metric to the poetry of this literature.
4- Semuel ibn Nagrella
Author of religious and secular poetry. These works also related to the Talmud and
the Torah.
5- Shmuel Yosef Agnón
Win the Nobel Prize for Literature by creating short stories about the experiences in
the founding of the State of Israel. His prose combines biblical style and modern
Hebrew.
The Story of Samson
.
His most famous story revolves around his relationship with Delilah, who was
persuaded by the Philistines to discover the source of his strength. After multiple
attempts, Delilah convinced Samson to reveal the secret of his uncut hair, which led
to his capture by the Philistines. They blinded him and imprisoned him. In a final act of
strength and sacrifice, Samson prayed to God for his strength to return one last time,
and he pulled down the pillars of a Philistine temple, killing himself and many of his
enemies.
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