Israel Ben Moses Najara, Hebrew poet, was born in Damascus and wrote in the latter part of the 16th century (1587-1599). He was inspired by the mystical school, and his poems are marked by their bold, sensuous images, as well as by a depth of feeling unequalled among the Jewish writers of his age. He often adapted his verses to Arabic and Turkish melodies. To tunes which had been associated with light and even ribald themes, Najara wedded words which reveal an intensity of religious emotion which often takes a form indistinguishable from love poetry. Some pietist contemporaries condemned his work for this reason; but this did not prevent many of his poems from attaining wide popularity and from winning their way into the prayer book. In fact, Najara could claim the authority of the Biblical "Song of Songs" (mystically interpreted) for his combination of the language of human love with the expression of the relationship between God and humanity.

From the eleventh edition of The Encyclopedia, 1911. Public domain. The name of the encyclopedia is still a registered trademark, and is therefore not listed here. Some spellings have been changed to reflect the times (and link better) and some editing has been done, for the sake of clarity.

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.