Bookstore Glossary Library Links News Publications Timeline Virtual Israel Experience
Anti-Semitism Biography History Holocaust Israel Israel Education Myths & Facts Politics Religion Travel US & Israel Vital Stats Women
donate subscribe Contact About Home

Joshua

JOSHUA, early liturgical poet of unknown period. Joshua, who apparently lived in Palestine, is mentioned by *Saadiah in his introduction to the Iggaron, in conjunction with Eleazar (i.e., *Kallir) and *Phinehas, as one of the first composers of piyyutim. Some liturgical compositions by Joshua, who bore the surname "ha-Kohen," were recently found among Genizah fragments. Only a few of these texts have been published. In Zulay's opinion, Joshua could have been the father of the well-known poet Johanan ha-Kohen. Joshua is not to be confused with poets of similar name of a later period.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

A. Harkavy, Zikkaron la-Rishonim ve-gam la-Aḥaronim, 1 no. 5 (1891), 110–2; M. Zulay, in: YMḥSI, 5 (1939), 155–7; idem, in: Alei Ayin, S. Schocken Jubilee Volume (1952), 89f.


Sources: Encyclopaedia Judaica. © 2007 The Gale Group. All Rights Reserved.