Jephthah Sacrifices His Daughter

Aaron ben Mashiaḥ

1692

Jephthah’s Daughter Meets Jephthah with Tambourines and Flutes

When Jephthah set out for the road
He did so full of happiness and joy.
He had a daughter, a solitary cypress,
Her visage fairyborn; two curls
Upon her temples rested, two weeping violets;
Her cheeks were like two jasmines;
She was a graceful cypress.
Her eyes were subtle, her forehead…
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Creator Bio

Aaron ben Mashiaḥ

17th Century

All that is known about Aaron ben Mashiaḥ is that he was from Isfahan (Persia) and, at some point, moved to Yazd, perhaps because of persecution. His only surviving work, of which this is an excerpt, is the Softim-nāmah (The Book of Judges), a retelling in verse of the story of Judges.

Related Guide

Early Modern Jewish Languages (1500–1750)

As Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews migrated eastward, Yiddish and Ladino emerged as distinct languages. Both languages developed literary traditions, as print became more widespread.

Related Guide

Literature and the Arts, 1500–1750

Jewish literary creativity flourished in the early modern period, dominated by Hebrew poetry that blended religious themes with Renaissance forms.

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