Benjamin ben Azriel

views updated

BENJAMIN BEN AZRIEL

BENJAMIN BEN AZRIEL (11th century), liturgical poet, who apparently lived in France. His name and his father's are known only from his piyyutim, which are written in the spirit of the earlier paytanim. While the influence of Joseph *Bonfils and *Moses b. Kalonymus is apparent in the language of his piyyutim, Benjamin at times introduced new terms into the vocabulary of the paytanim. His hymns are found in the old French ma?zor and have not as yet been published. It is almost certain that a number of hymns signed merely "Binyamin" are his.

bibliography:

Zunz, Lit Poesie, 144–5; Davidson, O?ar, 4 (1933), 371.

[Abraham Meir Habermann]

More From encyclopedia.com