he published nothing, though
he flourished at the very time when the printing-press was throwing
copies of the Zohar broadcast. We owe our knowledge of Lurya's
Kabbalistic ideas to the prolific writings of his disciple Chayim Vital
Calabrese, who died in Damascus in 1620. Other famous Kabbalists were
Isaiah Hurwitz (about 1570-1630), author of a much admired ethical work,
"The Two Tables of the Covenant" (_Sheloh_, as it is familiarly called
from the initials of its Hebrew title); Nehemiah Chayun (about
1650-1730); and the Hebrew dramatist Moses Chayim Luzzatto (1707-1747).

A more recent Kabbalistic movement, led by the founder of the new
saints, or Chassidim, Israel Baalshem (about 1700-1772), was even less
literary than the one just described. But the Kabbalists, medieval and
modern, were meritorious writers in one field of literature. The
Kabbalists and the Chassidim were the authors of some of the most
exquisite prayers and meditations which the soul of the Jew has poured
forth since the Psalms were completed. This redeems the later
Kabbalistic literature from the altogether unfavorable verdict which
would otherwise have to be passed on it.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

KABBALA.

Graetz.--III, p. 547 [565]

MOSES DE LEON.

Graetz.--IV, 1.

ZOHAR.

A. Neubauer.--_Bahir and Zohar_, _J.Q.R._, IV, p. 357.

Steinschneider.--_Jewish Literature_, p. 104.

ISAAC LURYA.

Graetz.--IV, p. 618 [657].

SABBATAI ZEVI.

Graetz.--V, p. 118 [125].

CHASSIDIM.

Graetz.--V, 9.

Schechter.--_Studies in Judaism_, p. 1.

CHAPTER XVIII

ITALIAN JEWISH POETRY

Immanuel and Dante.--The Machberoth.--Judah
Romano.--Kalonymos.--The Eben Bochan.--Moses Rieti.--Messer
Leon.

The course of Jewish literature in Italy ran along the same lines as in
Spain. The Italian group of authors was less brilliant, but the
difference was one of degree, not of kind. The Italian aristocracy, like
the Moorish caliphs and viziers, patronized learning, and encouraged the
Jews in their literary ambitions.

Yet the fact that the inspiration in Spain came from Islam and in Italy
from Christianity produced some consequences. In Spain the Jews followed
Arab models of style. In Italy the influence of classical models was
felt at the time of the Renaissance. Most noteworthy of all was the
indebtedness of the Hebrew poets of Italy to Dante.

It is not improbable that Dante was a personal friend of the most noted
of these Jewish