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Yehuda Alharizi, also Judah ben Solomon Harizi or al-Harizi (, ), was a rabbi, translator, poet, and traveler active in al-Andalus (mid-12th century Toledo, Spain? – 1225 in Aleppo, Ayyubid dynasty). He was supported by wealthy patrons, to whom he wrote poems and dedicated compositions. He is known for his collection of tales, (ספר תחכמוני), sometimes known as the 'Hebrew Maqamat,' which is in the form of a Maqama.
As was the practice for educated men of the period, he traveled extensively throughout the region, visiting Jewish communities and various centres of learning across the Mediterranean and the East. He was disappointed by the poor quality of Hebrew learning across the region.
He translated many Arabic works into Hebrew, including Maimonides' The Guide for the Perplexed and al-Hariri's Maqamat.Evri, Y., "Partitions and Translations: Arab Jewish Translational Models in Fin de Siècle Palestine", "Journal of Levantine Studies", Vol. 9, No. 1, 2019, p. 75; Wacks, D., "Toward a History of Hispano-Hebrew Literature in its Romance Context", "eHumanista", Volume 14, 2010, p. 187
In addition to the many translations, he also produced original works in Hebrew and in Arabic. He wrote a book of his travels, . He also composed an original maqama in Hebrew, with the title of Sefer Tahkemoni. His Maqama imitated the structure of Badi' al-Zaman al-Hamadani and al-Hariri, but his work also reflects his Jewish identity in a society that was in transition, shifting from al-Andalus to Christian Iberia. He is generally regarded as one of the great classical Jewish authors.
He died in Aleppo, Syria in 1225.
Alharizi's poetic translation of the Guide for the Perplexed is considered by many to be more readable than that of Samuel ibn Tibbon. However, it has not been very widely used in Jewish scholarship, perhaps because it is less precise. It had some influence in the Christian world due to its translation into Latin. (2025). 9780028659299, Thomson Gale. ISBN 9780028659299
Alharizi's own works include the Tahkemoni, composed between 1218 and 1220, in the Arabic form known as maqama. This is written in Hebrew in unmetrical rhymes, in what is commonly termed rhymed prose. It is a series of humorous episodes, witty verses, and quaint applications of Scriptural texts. The episodes are bound together by the presence of the hero and of the narrator, who is also the author. Another collection of his poetry was devoted to preaching ethical self-discipline and fear of heaven.
Alharizi undertook long journeys in the lands of the Middle East. His works are suffused with his impressions from these journeys.
He not only brought to perfection the art of applying Hebrew to secular satire, but he was also a brilliant literary critic and his maqama on the Hebrew poets is a fruitful source of information. (2025). 9780028659299, Thomson Gale. ISBN 9780028659299
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