Rabbi Shefatya ben Amitai (lit. Shefatya the son of Amitai) was a

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

-language liturgical poet.

Biography

Born in Italy, he lived in Oria, Apulia, southern Italy. It is reported that he performed the legendary deed of treating the daughter of the Byzantine emperor Basil I. This is purported to have occurred c. 873 when he traveled to

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

to plead for the annulment of anti-Jewish decrees issued by the Byzantine Emperor Basil I.

Liturgical works

His only known liturgical poem is Yisrael Nosha which according to the Ashkenazi tradition is included in the closing service on

Yom Kippur Yom Kippur (; he, יוֹם כִּפּוּר, , , ) is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. Primarily centered on atonement and repentance, the day's ...

(the Day of Atonement).

Biography

Liturgical works

See also

Further reading