Ahitub of Palermo’s “Composition of the Basket” and the Sicilian Polystem

This article represents a first attempt to fill a lacuna in the study of early Italian literature by looking at Hebrew writings from Palermo in the latter half of the thirteenth century, following Frederick II’s reign. We present the first translation of a short narrative in rhymed prose called Makhberet ha-tene (“Composition of the Basket”), written by Ahitub of Palermo, a physician and translator active during a momentous period in the annals of the Jewish community in Sicily. After sketching some general historical and cultural background, the article focuses on the works of Ahitub and the Makhberet specifically. In doing so, it highlights the crucial role that translation played for the development of the multilingual literary polysystem(s) of Sicily at the time.