Phineas ha-Kohen be-Rabbi Jacob

Phineas ha-Kohen be-Rabbi Jacob was a prolific Palestinian paytan (liturgical poet) whose works were almost entirely forgotten until the modern period. Very little can be said about his life, other than that his hometown was a small village outside Tiberias. Phineas composed piyyutim in classical styles that had been employed by earlier figures in the land of Israel, integrating midrashim and linguistic themes popular during his period. He frequently refers to the Muslim conquerors of Palestine. His poems speak of many long-forgotten practices of Palestinian Jewry and preserve perspectives on the Jewish calendar and other aspects of Jewish life particular to that community. Phineas may have been a communal leader or the head of a center of learning.