Nehemiah ben Solomon ben Heiman ha-Nasi

Very little is known about the life of Nehemiah ben Solomon ben Heiman ha-Nasi (“the prince”), a gifted Babylonian paytan (liturgical poet). Nehemiah’s family, which claimed Davidic descent, seems to have held leadership positions in the Jewish community in Nisibis, in what is now Turkey; Nehemiah’s poems indicate that he had knowledge of Syriac and some contact with Syriac Christianity, which had a presence in that city. Nehemiah’s poetry is remarkable for its careful prosody and its incorporation of much scientific and philosophical material.