2. Ancient Persian Literature
The literature of Persia is among the
oldest in the world, spanning
thousands of years, and has
influenced the literary works of many
other cultures. The greatest and most
influential work is the Shahnameh –
the Persian Book of Kings – written
by the poet Abolqasem Ferdowsi
between 977-1010 CE.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89. • Persian literature spans two and a half millennia, though much of the pre-
Islamic material has been lost. As one of the great literatures of mankind, the
Persian literature has its roots in surviving works in Old Persian or Middle Persian
dating back as far as 522 BCE, the date of the earliest surviving Achaemenid
inscription, the Bisotun Inscription. Its sources have been within historical Persia
including present-day Iran as well as regions of Central Asia where the Persian
language has been the national language through history.
• Israeli literature is literature written in the State of Israel by Israelis. Most works
classed as Israeli literature are written in the Hebrew language, although some
Israeli authors write in Yiddish, English, Arabic and Russian.
• Ancient Egypt was the source of great works written on papyrus or on the walls
of temples, tombs, pyramids, obelisks, portraits and monuments. These works of
art succeeded for many centuries. The ancient Egyptians viewed literature as a
source of spiritual nourishment and a unique way to elevate style of expression.
