Khazars in fiction
Encyclopedia
This article discusses the fiction
relating to the Khazar people. Such fiction can be used to extend current knowledge of the Kharas whose history is not well documented. Historians have only been able to piece together an incomplete picture of Khazar society and chronology of its history.
to Judaism
has resulted in many works of speculative fiction dealing with the Khazars, their dealings with other nations, their society and their religion.
; Eurasian and East Slavic studies. Many of its members have written works of fiction set in or concerning Khazaria. Participants have included Kevin Alan Brook, Robert Low
(author of the Oathsworn series) and journalist Ehud Yaari
.
, the Schechter Letter
, and the Mandgelis Document
are works of fiction or forgeries. While the Mandgelis Document's authenticity is unknown (see that article for information on the controversy), the consensus among scholars is that both the Khazar Correspondence and the Schechter Letter are authentic tenth-century documents relaying what the authors understood to be Khazar history.
(1140). Many translations into English, French, German, and other languages, including the English translation by Rabbi N. Daniel Korobkin (Northvale, New Jersey: Jason Aronson
, 1998). A Khazar king debates religion with a Neo-Platonic philosopher, a Muslim
, a Christian
, and a Jewish rabbi, and chooses Judaism. Originally written in Arabic
. There has been speculation that Yehuda Ha-Levi based the Kuzari on surviving Jewish accounts, no longer extant, of the Khazar conversion, or at least on conversations with Khazars living in Spain. This is supported by Abraham ibn Daud
's statement (see above) that Khazar students were studying at Spanish yeshivot
during the 12th century. Whatever the actual historical information at Yehuda Halevi
's disposal, the writer's main aim was to use the Khazar's king's penetrating questions as to the principles of Judaism and the Rabbi's cogent answers in order to compose a comprehensive description of his religion and rebut the arguments of Christians and Muslims against it. As such, the book became – and remains – a major textbook for Jewish scholars up to the present. Its lasting widespread circulation helped set in the Jewish collective memory the fact of the Khazars having converted, which might otherwise have been lost in oblivion.
.
traveled to Khazaria, where he married the daughter of Judah ha-Levi. While other sources do report the marriage of ibn Ezra and ha-Levi's daughter, no other source contains the Khazar connection; moreover, the notion that ibn Ezra was ha-Levi's son-in-law is dismissed by most modern scholars as a later invention.
A German story about contacts between Hasdai ibn Shaprut and the Khazars. Abraham Kaplan's Hebrew translation of the collection, Mistere ha-Yehudim, published in Warsaw
in 1865.
A short story in which a descendant of King David
is sent by Hasdai ibn Shaprut to Khazaria and is a witness to the Rus' destruction of Khazaria. This is an adaptation of Reckendorf's Geheimnisse der Juden. Also translated into Arabic and Persian.
A Jew visits Khazaria and witnesses its destruction.
(London: Shapiro, Vallentine, 1926).
A novel about the destruction of Khazaria by the Rus'.
Currently reprinted by Feldheim Publishers.
A fact based novel about the history of Khazaria.
A novel about the Khazars and their time. Baum portrays the Khazars as tolerant and civilized.
A beautiful and moving Hebrew ballad about the fate of the last Khazar king after his defeat by the Rus' army of Svyatoslav. Only one Khazar remains free, and he is wounded and tired. He encounters several animals that are willing to fight a larger, stronger enemy. With courage and determination, the Khazar decides to turn his horse around and charge at the Rus'. The theme clearly reflects the desperate plight of European Jews at the time of writing, with Nazi persecutions building up towards the actual extermination.
A Jew, Emanuel Lindner, discovers a lost African Jewish community that descends from Khazars. The book blends fiction with real historical events. Many of the circumstances and cultural observations on the Khazars are not authentic. However, the author has a sympathetic view of the Khazars and presents the stories of King Bulan's conversion by Yitzhak ha-Sangari, King Obadiah's Jewish renaissance, and Svyatoslav's conquest of Sarkel in a mostly truthful manner.
by Milorad Pavić
(New York: Knopf, November 1988). Originally published in Serbo-Croatian
as Hazarski Rečnik: roman leksikon u 100,000 reči (Belgrade: Prosveta, 1984). Also translated into French, Russian, Greek, Korean, Danish, Dutch, Romanian, Czech, Hebrew, Swedish, and other languages.
Imaginative hypertext novel presenting the religious disputations in the Khazar king's court through Islamic, Christian, and Jewish lenses. A Khazar envoy in the story has Khazarian history and topography tattooed on his body. Pavić's other inventions include a "Khazar jar", "Khazar dream-hunters", and "Khazar dictionaries". Main characters: Princess Ateh, Kaghan
, Mokadessa, Saint Cyril
, Farabi Ibn Kora, Rabbi Isaac Sangari, and others. The "Khazars" in this story bear little resemblance to the historical Khazars.
Series of short stories tracing the history of several families in a fictional Russian village. Some of the characters are Khazar Jews or their descendants. (One character is "Zhydovyn the Khazar".) Its novela "The River" covers the years 1066-1113 and deals among other things with the relationship between Khazars and Christian Russians.
A children's novel about Khazaria. The Ancient Storyteller of Kalim, Morocco
takes his avid listeners on an exciting journey back in time to the powerful Jewish Khazar kingdom. Many of Khazaria's tales live on in the memories of storytellers like Old Machlouf of Kalim. As the story unfolds, young Prince Cusar and his clever friend Issac join a Khazarian expedition to the frontiers of the kingdom, with quite unexpected results. Revich provides a delightful and colorful tale, full of heroes and villains, and clever youths whose courage and resourcefulness save the day.
) (New York: Tor Books, 1998).
First-person account of Byzantine Emperor Justinian II
and his bodyguard, Myakes, including their exile in Cherson and their dealings with Khazar Khagan
Busir Glavan.
Collection of stories translated from Romanian, including a story about the Khazars. *Khazary by Mikhail Alshevskii (Moscow: TERRA, 1999). Historical fiction about Khazars in Russian.
A tale set in Khazaria's twilight years; follows the career of a Khazar prince sent to study in Spain who has to return to claim his father's throne. Over the next several years he is forced to flee Khazaria and wander throughout the Middle East, attempting to marshall support for his triumphant return.
(New Milford, Connecticut, USA and London: The Toby Press, October 2003; translation by Michael Bernard). Originally published in French as Le Vent des Khazars (Paris: Editions Robert Laffont, April 2001). Also translated into Spanish, German, Catalan, Portuguese, Italian, and Turkish.
Marc Sofer, a 20th century novelist, investigates Khazarian history and ends up in Azerbaijan. In the 10th century, a young Jew named Isaac is sent to Khazaria by the head rabbi of Cordoba. Halter's novel not only involves two very different time periods but also mingles many genres including historical fiction, contemporary thriller, and love story.
A Turkish tale about descendants of Jewish Khazars in the Ottoman Empire
who wish to revive their language and identity.
This novel was serialized in the New York Times Magazine over the course of early 2007, and was published in book form by Del Rey Books
in October 2007. Set in the 10th century, two Jewish mercenaries hear of, and travel to, Khazaria.
Set in the 10th century, these novel focuses on a felag
of oathsworn Varangians
searching for the treasure of Attila the Hun
in the Pontic steppe. Along the way the protagonists fight alongside the army of Sviatoslav I of Kiev
at the battle of Sarkel
. In the third novel, they are joined in their quest by a pair of Khazar Jews.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
relating to the Khazar people. Such fiction can be used to extend current knowledge of the Kharas whose history is not well documented. Historians have only been able to piece together an incomplete picture of Khazar society and chronology of its history.
Conversion to Judaism
Their allure as the most famous group of mass proselytesReligious conversion
Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...
to Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
has resulted in many works of speculative fiction dealing with the Khazars, their dealings with other nations, their society and their religion.
Discussion Group
A discussion group was created in February 2001 for people interested in reading, reviewing and/or writing fictional works related to the Khazars. Over time this group has developed into one which discusses a broad range of historical issues related to the Khazars, medieval Jewry, issues of Jewish identityJewish identity
Jewish identity is the objective or subjective state of perceiving oneself as a Jew and as relating to being Jewish. Under the broader definition, the Jewish identity does not depend on whether or not a person is regarded as a Jew by others, or by an external set of religious, or legal, or...
; Eurasian and East Slavic studies. Many of its members have written works of fiction set in or concerning Khazaria. Participants have included Kevin Alan Brook, Robert Low
Robert Low
Robert Low is a Scottish journalist and writer of historical fiction. His Oathsworn series of novels are set in the Viking Age.-Biography:...
(author of the Oathsworn series) and journalist Ehud Yaari
Ehud Yaari
Ehud Ya'ari is an Israeli journalist, author, television personality and political commentator.-Biography:Ehud Ya'ari was born in 1945. He was married to Hava Ya'ari. They divorced after she was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder....
.
The Khazar Correspondence, the Schechter Letter & the Mandgelis Document
Some historian have taken the view that the Khazar CorrespondenceKhazar Correspondence
The Khazar Correspondence was an exchange of letters in the 950s or 960s between Hasdai ibn Shaprut, foreign secretary to the Caliph of Cordoba, and Joseph, Khagan of the Khazars. It is one of the few documents known to have been authored by a Khazar, and one of the very few primary sources on...
, the Schechter Letter
Schechter Letter
The "Schechter Letter" was discovered in the Cairo Geniza by Solomon Schechter.-The Letter:The Schechter Letter is a communique from an unnamed Khazar author to an unidentified Jewish dignitary...
, and the Mandgelis Document
Mandgelis Document
The Mandgelis Document or Mandgelis Letter was a letter in Hebrew dated AM 4746 . It refers to "our lord David, the Khazar prince" who lived in Taman. The letter said that this David was visited by envoys from Kievan Rus to ask about religious matters...
are works of fiction or forgeries. While the Mandgelis Document's authenticity is unknown (see that article for information on the controversy), the consensus among scholars is that both the Khazar Correspondence and the Schechter Letter are authentic tenth-century documents relaying what the authors understood to be Khazar history.
The Kuzari: In Defense of the Despised Faith AD 1140
The first known work giving a fictional description of the Khazars, and in many ways still the most important and influential of them, is The Kuzari: In Defense of the Despised Faith by Yehuda HaleviYehuda Halevi
Judah Halevi was a Spanish Jewish physician, poet and philosopher. He was born in Spain, either in Toledo or Tudela, in 1075 or 1086, and died shortly after arriving in Palestine in 1141...
(1140). Many translations into English, French, German, and other languages, including the English translation by Rabbi N. Daniel Korobkin (Northvale, New Jersey: Jason Aronson
Jason Aronson
Jason Aronson is an American publisher of books in the field of psychotherapy. Topics dealt with in these books include child therapy, family therapy, couple therapy, object relations therapy, play therapy, depression, eating disorders, personality disorders, substance abuse, sexual abuse, stress,...
, 1998). A Khazar king debates religion with a Neo-Platonic philosopher, a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
, a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, and a Jewish rabbi, and chooses Judaism. Originally written in Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
. There has been speculation that Yehuda Ha-Levi based the Kuzari on surviving Jewish accounts, no longer extant, of the Khazar conversion, or at least on conversations with Khazars living in Spain. This is supported by Abraham ibn Daud
Abraham ibn Daud
Abraham ibn Daud was a Spanish-Jewish astronomer, historian, and philosopher; born at Toledo, Spain about 1110; died, according to common report, a martyr about 1180. He is sometimes known by the abbreviation Rabad I or Ravad I. His mother belonged to a family famed for its learning...
's statement (see above) that Khazar students were studying at Spanish yeshivot
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
during the 12th century. Whatever the actual historical information at Yehuda Halevi
Yehuda Halevi
Judah Halevi was a Spanish Jewish physician, poet and philosopher. He was born in Spain, either in Toledo or Tudela, in 1075 or 1086, and died shortly after arriving in Palestine in 1141...
's disposal, the writer's main aim was to use the Khazar's king's penetrating questions as to the principles of Judaism and the Rabbi's cogent answers in order to compose a comprehensive description of his religion and rebut the arguments of Christians and Muslims against it. As such, the book became – and remains – a major textbook for Jewish scholars up to the present. Its lasting widespread circulation helped set in the Jewish collective memory the fact of the Khazars having converted, which might otherwise have been lost in oblivion.
Povest’ o tsare Kazarine i o gene ego 15th century
Povest’ o tsare Kazarine i o gene ego (The Tale of king Khazar and his wife) is the 15th-century Russian story of Byzantine Emperor Justinian IIJustinian II
Justinian II , surnamed the Rhinotmetos or Rhinotmetus , was the last Byzantine Emperor of the Heraclian Dynasty, reigning from 685 to 695 and again from 705 to 711...
.
Ma'aseh Hashem 18th century
An apocryphal account in the 18th century Yiddish book Ma'aseh Hashem claimed that Abraham ibn EzraAbraham ibn Ezra
Rabbi Abraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra was born at Tudela, Navarre in 1089, and died c. 1167, apparently in Calahorra....
traveled to Khazaria, where he married the daughter of Judah ha-Levi. While other sources do report the marriage of ibn Ezra and ha-Levi's daughter, no other source contains the Khazar connection; moreover, the notion that ibn Ezra was ha-Levi's son-in-law is dismissed by most modern scholars as a later invention.
Die Geheimnisse der Juden 1856
"The Letter" in Die Geheimnisse der Juden (The Mysteries of the Jews) by Herman Rakendorff (Reckendorf) (Leipzig, 1856–1857).A German story about contacts between Hasdai ibn Shaprut and the Khazars. Abraham Kaplan's Hebrew translation of the collection, Mistere ha-Yehudim, published in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
in 1865.
Shnei ha-Mikhtavim
Shnei ha-Mikhtavim (The Two Letters), in Shivat Tsiyon: al pi Zikhronot le-Vet David by Abraham Shalom Friedberg (Warsaw: Ahiasaf, 1893–1895; reprint: New York: Hotsaat La-dor shele-yad Vaad ha-hinukh ha-Yehudi bi-Nyu York, 1968).A short story in which a descendant of King David
David
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
is sent by Hasdai ibn Shaprut to Khazaria and is a witness to the Rus' destruction of Khazaria. This is an adaptation of Reckendorf's Geheimnisse der Juden. Also translated into Arabic and Persian.
Im Judenstaat der Chasaren: historischer Roman aus dem achten Jahrhundert 1920
Im Judenstaat der Chasaren: historischer Roman aus dem achten Jahrhundert (In the Jewish Kingdom of the Khazars) by Selig Schachnowitz (Frankfurt am Main: Verlag des "Israelit", 1920). Samuel Leib Zitron's Hebrew translation Be-mamlekhet Kuzar ha-Yehudit published in 1922 or 1923 by Hotsaat "Omanut", Frankfurt am Main; reprinted by Jerusalem: Hosa'at "Ne`urim", 1980. Zalmon Rayzen's Yiddish translation In der medine fun di Kuzarim: Yidisher historisher roman fun dem akhtn yorhundert (In the Kingdom of the Khazars) published in 1924 by B. Kletskin, Vilnius, Lithuania. Yidisher historisher roman fun dem akhtn yorhundert.A Jew visits Khazaria and witnesses its destruction.
The Lost Kingdom, or the Passing of the Khazars 1926
The Lost Kingdom, or the Passing of the Khazars by Samuel GordonSamuel Gordon
Samuel Gordon may refer to:*Samuel Y. Gordon, lieutenant governor of Minnesota*Samuel Gordon , US representative from New York...
(London: Shapiro, Vallentine, 1926).
A novel about the destruction of Khazaria by the Rus'.
The Jewish Kingdom of Khazar
The Jewish Kingdom of Khazar: The Rise and Fall of the Legendary Country of Converts by Rabbi Zelig Shachnowitz, Frankfurt-On-The-Main, 1928.Currently reprinted by Feldheim Publishers.
A fact based novel about the history of Khazaria.
Das Volk des harten Schlafs: Roman 1937
- Das Volk des harten Schlafs: Roman (Sleeping Nation a.k.a. A Nation Veiled in Slumber) by Oskar BaumOskar BaumOskar Baum was a Czech music educator and writer.He became blind at the age of 11.- External links :* http://www.aktion-patenschaften.de/autoren/b02.htm...
(Vienna: Löwit, 1937). Hebrew translation Am Nesuch Tardema published in 1949.
A novel about the Khazars and their time. Baum portrays the Khazars as tolerant and civilized.
Ha-Kuzar Ha'acharon 1940
Ha-Kuzar Ha'acharon (The Last Khazar) by Saul Tshernichovsky (1940).A beautiful and moving Hebrew ballad about the fate of the last Khazar king after his defeat by the Rus' army of Svyatoslav. Only one Khazar remains free, and he is wounded and tired. He encounters several animals that are willing to fight a larger, stronger enemy. With courage and determination, the Khazar decides to turn his horse around and charge at the Rus'. The theme clearly reflects the desperate plight of European Jews at the time of writing, with Nazi persecutions building up towards the actual extermination.
Lost Nation 1940
Lost Nation by Noah E. Aronstam (Detroit: Duo-art Press, 1937; New York: Behrman's Jewish Book House, 1940).A Jew, Emanuel Lindner, discovers a lost African Jewish community that descends from Khazars. The book blends fiction with real historical events. Many of the circumstances and cultural observations on the Khazars are not authentic. However, the author has a sympathetic view of the Khazars and presents the stories of King Bulan's conversion by Yitzhak ha-Sangari, King Obadiah's Jewish renaissance, and Svyatoslav's conquest of Sarkel in a mostly truthful manner.
Hisday Ben Shaprut 1952
Hisday Ben Shaprut by Jacob Weinshall (Ya`akov Vinshal), in his collection of stories `Anakim ba-midbar (Giants in the Desert) (Tel Aviv, Israel: Hotsa'at sefarim Shelah, 1952). A story about Hasdai's attempts to contact the Khazar king.Di Kuzarim: historisher roman 1960
Di Kuzarim: historisher roman by Shloyme Rosenberg (Buenos Aires, Argentina: Yidbukh, 1960).Dictionary of the Khazars 1988
Dictionary of the KhazarsDictionary of the Khazars
Dictionary of the Khazars: A Lexicon Novel is the first novel by Serbian writer Milorad Pavić, published in 1984. Originally written in Serbian, the novel has been translated into many languages...
by Milorad Pavić
Milorad Pavic (writer)
Milorad Pavić was a Serbian poet, prose writer, translator, and literary historian. He was also a candidate for Nobel Prize in Literature....
(New York: Knopf, November 1988). Originally published in Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
as Hazarski Rečnik: roman leksikon u 100,000 reči (Belgrade: Prosveta, 1984). Also translated into French, Russian, Greek, Korean, Danish, Dutch, Romanian, Czech, Hebrew, Swedish, and other languages.
Imaginative hypertext novel presenting the religious disputations in the Khazar king's court through Islamic, Christian, and Jewish lenses. A Khazar envoy in the story has Khazarian history and topography tattooed on his body. Pavić's other inventions include a "Khazar jar", "Khazar dream-hunters", and "Khazar dictionaries". Main characters: Princess Ateh, Kaghan
Kaghan
Kaghan is a small town and union council of the Balakot Tehsil, in Mansehra District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It has a reputation as a place of great natural beauty....
, Mokadessa, Saint Cyril
Saints Cyril and Methodius
Saints Cyril and Methodius were two Byzantine Greek brothers born in Thessaloniki in the 9th century. They became missionaries of Christianity among the Slavic peoples of Bulgaria, Great Moravia and Pannonia. Through their work they influenced the cultural development of all Slavs, for which they...
, Farabi Ibn Kora, Rabbi Isaac Sangari, and others. The "Khazars" in this story bear little resemblance to the historical Khazars.
Chernye Strely Vyaticha 1989
Chernye Strely Vyaticha by Vadim Viktorovich Kargalov - the 4th section of his book Istoricheskie povesti (Moscow: Det. lit., 1989). Story about Rus'-Khazar relations in the 10th century, including conflicts with Svyatoslav's soldiers in the Volga and at Sarkel, with some imaginary dialogs. Part 8 of the story, "Itil' - Zhestokiy gorod", gives basic and somewhat distorted overview of Khazaria, describing Atil, the kagan, and the Khazar way of life.Russka: The Novel of Russia 1991
- Russka: The Novel of Russia by Edward RutherfurdEdward RutherfurdEdward Rutherfurd is a pen name for Francis Edward Wintle known primarily as a writer of epic historical novels...
(New York: Ivy Books, 1991).
Series of short stories tracing the history of several families in a fictional Russian village. Some of the characters are Khazar Jews or their descendants. (One character is "Zhydovyn the Khazar".) Its novela "The River" covers the years 1066-1113 and deals among other things with the relationship between Khazars and Christian Russians.
The Prince and the Scholar 1992
- The Prince and the Scholar by S. J. RevichS. J. RevichStanley Joseph Revich is a Canadian author. He writes under the name, S. J. Revich.Revich was born in Toronto, Ontario to immigrants to Canada from Eastern Europe. He attended Harbord Collegiate Institute, and studied medicine at the University of Toronto where he graduated in 1956 with an M.D...
(Princeton, New Jersey, USA: Bristol, Rhein, and Englander, June 1992).
A children's novel about Khazaria. The Ancient Storyteller of Kalim, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
takes his avid listeners on an exciting journey back in time to the powerful Jewish Khazar kingdom. Many of Khazaria's tales live on in the memories of storytellers like Old Machlouf of Kalim. As the story unfolds, young Prince Cusar and his clever friend Issac join a Khazarian expedition to the frontiers of the kingdom, with quite unexpected results. Revich provides a delightful and colorful tale, full of heroes and villains, and clever youths whose courage and resourcefulness save the day.
Khazary 1995
Khazary by Aleksandr Baigushev (Moscow: Izdatelskii dom "Drofa": Izd-vo "Lirus", 1995). Historical fiction about Khazars and Kievan Rus in Russian.Nashestvie khazar: istoricheskii roman v dvukh knigakh 1996
Nashestvie khazar: istoricheskii roman v dvukh knigakh by Vladimir Afinogenov (Moscow: Gepta-Treid, 1996). A novel in 2 volumes.Makom katan im Debi 1996
Makom katan im Debi (A Little Place with Debi) by Meir Uziel (Ouziel) (Tel Aviv, Israel: Modan, 1996). Humorous, anachronistic novel that explores parallels between Khazaria and modern Israel.Justinian 1998
Justinian by H.N. Turteltaub (Harry TurtledoveHarry Turtledove
Harry Norman Turtledove is an American novelist, who has produced works in several genres including alternate history, historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction.- Life :...
) (New York: Tor Books, 1998).
First-person account of Byzantine Emperor Justinian II
Justinian II
Justinian II , surnamed the Rhinotmetos or Rhinotmetus , was the last Byzantine Emperor of the Heraclian Dynasty, reigning from 685 to 695 and again from 705 to 711...
and his bodyguard, Myakes, including their exile in Cherson and their dealings with Khazar Khagan
Khagan
Khagan or qagan , alternatively spelled kagan, khaghan, qaghan, or chagan, is a title of imperial rank in the Mongolian and Turkic languages equal to the status of emperor and someone who rules a khaganate...
Busir Glavan.
El ha-Rakia ha-Shevii 1998
El ha-Rakia ha-Shevii (Into the Seventh Sky) by Hary Bar-Shalom (Jerusalem: Masadah, 1998). Story begins in Khazaria and ends in the far future and deals among other things with the search for the last Khazar king's treasures.Ha-Meruts 1999
- Ha-Meruts (The Race) by Hary Bar-Shalom (Tel Aviv, Israel: Hitahdut agudot ha-sofrim bi-medinat Yisrael, be-shituf im Masadah, 1999).
Collection of stories translated from Romanian, including a story about the Khazars. *Khazary by Mikhail Alshevskii (Moscow: TERRA, 1999). Historical fiction about Khazars in Russian.
The Rabbi King 2001
- The Rabbi King by Monroe S. Kuttner (Xlibris, 2001).
A tale set in Khazaria's twilight years; follows the career of a Khazar prince sent to study in Spain who has to return to claim his father's throne. Over the next several years he is forced to flee Khazaria and wander throughout the Middle East, attempting to marshall support for his triumphant return.
The Wind of the Khazars 2003
The Wind of the Khazars by Marek HalterMarek Halter
Marek Halter is a French-Jewish novelist. He was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1936. During World War II, he and his parents escaped from the Warsaw Ghetto and fled to the Soviet Union, spending the remainder of the war in Ukraine, Moscow and later in Kokand, Uzbekistan...
(New Milford, Connecticut, USA and London: The Toby Press, October 2003; translation by Michael Bernard). Originally published in French as Le Vent des Khazars (Paris: Editions Robert Laffont, April 2001). Also translated into Spanish, German, Catalan, Portuguese, Italian, and Turkish.
Marc Sofer, a 20th century novelist, investigates Khazarian history and ends up in Azerbaijan. In the 10th century, a young Jew named Isaac is sent to Khazaria by the head rabbi of Cordoba. Halter's novel not only involves two very different time periods but also mingles many genres including historical fiction, contemporary thriller, and love story.
Son Hazaryalı 2004
- Son Hazaryalı by Cahit Ülkü (İstanbul: İnkılap Kitabevi, 2004).
A Turkish tale about descendants of Jewish Khazars in the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
who wish to revive their language and identity.
Gentlemen of the Road 2007
- Gentlemen of the RoadGentlemen of the RoadGentlemen of the Road is a 2007 serial novel by American author Michael Chabon. It is a "swashbuckling adventure" set in the kaganate of Khazaria around AD 950...
by Michael ChabonMichael ChabonMichael Chabon born May 24, 1963) is an American author and "one of the most celebrated writers of his generation", according to The Virginia Quarterly Review....
.
This novel was serialized in the New York Times Magazine over the course of early 2007, and was published in book form by Del Rey Books
Del Rey Books
Del Rey Books is a branch of Ballantine Books, which is owned by Random House and, in turn since 1998, by Bertelsmann AG. It is a separate imprint established in 1977 under the editorship of author Lester del Rey and his wife Judy-Lynn del Rey. It specializes in science fiction and fantasy...
in October 2007. Set in the 10th century, two Jewish mercenaries hear of, and travel to, Khazaria.
The Oathsworn Trilogy by Robert Low
- The Whale RoadThe Whale RoadThe Whale Road is the first novel of the four-part Oathsworn series by Scottish writer of historical fiction, Robert Low, released on 1st August 2007 through Harper. The début novel was well received.-Plot:...
(2007) - The Wolf SeaThe Wolf SeaThe Wolf Sea is the second novel of the four-part Oathsworn series by Scottish writer of historical fiction, Robert Low, released on 4th August 2008 through Harper. The novel was relatively well received.-Plot:...
(2008) - The White RavenThe White RavenThe White Raven is a 1998 action crime thriller starring Ron Silver, Joanna Pacuła and Roy Scheider. Directed by Jakub Z. Rucinski and Andrew Stevens, the film is based on the novel of the same name by Michael Blodgett....
(2009)
Set in the 10th century, these novel focuses on a felag
Félag
Félag was a joint financial venture between partners in Viking Age society.-Etymology:The word félag is constructed by the word fé and a verbal base denoting "lay", the meaning being "to lay property together."The Old Norse word félagi "companion, comrade" originally meaning "one who has félag...
of oathsworn Varangians
Varangians
The Varangians or Varyags , sometimes referred to as Variagians, were people from the Baltic region, most often associated with Vikings, who from the 9th to 11th centuries ventured eastwards and southwards along the rivers of Eastern Europe, through what is now Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.According...
searching for the treasure of Attila the Hun
Attila the Hun
Attila , more frequently referred to as Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in 453. He was leader of the Hunnic Empire, which stretched from the Ural River to the Rhine River and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea. During his reign he was one of the most feared...
in the Pontic steppe. Along the way the protagonists fight alongside the army of Sviatoslav I of Kiev
Sviatoslav I of Kiev
Sviatoslav I Igorevich ; , also spelled Svyatoslav, was a prince of Rus...
at the battle of Sarkel
Sarkel
Sarkel was a large limestone-and-brick fortress built by the Khazars with Byzantine assistance in the 830s. It was named white-house because of the white limestone bricks they have used to build Sarkel...
. In the third novel, they are joined in their quest by a pair of Khazar Jews.