The Theology of Repentance in Abraham Bar Hiyya's Exegesis on the Book of Jonah

In Sefer Hegyon ha-Nefesh (Meditation of the Sad Soul), Abraham Bar Hiyya (ca. 1065-ca. 1140) addresses the problem of redemption of sinners through contrition and repentance, mostly based on his exegesis of the book of Jonah. According to him, this book reflects three categories of repentants: the completely righteous, the not-completely righteous and the wicked. The first category is represented by the prophet himself; the second by the sailors, who were saved from punishment by their prayers and repentance; and the third by the people of Nineveh, who repented so that the evil decree on them was cancelled. This article studies how Bar Hiyya constructs a theology of repentance based on his exegesis of Jonah, as well as comparing his ideas with those his contemporary Bahya ibn Paquda and considering the influence of Jewish and Muslim sources on Bar Hiyya.