Editing Khazars (section)

== In literature ==
The ''[[Kuzari]]'' is an influential work written by the medieval [[Spain|Spanish]] [[Jew]]ish philosopher and poet Rabbi [[Yehuda Halevi]] (c. 1075–1141). Divided into five essays (''ma'amarim''), it takes the form of a fictional dialogue between the pagan king of the Khazars and a [[Jew]] who was invited to instruct him in the tenets of the [[Judaism|Jewish religion]]. The intent of the work, although based on Ḥasdai ibn Shaprūṭ's correspondence with the Khazar king, was not historical, but rather to defend Judaism as a revealed religion, written in the context, firstly of Karaite challenges to the Spanish rabbinical intelligentsia, and then against temptations to adapt [[Aristotelianism]] and Islamic philosophy to the Jewish faith.{{sfn|Lobel|2000|pp=2–4}} Originally written in [[Arabic language|Arabic]], it was translated into Hebrew by [[Judah ibn Tibbon]].{{sfn|Melamed|2003|pp=24–26}}

[[Benjamin Disraeli]]'s early novel ''Alroy'' (1833) draws on Menachem ben Solomon's story.{{sfn|Baron|1957|p=204}} The question of mass religious conversion and the indeterminability of the truth of stories about identity and conversion are central themes of [[Milorad Pavić (writer)|Milorad Pavić]]'s best-selling mystery story ''[[Dictionary of the Khazars]]''.{{sfn|Wachtel|1998|pp=210–215}}

[[H.N. Turteltaub]]'s ''Justinian'', [[Marek Halter]]'s ''Book of Abraham'' and ''Wind of the Khazars'', and [[Michael Chabon]]'s ''[[Gentlemen of the Road]]'' allude to or feature elements of Khazar history or create fictional Khazar characters.{{sfn|Cokal|2007}}