The 16th-century code of Jewish law known as the Shulhan Arukh states that on the Sabbath one should not read “profane belles lettres or fables” such as the “book of Immanuel.” Indeed, it adds, one should not read such a book even during the weekdays, since it contains frivolity and divrey ḥeshek, apparently a reference to erotic content.
The proscribed book was the Maḥb’rot Immanuel, or “Compositions of Immanuel,” a collection of Hebrew poetry and rhymed prose by a 14th-century Roman Jew. It includes the earliest known sonnets written in a language other than Italian, and a long poem—clearly modeled on Dante’s Divine Comedy—in which the prophet Daniel gives the author a tour of the afterlife. In addition, Immanuel of Rome wrote biblical commentaries that earned praise from such mainstream figures as the great Jerusalemite rabbi Hayyim Jospeh David Azulay (a/k/a the Hida). Dana Fishkin discusses this remarkable and controversial figure, his biography, and his philosophic and literary agendas with Nachi Weinstein. (Audio 90 minutes.)
Read more on Seforim Chatter: https://seforimchatter.com/2023/10/22/with-prof-dana-fishkin-discussing-immanuel-of-rome-14th-century-and-his-works/