Benjamin ben Zerah

Benjamin ben Zerah was a payyetan (Jewish liturgical poet) who lived in southeastern Europe in the middle of the eleventh century. He is called by the later payyetanim "the Great," and also "Ba'al Shem" (Master of the Name), on account of the numerous names of God and angels used by him in his piyyutim. He wrote 15 poems ("") for the Sabbaths preceding the feasts, and 40 selichot, published in the Machzor of the German rite.

It is doubtful whether certain liturgies containing "Benjamin" in acrostic are to be attributed to him or to his older contemporary, Benjamin ben Samuel.