MAIMONIDES (Moses ben Maimon)
- Era: 1135 - 1204
- Location: Spain, Egypt
- Categories: RELIGION, PHILOSOPHY
Moses ben Maimon (known as Rambam) was the leading figure of Medieval Judaism. Cordova born, the family fled to Morocco when he was 13, before moving to Palestine and then Cairo in 1165 where his medical expertise was put to the service of Saladin. He made a systematic collection of Jewish legal teachings, including the Mishnah which were published in Hebrew. Like most of his subsequent writings, his commentary on the Misnah was known as the Sayings of the Fathers and written in Arabic. To these he added the Thirteen Principles of Faith. his Book of Commandments, and his Guide to the Perplexed. He consistently sought to interpret the Jewish faith in terms which were rationally intelligible, and reconcilable with the thinking of Aristotle. Both his ethical teaching and theologian reflection were highly regarded by many Christians and Muslims as well as fellow Jews – but they were met with contention by many others,
Life
- The life and work of Maimonides from the Jewish Virtual Library
- Maimonides and his texts
- Entry on Maimonides from the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Writings