| |
|---|---|
 Purported portrait of Maimonides from which all modern portraits are derived, Thesaurus Antiquitatum Sacrarum c. 1744[1] | |
| Born | 30 March[2] or 6 April[3] 1135 Possibly born 28 March or 4 April[4] 1138 |
| Died | 12 December 1204 (66–69 years old) |
| Notable work | |
| Spouse | (1) daughter of Nathaniel Baruch (2) daughter of Mishael Halevi |
| Era | Medieval philosophy |
| Region | Middle Eastern philosophy |
| School | Aristotelianism |
| Language | Judeo-Arabic, Medieval Hebrew |
Main interests | Theology, Halakha, Astronomy, Medicine |
Notable ideas | Maimonides' rule, Golden mean, 13 principles of faith |
| Signature | |
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| Part of a series on the |
| Philosophy of religion |
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| Philosophy of religion article index |
Moses ben Maimon[a] (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (/maɪˈmɒnɪdiːz/ my-MON-ih-deez)[b] and also referred to by the Hebrew acronym Rambam (Hebrew: רמב״ם),[c] was a Sephardic rabbi and philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah scholars of the Middle Ages. In his time, he was also a preeminent astronomer and physician, serving as the personal physician of Saladin. He was born and lived in Córdoba in al-Andalus (now in Spain) within the Almoravid Empire on Passover eve 1138 or 1135,[d] until his family was expelled for refusing to convert to Islam.[9][10][11] Later, he lived in Morocco and Egypt and worked as a rabbi, physician and philosopher.
During his lifetime, most Jews greeted Maimonides' writings on Jewish law and ethics with acclaim and gratitude, even as far away as Iraq and Yemen. Yet, while Maimonides rose to become the revered head of the Jewish community in Egypt, his writings also had vociferous critics, particularly in Spain. He died in Fustat, Egypt, and, according to Jewish tradition, was buried in Tiberias. His tomb in Tiberias is a popular pilgrimage and tourist site.
He was posthumously acknowledged as one of the foremost rabbinic decisors and philosophers in Jewish history, and his copious work comprises a cornerstone of Jewish scholarship. His fourteen-volume Mishneh Torah still carries significant canonical authority as a codification of halakha.[12]
Aside from being revered by Jewish historians, Maimonides also figures very prominently in the history of Islamic and Arab sciences. Influenced by Aristotle, Al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, and his contemporary Ibn Rushd, he became a prominent philosopher and polymath in both the Jewish and Islamic worlds.
- ^ Schwartz Y (31 July 2011). "The Maimonides Portrait: An Appraisal of One of the World's Most Famous Pictures". Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal. 2 (3): e0052. doi:10.5041/RMMJ.10052. ISSN 2076-9172. PMC 3678793. PMID 23908810.
- ^ "Moses Maimonides | Biography, Philosophy, & Teachings". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
- ^ "Hebrew Date Converter – 14th of Nisan, 4895". Hebcal Jewish Calendar. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ "Hebrew Date Converter – 14th of Nisan, 4898". Hebcal Jewish Calendar. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ "H-Net". Archived from the original on 9 October 2007. Retrieved 6 May 2007.
- ^ Pessin S (Spring 2016). "The Influence of Islamic Thought on Maimonides". In Edward N. Zalta (ed.). The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford. Archived from the original on 9 December 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2007.
- ^ "Isaac Newton: "Judaic monotheist of the school of Maimonides"". Achgut.com. 19 June 2007. Archived from the original on 28 April 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
- ^ Commentary of the Mishnah, Maimonides (1967), s.v. Uktzin 3:12 (end)
- ^ Joel E. Kramer, "Moses Maimonides: An Intellectual Portrait", p. 47 note 1. In Kenneth Seeskin, ed. (September 2005). The Cambridge Companion to Maimonides. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-52578-7.
- ^ 1138 in Stroumsa, Maimonides in His World: Portrait of a Mediterranean Thinker, Princeton University Press, 2009, p. 8
- ^ Sherwin B. Nuland (2008), Maimonides, Random House LLC, p. 38
- ^ Marder M (11 November 2014). The Philosopher's Plant: An Intellectual Herbarium. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 97. ISBN 978-0-231-53813-8. Archived from the original on 17 July 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
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