Maimonides
Sephardic Jewish rabbi, philosopher, and physician of the Middle Ages
Moses ben Maimon, known widely as Maimonides or by the Hebrew acronym Rambam, was a Sephardic Jewish rabbi from Córdoba, born on Passover Eve in either 1135 or 1138. He is regarded as one of the most productive and influential Torah scholars of the Middle Ages. After the Almohad Caliphate took over the Almoravid dynasty in 1148, his family refused to convert to Islam and was forced into exile from Muslim-ruled Spain. Over the next twenty years, Maimonides lived in Fez, Acre, Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Cairo, eventually settling in Fustat between 1168 and 1171. During this time, he gained fame as an astronomer, philosopher, and physician, and was appointed personal doctor to Saladin, the ruler of the Ayyubid Sultanate.
His writings on Jewish law and ethics were praised by Jewish communities as far away as Iraq and Yemen. Although he became the leader of the Jewish community in Egypt, he also faced strong criticism, especially from Spain. Maimonides remained in Fustat until his death on December 12, 1204, and is believed to have been buried in Tiberias. His tomb there is an important site for Jewish pilgrims. Today, Maimonides is considered one of the foremost authorities on rabbinic law. His fourteen-volume work, the Mishneh Torah, remains a key source of Jewish legal authority, along with his thirteen principles of faith. Many historians see his era as the end of the Jewish Golden Age in Spain, due to the widespread persecution of his family and Sephardic Jews, though some argue it lasted until the Christian Reconquista ended in the 15th century.
Beyond Jewish history, Maimonides holds a significant place in Islamic science. Influenced by Aristotle, al-Farabi, ibn Sina, and his contemporary ibn Rushd, his work as a polymath contributed to the Islamic Golden Age and was highly respected across much of the Muslim world.
- born
- Passover Eve of 1135 or 1138, Córdoba
- died
- 12 December 1204, Fustat
- field
- Torah scholarship, astronomy, philosophy, medicine
- nationality
- Sephardic Jewish (originally from Muslim-ruled Spain)
- known_for
- Mishneh Torah, thirteen principles of faith, personal physician to Saladin
Lore & Background
Maimonides' Arabic name was Abū ʿImrān Mūsā bin Maimūn bin ʿUbaydallāh al-Qurṭubī, or oftentimes more simply, as Moses son of Maymun. His Hebrew name was Moses son of Rabbi Maimon the Spaniard. In Medieval Hebrew, he was usually called ר״ם (Ram), which is short for 'our Rabbi Moshe'; he is oftentimes referred to as רמב״ם (Rambam), which is short for 'our Rabbi, Moshe son of Maimon'. In Greek, the Hebrew ben ('son of') becomes the patronymic suffix -ίδης (-ides), forming Μωυσής Μαϊμωνίδης 'Mōusēs Maimōnidēs'. He is sometimes known as 'The Great Eagle' (Hebrew: הנשר הגדול).
Reader's Guide
Maimonides was born 1138 (or 1135) in Córdoba in the Muslim-ruled Almoravid dynasty, at the end of the Golden Age of Jewish culture in Spain after the first centuries of Muslim rule. His father, Maimon ben Joseph, was a dayyan or rabbinic judge. Maimonides studied Torah under his father, who had in turn studied under Joseph ibn Migash, a student of Isaac Alfasi. At an early age, Maimonides developed an interest in contemporary science and philosophy. He read ancient Greek philosophy accessible via Arabic translations and was deeply immersed in the sciences and learning of Islamic culture. A Berber dynasty, the Almohads, conquered Córdoba in 1148 and abolished dhimmi status in some territories. The loss of this status forced Jewish and Christian communities to choose between conversion to Islam, martyrdom, or exile. Many Jews were forced to convert, but due to suspicion by the authorities of fake conversions, the new converts had to wear identifying clothing that set them apart and made them subject to public scrutiny. Maimonides' family, along with many other Jews, chose exile. For the next ten years, Maimonides moved about in southern Spain and North Africa, eventually settling in Fas. Some say that his teacher in Fez was Yehuda Ha-Cohen Ibn Susan, until the latter was killed in 1165. During this time, he composed his acclaimed commentary on the Mishnah during 1166–1168. Following this sojourn in Morocco, he lived in Acre with his father and brother, arriving on May 16, 1165. They lived there for five months. In October, he visited Jerusalem, where he prayed at the Temple Mount. He wrote that this day of visiting the Temple Mount was a day of holiness for him and his descendants. He then visited the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. He and his family settled in Fustat in Fatimid Caliphate-controlled Egypt by 1168. There is mention that Maimonides first settled in Alexandria, and moved to Fustat only in 1171. While in Cairo, he studied in a yeshiva attached to a small synagogue, which now bears his name. Maimonides was soon instrumental in helping rescue Jews taken captive during the Christian Amalric of Jerusalem's siege of the southeastern Nile Delta town of Bilbeis. He sent five letters to the Jewish communities of Lower Egypt asking them to pool money together to pay the ransom. The money was collected and then given to two judges sent to the Kingdom of
Did You Know?
- Maimonides was born on Passover Eve of either 1135 or 1138.
- He was appointed personal physician to Saladin of the Ayyubid Sultanate.
- His family chose exile from Muslim-ruled Spain after the Almohad conquest in 1148 rather than convert to Islam.
- He is said to have been buried in Tiberias, where his tomb is a Jewish pilgrimage site.
Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)
"[…] one should accept the truth from whatever source it proceeds." — Maimonides "Foreword to The Eight Chapters Of Maimonides On Ethics, translated by Joseph I. Gorfinkle, Ph.D. Columbia University Press, New York (1912). Page 35-36." — Maimonides "Variant: You must accept the truth from whatever source it comes." — Maimonides "It is better and more satisfactory to acquit a thousand guilty persons than to put a single innocent one to death." — Maimonides
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