AVEMPACE (Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Yahya, known as Ibn Baj ja or Ibn Sa`igh; i.e., son of the goldsmith, the name being corrupted by the Latins into Avempace, Avenpace or Aben Pace), the earliest and one of the most distinguished of the Arab philoso phers of Spain. Little is known of the details of his life. He was born probably at Saragossa towards the close of the 11th century. According to Ibn Khaqan, a contemporary writer, he became a student of the exact sciences, and was also a musician and a poet.
But he was a philosopher as well, and apparently a sceptic. He is said to have rejected the Koran, to have denied the return to God, and to have regarded death as the end of existence.
But even in that orthodox age, he became vizier to the amir of Murcia. Afterwards he went to Valencia, then to Saragossa. After the fall of Saragossa (II i 9) he went to Seville, then to Xativa, where he is said to have returned to Islam to save his life. Finally he retired to the Almoravid court at Fez, where he was poisoned in I 138. Ibn `Usaibi `a gives a list of 25 of his works, but few of these remain. He had a distinct influence upon Aver roes (see ARABIAN PHILOSOPHY).