:MESA inN I MI'N OBEID -ALLAH AL-KORTOBI ( 1135-1204). A great Jewish scholar and philoso pher. Ile was born at Cordova, March 30, 1135. Little is known of his early life. Ife received his first instruction from his father. himself a learned man, and later devoted himself to the study of Creek (Aristotelian) philosophy, the science of medicine, and theology. under the most distinguished Arabic masters of the time. When Alai al-Mumin, the Almohade ruler, captured Cordova in 1148 (see ALluottADEs), all Jews and Christians residing there were forced to embrace Islam or emigrate. Maimonides's family out wa•dly adopted the Mohammedan faith. or rather renounced the public profession of Judaism, but after a time, finding no sign of a change, re solved to emigrate. In 115!) they were at Fez, in 1165 at Acre, and thence by way of Jerusalem they proceeded to Cairo, where the father died. Maimonides's great knowledge of medicine soon gained him the position of physieian to Saladin, the Sultan of Egypt, and by virtue of his rabbinic learning in 1177 he became Rabbi of Cairo. He died December 13, 1204. Ilis body was carried to Tiberias and in course of time his tomb became a place of pilgrimage. Maimonides's importance for the religion and science of Judaism and his influence upon their development gained for him the title of a 'second Moses.' His activity ex tended over the range of Jewish studies—theology, exegesis, and philosophy. Imbued with the spirit of Greek speculation, and acquainted with the best of Arabic thought, he endeavored to ex plain the _Bible by the light of reason, and was the founder of it rational exegesis. When literal interpretation seemed to jar upon the feeling of reverential awe due to the Most High, he did not hesitate to substitute an allegorical inter pretation. The most striking feature of his philosophical system is the close similarity to that of Averrdes. It is a grand attempt to reconcile rabbinic Judaism with the prevailing Aristotelian system of thought, as modified by Arabic philosophers. Ile differs from Aristotle, however, in maintaining that creation by the divine will proceeded from nothing (creatio ex nihilo). He held to the freedom of the will, and condemned a life of asceticism, or dreamy al beit pious contemplation. Ile taught that the body as well as the soul should be developed and cared for, and hence the study of natural science and medicine is a matter of prime necessity. The soul, and the soul alone, is immortal, and the reward of virtue consists in its—strictly unbodily —bliss in a world to come; the punishment of vice is the 'loss of the soul.' Maimonides's first
important work was an Arabic commentary on the Mishna, called by him Sim/ ('Illumination') and finished in 1168. It was translated into Hebrew, and for more than five centuries has been deemed so essential a part of the Talmud itself that no edition of the latter is considered complete without it. This was followed by the 'Book of Precepts,' in Arabic, which is to be considered as an introduction to the gigantic work which followed in 1180, in Hebrew, under title Mishne Thorn ('Second Law'; also Called Pod ha-Khazaka, 'the Strong Hand'). is a minute and systematic presentation of the 'Jewish law as developed by the Talmud, and to it he devoted ten years of his life. The summit of his renown Maimonides attained in his Arabic Dalalat (Hebrew More Neb ukhini, 'Guide of the Perplexed'), a philosophical and rationalistic work on exegesis, finished c.1190, which led to a long and bitter contest be tween the orthodox and liberal in Judaism. His attempt to systematize the Talmudic precept also aroused opposition; and one result of it, unfore seen by himself, was to increase the punctilious ness in carrying out ceremonial observances. It was felt also that there was a lack of consistency between Maimonides the philosopher and Maimo aides the theologian, and it is indeed difficult to reconcile his rationalistic exegesis and his untram meled philosophical speculation with his attitude toward the minute ceremonies of rabbinic Juda ism. Maimonides's minor works include medical, mathematical, logical. and other treatises, legal decisions, theological disquisitions, etc. As early as the thirteenth century portions of his hooks in Latin translation were in use in European uni versities, and the Guide of the Perplexed was followed to a certain extent by Aibertus Magnus and Thomas Aquinas. There is an English trans lation of the Guide of the Pertdc.ccd by Fried lander 13 cols., London, 1865). The Arabic of the original with French translation was pub lished by Munk (Paris. 16564;6). Consult: Wfinsche and Winter, Dec judiscle' Litteratur, v(d. ii. (Trier. 1894) : Karpeles. G(sehichtu der judischen Litteratur (Berlin. 1886) : Gratz. His tory of the Jews. vol. iii. (Eng. trans.. Philadel phia. 1873) ; Guttmann. Das 1 ?rholtniss des Thomas con Aquino :um ..ludcnium (Gottingen, 1691) ; Bacher. Bibelexegese Moses Maimunis (Strassburg. 1897) ; Joel. Die R.-ligio»sphiloso !Air des Jose ben Maimun ( Breslau, 1859) ; Kaufmann, Gesehiehte der .Ittributenlehre (Gotha, 1877) ; Yellin and Abrahams, Malmo aides (Philadelphia, 1903. with bibliography, pp. 219-233).