Isaac Israeli ben Solomon

Isaac Israeli ben Solomon was one of the foremost Jewish physicians and philosophers living in the Arab world of his time. He is regarded as the father of medieval Jewish Neoplatonism. His works, all written in Arabic and subsequently translated into Hebrew, Latin and Spanish, entered the medical curriculum of the early thirteenth-century universities in Medieval Europe and remained popular throughout the Middle Ages. He was born in Egypt into a Jewish family and gained a reputation as a skillful oculist. He corresponded with Saadia Gaon, one of the most influential figures in medieval Judaism, prior to his departure from Egypt. In about 904 he was nominated court physician to the last Aghlabid prince, Ziyadat Allah III. Between the years 905-907 he travelled to Kairouan where he studied general medicine under Ishak ibn Amran al-Baghdadi. Later he served as a doctor to the founder of the Fatimid Dynasty of North Africa, Ubaid Allah al-Mahdi, who reigned from 910-934. The caliph enjoyed the company of his Jewish physician on account of the latter’s wit and of the repartees in which he succeeded in confounding the Greek al-Hubaish when pitted against him. Israeli wrote eight medical works in Arabic at the request of the caliph, which covered topics such as fevers, urine, pharmacology, ophthalmology, and ailments and treatments. He also wrote on logic and psychology, showing particular insight in the field of perception. Of his philosophical writings, The Book of Definitions is best known. It presents 56 definitions of various concepts, such as wisdom, intellect, soul, nature, reason, love, locomotion, and time. He also wrote Treatise on Spirit and Soul, which was probably part of a larger exegetical effort, and Book of Substances, which deals with metaphysical issues. He was influenced by the Neoplatonic tradition, especially by Plotinus and Proclus, and tried to harmonize it with the Jewish faith. He also drew on the works of Aristotle, Galen, and other Greek philosophers and physicians. He had many followers and admirers among both Jews and Muslims, and his writings were translated and commented on by several scholars, such as Ibn al-Jazzar, Solomon ibn Gabirol, Maimonides, and Albertus Magnus. He died in Kairouan around 932, leaving behind a legacy of original and influential thought.