University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons

Departmental Papers (History) Department of History

6-1994 Review of Gad Freudenthal (Ed.), Studies on Gersonides: A Fourteenth-Century Jewish Philosopher- Scientist David B. Ruderman University of Pennsylvania, [email protected]

Follow this and additional works at: http://repository.upenn.edu/history_papers Part of the History of Religion Commons, and the Jewish Studies Commons

Recommended Citation Ruderman, D. B. (1994). Review of Gad Freudenthal (Ed.), Studies on Gersonides: A Fourteenth-Century Jewish Philosopher-Scientist. Isis, 85 (2), 315-315. http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/356836

This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. http://repository.upenn.edu/history_papers/32 For more information, please contact [email protected]. Review of Gad Freudenthal (Ed.), Studies on Gersonides: A Fourteenth- Century Jewish Philosopher-Scientist

Abstract As is well known, anniversaries of the birth or death of important figures of the past often provide rich occasions for new and comprehensive scholarly assessments. The 700th nniva ersary of the birth of Gersonides (R. Levi ben Gershom [1288-1344]) was just such an occasion. Two international conferences devoted to the life and times of this Jewish philosopher, astronomer, and biblical exegete, held in France in 1988, produced two fine na thologies of original and useful essays by scholars already known for their work on Gersonides and by several others in related fields. The first, edited by Gilbert Dahan, is entitled Gersonide en son temps (peeters, 1991); the second is the volume under review.

Disciplines History | History of Religion | Jewish Studies

This review is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/history_papers/32 BOOK REVIEWS-ISIS, 85 : 2 (1994) 315 written duringduring the the reign reign of of Charlemagne Charlemagne inany in other scholarscholar toto thethe studystudy of of Gersonides Gersonides every detaildetail andand facilitating facilitating their their research research as a scientist, andand hehe appearsappears to to have have been been a a considerably. StollStoll has has made made a amajor major contri- contri- guiding forceforce inin conceivingconceiving this this collaborative collaborative bution toto thethe studystudy of of early early medieval, medieval, pre- pre- effort asas well.well. TheThe volumevolume begins begins with with his his Salemitan medicine. useful synthesissynthesis ofof manymany of of his his earlier earlier writ- writ- FRANCIS B. BRIEVART ings, emphasizingemphasizing Gersonides'Gersonides' originality originality as as a thinker andand inventor,inventor, alongalong with with his his bold bold commitment toto observationobservation in in challenging challenging the the views of the ancients. Jose Luis Mancha's Gad Freudenthal (Editor). Studies on Ger- study of the Latin translations of Gersonides' sonides: A Fourteenth-Century Jewish Phi- astronomy offers new information on the pos- losopher-Scientist. (Collection de Travaux de sible collaboration of Gersonides with his l'Academie Interationale d'Histoire des Sci- translator, the hermit friar Petrus of Alexan- ences, 36.) xxii + 422 pp., figs., table, app.,dria, revealing the possibilities of creative bibls., index. Leiden/New York: E. J. Brill, dialogue between Jews and Christians in 1992. Dfl 168, $96. fourteenth-century Provence. Tony Levy pro- vides an annotated French translation of two As is well known, anniversaries of the birth mathematical works of Gersonides. Herbert or death of important figures of the past oftenDavidson lucidly discusses Gersonides' un- provide rich occasions for new and compre- derstanding of the material and active intel- hensive scholarly assessments. The 700th lects an- within the context of earlier discussions niversary of the birth of Gersonides (R. ofLevi these critical notions in medieval philos- ben Gershom [1288-1344]) was just such ophy. an Y. Tzvi Langermann's treatment of occasion. Two international conferences de- Gersonides' views on magnetism and solar voted to the life and times of this Jewish phi-heat explains quite effectively the interrela- losopher, astronomer, and biblical exegete, tionship of Gersonides' philosophical, astro- held in France in 1988, produced two finelogical, and theological concerns. Gad Freu- anthologies of original and useful essays denthal by makes the connection between scholars already known for their work Gersonides' on science and theology even more Gersonides and by several others in related understandable in his important essay on the fields. The first, edited by Gilbert Dahan, thinker's is soteriology, epistemology, and as- entitled Gersonide en son temps (Peeters, tronomy. By elucidating Gersonides' reli- 1991); the second is the volume under re- gious need to understand the heavens, Freu- view. denthal enables his scientific "realism" and Studies on Gersonides focuses more on the his commitment to scientific progress to be scientific achievements of this versatile in- more easily grasped. tellectual and thus should be of greater inter- The volume, well edited and handsomely est to the readers of Isis, although both vol-produced, concludes with a most comprehen- umes are important and they complement each sive and usable bibliography of works by and other nicely. Gad Freudenthal divides his col-on Gersonides by Menachem Kellner, offer- lection into four sections: Gersonides' astron- ing an indispensable guide for all future re- omy, his work in mathematics, the relation search on medieval Jewish civilization and its of his scientific work to his philosophy and most original scientific thinker. theology, and two biobibliographical essays. DAVID B. RUDERMAN The essays are generally of high quality and offer several new insights for the study of Gersonides' scientific project. The only per- spective relatively lacking is that of the "ex- Helmut Birkhan. Die alchemistische Lehr- teral history" of Gersonides' science, the dichtung des Gratheus filius philosophi in Cod. social context of his intellectual world within Vind. 2372: Zugleich ein Beitrag zur okkul- both the Jewish and Christian cultures of Or- ten Wissenschaft im Spdtmittelalter. (Oester- ange and Avignon. (Several essays in the Da- reichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, han volume partially address this subject.) Philosophisch-historische Klasse, Sitzungs- Given my limited space, I will comment berichte, 591.) (Schriftenreihe der Kommis- briefly on only a small number of some of sion fur Altgermanistik.) Volume 1: Einlei- the best essays in the Freudenthal collection. tung-Untersuchungen-Kommentar. 494 Bernard Goldstein has contributed more than pp., bibl. Volume 2: Textedition-Uebersetz-

This content downloaded from 165.123.108.74 on Thu, 27 Jul 2017 13:36:20 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms