Before Maimonides

A recently discovered Hebrew dialogue, most likely written in Iberia, affords a concise and lively glimpse of the state of philosophy and science before the great achievement of Moses Maimonides. The text is edited, translated, and analysed from the perspectives of historical and philosophical contexts as well as linguistic innovation.

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All can agree that the achievement of Moses Maimonides (d. 1204) set the standard for subsequent works of “Jewish philosophy”. But just what were the contours of philosophical-scientific inquiry that Maimonides replaced? A fairly large array of diverse texts have been studied, but no comprehensive picture has yet emerged. The newly discovered Hebrew dialogue published here has points of contact of various depth with most of the major works of pre-Maimonidean thought. It shares as well influences from without, especially from the Islamic kalam. The dialogue thus presents, in an engaging literary form, a clear and detailed snapshot of pre-Maimonidean philosophy and science.