Mishnat ha-Middot
Encyclopedia
The Mishnat ha-Middot is considered the earliest known Hebrew treatise on geometry. The treatise was discovered in the Munich Library by Moritz Steinschneider
, who dated it between 800 and 1200 C.E. Hermann Schapira argued the treatise dates from an earlier period and Solomon Gandz
conjectured Rabbi Nehemiah
(c. 150 C.E.) to be the author. The content resembles both the work of Hero of Alexandria
(c. 100 C.E.) and that of al-Khwārizmī (c. 800 C.E.) and the proponents of the earlier dating therefore see it linking Greek
and Islamic mathematics.
The Mishnat ha-Middot argues against the common belief that the Bible defines the geometric
ratio π (pi) as being exactly equal to 3 and defines it as 3 1/7 instead.
Moritz Steinschneider
Moritz Steinschneider was a Bohemian bibliographer and Orientalist. He received his early instruction in Hebrew from his father, Jacob Steinschneider , who was not only an expert Talmudist, but was also well versed in secular science...
, who dated it between 800 and 1200 C.E. Hermann Schapira argued the treatise dates from an earlier period and Solomon Gandz
Solomon Gandz
Solomon Gandz was a historian of science. Gandz published on the history of mathematics and astronomy in medieval Jewish and Islamic civilizations.-Works:...
conjectured Rabbi Nehemiah
Rabbi Nehemiah
Rabbi Nehemiah was an Israelite, circa AD 150 .He is attributed as the author of the Mishnat ha-Middot , making it the earliest known Hebrew text on geometry, although other historians assign to a later period by an unknown author...
(c. 150 C.E.) to be the author. The content resembles both the work of Hero of Alexandria
Hero of Alexandria
Hero of Alexandria was an ancient Greek mathematician and engineerEnc. Britannica 2007, "Heron of Alexandria" who was active in his native city of Alexandria, Roman Egypt...
(c. 100 C.E.) and that of al-Khwārizmī (c. 800 C.E.) and the proponents of the earlier dating therefore see it linking Greek
Greek mathematics
Greek mathematics, as that term is used in this article, is the mathematics written in Greek, developed from the 7th century BC to the 4th century AD around the Eastern shores of the Mediterranean. Greek mathematicians lived in cities spread over the entire Eastern Mediterranean, from Italy to...
and Islamic mathematics.
The Mishnat ha-Middot argues against the common belief that the Bible defines the geometric
Geometry
Geometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers ....
ratio π (pi) as being exactly equal to 3 and defines it as 3 1/7 instead.