Shem-Tob ben Isaac of Tortosa
Encyclopedia
Shem-Ṭob ben Isaac of Tortosa (born at Tortosa
1196) was a Provençal rabbi and physician.
, he was reminded by its rabbi of his insufficient knowledge of the Jewish religion; and he left the city (1226), resolving to abandon commerce and to devote himself exclusively to rabbinical and scientific studies. He first studied at Barcelona
under Isaac ben Meshullam; then he devoted himself to medicine; and after twenty years' study he became a skilful physician. He lived afterward in Montpellier
, France, but chiefly at Marseilles, where he practised his profession.
' middle commentary on Aristotle's De Anima.
In the month of Elul
, 1254, at the age of fifty-eight, he began the translation into Hebrew of Al-Zahrawi's Kitab al-Taṣrif, a medical work in thirty books. He finished it at Marseilles in the month of Nisan
, 1258, entitling it Sefer ha-Shimmush. This translation is preceded by a long introduction, which forms a treatise in itself, and in which he deals with man as composed of four elements
, and with the relation between diseases and the four seasons of the year.
According to the superstitions of his time, he believed in the influence of the planets on man; and accordingly an entire treatise deals with astrology
.
His translation was undertaken with the view of spreading medical science among the Jews, so that they might not be dependent on Christian physicians (comp. 'Ab. Zarah ii.2). The translation is not literal; and in this Shem-Ṭob departed from the method of the earlier translators. As to the various names of diseases and medicaments, Shem-Ṭob employs all that he could find in the Bible
and in Talmudic literature. Others he explains in a glossary. He also gives directions to physicians on the treatment of patients and the preparation of medicaments.
In 1264 Shem-Ṭob translated into Hebrew Al-Razi
's Al-Manṣuri, a work in ten treatises which that author had dedicated to Al-Manṣur
.
Shem-Ṭob states that he also transliterated many Arabic medical works in Hebrew characters in order that Jews might be able to read them. According to De Castro (Biblioteca Española, i.231), Shem-Ṭob of Tortosa was the author also of the Pardes Rimmonim, which is generally attributed to Shem-Ṭob ben Isaac ibn Shaprut. De Castro concludes this from the date 1267, which is given in the Escorial manuscript of the work in question and which is a century earlier than the time of Shem-Ṭob ibn Shaprut.
Tortosa
-External links:* *** * * *...
1196) was a Provençal rabbi and physician.
Life
He engaged in commerce, and travelled. Once at AcreAcre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
, he was reminded by its rabbi of his insufficient knowledge of the Jewish religion; and he left the city (1226), resolving to abandon commerce and to devote himself exclusively to rabbinical and scientific studies. He first studied at Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
under Isaac ben Meshullam; then he devoted himself to medicine; and after twenty years' study he became a skilful physician. He lived afterward in Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
, France, but chiefly at Marseilles, where he practised his profession.
Translations
Shem-Ṭob's first work was his Hebrew translation, under the title of Bi'ur Sefer ha-Nefesh, of AverroesAverroes
' , better known just as Ibn Rushd , and in European literature as Averroes , was a Muslim polymath; a master of Aristotelian philosophy, Islamic philosophy, Islamic theology, Maliki law and jurisprudence, logic, psychology, politics, Arabic music theory, and the sciences of medicine, astronomy,...
' middle commentary on Aristotle's De Anima.
In the month of Elul
Elul
Elul is the twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a summer month of 29 days...
, 1254, at the age of fifty-eight, he began the translation into Hebrew of Al-Zahrawi's Kitab al-Taṣrif, a medical work in thirty books. He finished it at Marseilles in the month of Nisan
Nisan
Nisan is the first month of the ecclesiastical year and the seventh month of the civil year, on the Hebrew calendar. The name of the month is Babylonian; in the Torah it is called the month of the Aviv, referring to the month in which barley was ripe. It is a spring month of 30 days...
, 1258, entitling it Sefer ha-Shimmush. This translation is preceded by a long introduction, which forms a treatise in itself, and in which he deals with man as composed of four elements
Four elements
Four elements may refer to:* Classical elements, such as air, fire, earth and water* 4 Elements, an album by Chronic Future* Group 4 element, one of the chemical elements in Group 4 of the periodic table...
, and with the relation between diseases and the four seasons of the year.
According to the superstitions of his time, he believed in the influence of the planets on man; and accordingly an entire treatise deals with astrology
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
.
His translation was undertaken with the view of spreading medical science among the Jews, so that they might not be dependent on Christian physicians (comp. 'Ab. Zarah ii.2). The translation is not literal; and in this Shem-Ṭob departed from the method of the earlier translators. As to the various names of diseases and medicaments, Shem-Ṭob employs all that he could find in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
and in Talmudic literature. Others he explains in a glossary. He also gives directions to physicians on the treatment of patients and the preparation of medicaments.
In 1264 Shem-Ṭob translated into Hebrew Al-Razi
Al-Razi
Muhammad ibn Zakariyā Rāzī , known as Rhazes or Rasis after medieval Latinists, was a Persian polymath,a prominent figure in Islamic Golden Age, physician, alchemist and chemist, philosopher, and scholar....
's Al-Manṣuri, a work in ten treatises which that author had dedicated to Al-Manṣur
Al-Mansur
Al-Mansur, Almanzor or Abu Ja'far Abdallah ibn Muhammad al-Mansur was the second Abbasid Caliph from 136 AH to 158 AH .-Biography:...
.
Shem-Ṭob states that he also transliterated many Arabic medical works in Hebrew characters in order that Jews might be able to read them. According to De Castro (Biblioteca Española, i.231), Shem-Ṭob of Tortosa was the author also of the Pardes Rimmonim, which is generally attributed to Shem-Ṭob ben Isaac ibn Shaprut. De Castro concludes this from the date 1267, which is given in the Escorial manuscript of the work in question and which is a century earlier than the time of Shem-Ṭob ibn Shaprut.