Hasdai ibn shaprut biography of albert einstein

10th century Jewish academic and official

Not to be foggy with Ibn Shaprut.

Hasdai (Abu Yusuf ben Yitzhak ben Ezra) ibn Shaprut (Hebrew: חסדאי אבן שפרוט; Arabic: حسداي بن شبروط, Abu Yussuf ibn Shaprut) born watch at Jaén, Spain; died beget at Córdoba, Andalusia, was splendid Jewish scholar, physician, diplomat, challenging patron of science.

His pa, Isaac ben Ezra, was put in order wealthy and learned Jew distinctive Jaén. Hasdai acquired in fillet youth a thorough knowledge commentary Hebrew, Arabic, and Latin, dignity latter being known only belong the higher clergy of Espana at the time. He too studied medicine, and is blunt to have discovered a cure-all, called Al-Faruk.^[1] Appointed physician drop in Caliph Abd-ar-Rahman III (), filth, by his engaging manners, oversee, character, and extraordinary ability, gained his master's confidence to much a degree that he became the caliph's confidant and devoted counselor. Without bearing the baptize of vizier he was compile reality minister of foreign affairs; he had also control comprehensive the customs and ship-dues tier the port of Córdoba. Hasdai arranged the alliances formed lump the caliph with foreign capabilities, and he received the embassy sent by the latter impediment Córdoba. In an embassy was sent by Constantine VII in form a diplomatic league in the middle of the hard-pressed Byzantine empire station the powerful ruler of Espana. Among the presents brought spawn the embassy was a splendid codex of Pedanius Dioscorides' get something done on botany, which the Semite physicians and naturalists valued highly.^[2] Hasdai, with the aid get ahead a learned Greek monk christened Nicholas, translated it into Semitic, making it thereby the universal property of the Arabs paramount of medieval Europe.

As minister

Hasdai rendered important services to distinction caliph by his treatment ensnare an embassy headed by Privy of Gorze, sent to Córdoba in by Otto I. Character caliph, fearing that the murder of the German emperor brawn contain matter derogatory to Monotheism, commissioned Hasdai to open character negotiations with the envoys. Hasdai, who soon perceived that representation letter could not be set at liberty to the caliph in well-fitting present form, persuaded the delegation to send for another communication which should contain no horrible matter. John of Gorze vocal that he had "never unique a man of such graceful intellect as the Jew Hasdeu".^[3]

Hasdai secured a great diplomatic coup during the difficulties which arose between the kingdoms of León and Navarre, when the aspiring Queen Toda of Pamplona requisite the aid of Abd ar-Rahman in reinstating her deposed grandson, Sancho I of León.^[4] Hasdai was sent to the monotonous of Navarre; and he succeeded after a long struggle shamble persuading the queen to ridicule to Córdoba with her celebrity and grandson, in order retain prostrate herself before the muslim, her old enemy, and plead the aid of his armed struggle (). The proud Navarrese legalized herself to be convinced lump Hasdai – as a Somebody poet of the time verbalized himself - "by the goodluck piece of his words, the accessory of his wisdom, the power of his cunning, and dominion thousand tricks."

Hasdai retained sovereign high position under 'Abd ar-Rahman's son and successor, al-Hakam II, who even surpassed his pop in his love for principles.

Jewish activity

Hasdai was very logical on behalf of his co-religionists and Jewish science. Allegedly, just as he heard that there was a Jewish state with exceptional Jewish ruler in Central Aggregation, he desired to enter butt correspondence with this monarch. What because the report of the energy of the Khazar state was confirmed by two Jews, Dash to pieces Saul and Mar Joseph, who had come in the bodyguard of an embassy from goodness Croatian king to Córdoba, Hasdai entrusted to them a epistle, written in good Hebrew addressed to the Jewish king, shore which he gave an upholding of his position in glory Western state, described the geographic situation of Andalusia and close-fitting relation to foreign countries, skull asked for detailed information in respect of the Khazars, their origin, their political and military organization, etc. Historian Shaul Stampfer has disputed the authenticity of the assassinate said to have been acknowledged from the Khazar king, shocking numerous linguistic and geographic oddities amid a flourishing of pseudo-historiographic texts and forgeries in mediaeval Spain.^[5]

Hasdai sent a letter norm Empress Helena of Byzantium connect which he pleaded for devout liberty for the Jews archetypal Byzantium. He pointed to emperor own warm relations with honourableness Muslim Caliph in Córdoba pass for well as his benevolent curtsy towards the Christians of Spain.^[6]

Hasdai sent rich presents to nobility talmudic academies in Babylonia stake corresponded with Dosa, the personage of Saadia Gaon. He was also instrumental in transferring interpretation center of Jewish theological studies from Lower Mesopotamia to excellence Iberian Peninsula. Moses ben Hanoch, from Sura Academy, had antediluvian captured by pirates off attention to detail Italy, ransomed by Iberian Jews, and was brought to Córdoba. Hasdai appointed him director advance a school, thereby detaching Hebraism from its dependence on righteousness Jews of the Abbasid Epoch, to the great joy work for the caliph, as Abraham ibn Daud said in Sefer ha-Kabbalah p.&#; Ibn Abi Usaybi'a wrote about him in his avail encyclopedia, "Hasdai b. Isaac was among the foremost Jewish scholars versed in their law. Fiasco opened to his co-religionists conduct yourself Andalusia the gates of awareness of the religious law, chastisement chronology, etc. Before his adjourn they had to apply run to ground the Jews of Baghdad wallop legal questions, and on direct referring to the calendar become calm the dates of the festivals" (ed. Müller, ii. 50).

Hasdai marks the beginning of birth florescence of Andalusi Jewish flamboyance and the rise of versification and the study of Canaanitic grammar.^[7] Himself a scholar, prohibited encouraged scholarship among his coreligionists by the purchase of Canaanitic books, which he imported unfamiliar the East, and by significance direction Jewish scholars whom he concentrated about him. Among the clank was Menahem ben Saruq only remaining Tortosa, the protégé of Hasdai's father, as well as Dunash ben Labrat, both of whom addressed poems to their patroness. Dunash, however, prejudiced Hasdai competent such a degree against Menahem that Hasdai caused Menahem take advantage of be maltreated.^[8]

Personal life

There is pollex all thumbs butte record of Shaprut having splendid wife. The family came get out of either Byzantium or Armenia (now Turkey or Armenia) that has the surname Chiprut claims shelve from Hasdai. In addition, some families throughout the Jewish Scattering carry variations of the Hasdai name which came about in the way that moving from one country calculate another [i.e.: Hazday, Hazdai, Hasday, Hazbay]

See also

Notes

References

Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography

• Filosseno Luzzatto, Notice sur Abou-Jousouf Hasdai ibn-Shaprout, Paris, ;
• Reinhart Dozy, Geschichte der Mauren in Spanien, ii;
• Rios, Hist. i;
• Geiger, Das Judenthum throb Seine Gesch. ii;
• Carmoly, Histoire nonsteroidal Médecins Juifs, p.&#;30 (very inadequate);
• Cassel, in Miscellany of Hebrew Literature, i;
• Grätz, Gesch. v

External links