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244 Astrology

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

Astronomy

pp. 16, 17; 52, note 78; 67, notes 50 and 51;

115,

171, 224).

Jewish cosmology in the Middle Ages, therefore, accords to Astrology a distinct place, as may be learned from the "Sefer Yezirah," v. 4, vi. 2—1, where the zodiac and the dragon as " the king " are represented as cosmic factors and from the astrological Masters in Baraita of Samuel, belonging to the De gi naln g of the ninth century (Zunz,

Astroloe-v sy

pp. 15

'

in Steinschneider, "Hebr. Bibl." 1862,

Afterward, the Cabala, in the Zohar

et seq.).

and in the Book of Raziel, exhibits a thorough knowledge of Astrology; and liturgical poetry, through Kalir and Ibn Gabirol

("Keter

Malkut") gives it rec ognition (8. " HaSachs,

244

urns of such, wilting under their own names as "Astrologers." Thus, Sbabbethai Douolo, 913-970, acquired fame both as physician and astrologer; and his commentary on the "Sefer Yezi rah " is declared by him to be the result of extensive astrological studies (Gratz, "Gesch. der Juden," iii. 292 et seq.). Abraham b. Hiyya, the great mathematician and astronomer of Barcelona, of the twelfth century, was also a believer in Astrology, and intended to write a work on it; though, on account of its hypothetical character, he would not accord it the rank of a science (see his "Zurat ha-Arez," Introduction, and Freimann's Introduction to "Hegyon ha-Nefesh"). Abraham ibn Ezra was the most enthusiastic follower and propagandist of Astrolo'

'

-

'

£>"V

gy, which he calls "a

sublime science." Besides transla-

./*>

y

Yonah,"i.5993; M. Sachs,

"Die Reli-

Mashallah 's

ting

^x

Questions" and another work

giosePoesie,"

of

this

1845, p. 250). Indeed, in the

author on the

eighth and

moon from

ninth

the

eclipse of the

centu-

Jews were the

^,

J>^

foremost masters

Arabic

into He-

ries,

brew, h e wrote "Na-

tivity, ""Elec-

in

Astrology.

tions,"

Jacob ibn

tences of the

Tarik, called

Constella-

"Sen-

by Ibn Ezra

tions," "

an

it

authority, recorded by

Resh-

is

Hokmah (Beginning

the

of

astrological

Wisdom),

same writer as hav

"Book

ing imported the astronomical tables of the

World,"

Hindus to Bagdad under Almansur in 777 ("Z. D. M.

the "Planets," a treatise on

G."xxiv. 332-354). Hiscontemporary was Mashallah, the famous court astrologer of Almansur and Ma-

a

treatise on

the "Luminaries

>^

Bishr al-Israeli in 820, called also Rabban al-Tabari, "rabbi of Tabaristan," whose astrological works still

and were translated into pp. 603-607; idem, in "Jew. Ibn Ezra mentions Quart. Rev." xiii. 108-109). also as the greatest Jewish astrologer Andruzagar ben Zadi Faruk, probably a Persian (Steinschneider, in "Monatsscnrift," 1884, p. 479; idem, "Hebr. exist partly in the original, (ib.

As a matter of fact, Uebers.'' p. 854, note 54i). most of the works on Astrology composed by Mohammedan scholars those ascribed to Ptolemy,

—

,

one on the "Causes" (' Ha-Te'amim '), and finally a horoscope, see SteinschneiTobia," 1107.) der, "Berlin Cat. Hebr. MSS." pp. 136150; "Hebr. Uebers." pp. 600 et seq.; Rosin, in "Monatsscnrift," 1898, p. 250). He often refers to Astrology in his Bible commentaries. To him heaven with its constellations is "the book of life," in which

AN AsTR0LABE

mun (about 800), some of whose works (From "Ma'aae Ibn Ezra translated from the Arabic into Hebrew (Steinschneider, "Hebr. Uebers." pp. 599Another Jewish astrologer of note was Sahl b. 603).

Hebrew and Latin

of the

.

man's destiny

is written, and against which there is recourse to God as "the Almighty," who overrules all these influences (commentary to Ps. lxix. 29; Gen. xvii. 9; Ex. vi. 3, xxxiii. 21; Rosin, I.e. p. 251; Zunz, " G. S." iii. 93). Abraham ben David of Posquieres, in his critical notes to Maimonides' " Yad," Teshubah, v. 5, also asserts the influence of the stars upon destiny, while contending that by faith

in

God man may overcome this influence. Judah 9), Abraham ibn Daud("Emu-

and those of Abu Maashar, Al-Kabisi, and Abu alRijal were translated by Jews into Hebrew and

nah Ramah,"

partly into Spanish (Steinschneider, "Hebr. Uebers." pp. 525-578), or they composed compendi-

der Attributenlehre in der Judischen Religionsphilosophie des Mittelalters, " p. 247),and Albo (" Ikkarim,

—

ha-Levi("Cuzari,"iv. p.

86;

see

Kaufmann, "Geschichte