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250 Astronomy Astruc, Elie- Aristide of the

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

Lord" ("Milkamot Adonai")

of Levi ben

Gerson.

Jews were especially helpful in the progress of the by their work as translators: Moses ibn Tib-

science

bon translated from the Arabic Jabir ben Aflah's acute criticisms of the Ptolemaic system, an anticipation of Copernicus, and thus brought them to the notice of Maimonides. Ibn al-Haitkam's Arabic of Astronomy wasa particular favorite of Jewish astronomers; besides being translated into

compendium

Don Abraham Faquin, it was turned into Hebrew by Jacob ben Makir and Solomon ibn Pater Cohen and into Latin by Abraham de Balmes. Other Spanish by

from the Arabic were by Jacob Anatoli, Moses Galeno, and Kalonymus ben Kalonymus, who thus were the means of bringing the Greco-Arabic translations

astronomers to the notice of western Europe. Jacob Anatoli, for example, translated into Hebrew both the " Almagest" and Averroes' compendium of it, and this Hebrew version was itself translated into Latin by J. Christmaun. Other translators from the Hebrew into Latin were Abraham de Balmes and Kalonymus ben David of Naples, while David Kalonymus ben Jacob, Ephraim Mizrahi, and Solomon Abigdor translated from the Latin into Hebrew. The well-known family of translators, the Ibn Tibbons, may be especially mentioned. In practical Astronomy Jewish work was even more effective. Jacob ben Makir (who is known also as Prophiat Tibbon) appears to have been professor of Astronomy at Montpellier, about 1300, and to have invented a quadrant to serve as a substitute for the astrolabe. Levi ben Gerson was also the inventor of an astronomical instrument, and is often quoted with respect under the name of Leon de Banolas. Bonet de Lattes also invented an astronomical ring. Abraham Zacuto ben Samuel was professor of Astronomy at Salamanca, and afterward astronomer-royal to Emanuel of Portugal, who had previously been advised by a Jewish astronomer, Rabbi Joseph Vecinho, a pupil

Abraham

Zacuto, as to the project put before him by Columbus, who, in carrying it out, made use of Zacuto's "Almanac " and "Tables." With the Renaissance, Jewish work in Astronomy lost in importance, as Europe could revert to the Greek astronomers without it. The chief name connected with the revival of astronomical studies on the Baltic is that of David Gaks of Prague (d. 1613), who corresponded with Kepler, Tycho Brahe, and Regiomontanus he was acquainted with the Oopernican system, but preferred that of Ptolemy, while as late as 1714 David Nieto of London still stood out against the Copernican system. Altogether, in reviewing Jewish Astronomy in the Middle Ages, one can not claim that Jews themselves made many contributions to the science; but by making the Greco- Arabic Astronomy accessible to Europe, they aided in keeping the interest in the subject alive, and prepared the way for the revival of the science On the practical side of in the sixteenth century. the science, their chief contributions were of more value almost all the tables used by astronomers and navigators were their work, while they introduced several improvements in astronomical instruments. See also Calendar. The modern epoch of the science begins with a of





250

great Jewish name, that of Sir William IIkhwilkl (1738-1822), whose Jewish origin is acknowledged by his biographer. His systematic survey of the heavens, continued and completed by his son John, his catalogues of nebula? and clusters, and his discovery of the planet Uranus, may be classed among the greatest exploits in the history of Astronomy. He also started the investigation into the constitution of the universe, determined the path of the sun toward the constellation Vega, and in innumerable ways started this science along the lines on which it developed up to the time of the discovery of spec-

trum analysis. He was assisted throughout his work by his sister Caroline Herschel (1750-1848). Since his time no very great Jewish name has been connected with the development of astronomical science, but no less than fourteen of the asteroids were located by H. Goldschmidt (1802-66) at a time when the discovery of an asteroid was by no means so easy a task or so frequent an occurrence as it is nowadays—and W. Beer (1797-1850), the brother of Meyerbeer, was the first to draw an accurate map of the moon. Of contemporaries, the most distinguished is Moritz Loewy (b. 1833), director of the Paris Observatory, and the inventor of the coude or elbow telescope, by which the stars may be observed without bending the neck back and without leaving the comfortable observatory. The following list of Jewish astronomers of the Middle Ages, with the approximate periods of their activity, arranged in alphabetical order of first names, some of whom are mentioned elsewhere in this work, may be of service in drawing attention to the minuter details

—

Abraham de Balmes. Isaac ibn Sid (1252). Abraham ibn Ezra (1093-1108). Israel Lyons (died 1775). Abraham bar Hiyya (1130). Israel Samosc (died 1772.) Abraham of Toledo (1278). Jacob Anatoli (1232). Abraham Zacuto ben Samuel Jacob Carsi (Jacob al-Corsono (16th cent.).

Andruzagar ben Zadi Faruch. Augustinius Ricius

(1521).

Baruch Sklow (circa 1777) Baruch ben Solomon ben Joab (U57).

Bianchino (15th cent.). Bonet de Lattes (1506). Caleb Af endopolo (15th cent.). David Gans (died 1613). David Kalonymus ben Jacob

(1486).

Joseph

(1464).

David ibn Nahmias. David Nieto (died 1728). Dayan Hassan (972). Elia Misrahi (died 1526). Emanuel ben Jacob (1346-65) Ephraim Mizrahi. Farissol Moses Botarel (1465) Hananeel ben Hushiel (died 1020?).

Hayyim Hayyim

ben Abi A braham Isaac, 1376) Jacob ben David ben Yom-Tob Poel (1361). Jacob ben Ella. Jacob ben Judah Kabrut (1382). Jacob ben Makir, Prophiat Tibbon (1289-1303). Jacob ben Samson (1123-42). Jacob ben Tarik (9th cent. ?). Jeremiah Cohen of Palermo

Lisker (1612-36). Vital Calabrese (died

1620).

Isaac ben Aaron (1368). Isaac Abu al-Khair ben Samuel (1340). Isaac Albalia ben Baruch (1035-94).

Isaac ibn Alhadib (1370). Isaac Israeli ben Joseph (1310-

30) Isaac ben Meir Spira. Isaac ben Moses Ephodaeus,

Prophiat Duran (1392-1403).

ben

Eleazar

(14th

cent.).

Joseph ben Isaac ben Moses ibn Wakkar (about 1357) Joseph ben Israeli ben Isaac (died 1331).

Joseph ibn Nahmias (1300-30). Joseph Parsi. Joseph Taytazak (about 1520)

Judah Farissol (1499). Judah ha-Levi (1140). Judah ben Israeli (1339). Judah ben Moses Cohen (1256). Judah ben Rakunal (before 1130).

Judah ben Samuel Shalom

(15th

cent.).

Judah

ben

Solomon

Cohen

(1247).

Judah ibn verga (1457). Kalonymus ben David

of

Na-

ples (1528).

Kalonymus (130-723).

ben

Kalonymus