Moses Maimonides

An Introduction to the Life of Moses Maimonides, the Medieval Physician, Theologian, and Philosopher, author of "The Guide for the Perplexed."

Moses Maimonides (1138–1204) was born in Cordoba, from which he was forced to flee at the age of thirteen due to the Almohad persecution of non-Muslims. After a long exile, his family spent a decade in the Iberian Peninsula before settling in Morocco. From there, Maimonides traveled to Palestine and Egypt, where he died at the court of Saladin. A scholar of Jewish law, physician, and philosopher, Maimonides was a unique figure. His work in extracting, interpreting, and explaining the main tenets of Jewish law from the Torah and Talmud laid the foundation for translating the word of God and making it accessible to all people. As a physician, he was renowned, guided almost entirely by reason and observation when examining the Sultan himself and anyone who sought his diagnosis. In this biography, Alberto Manguel analyzes the global influence of the thought of Maimonides, revered by Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. Today, when rationality and the pursuit of truth are more crucial than ever, Maimonides can help us find strategies for living with dignity in a turbulent world.