Al-Andalus, the medieval Muslim Spain, was home to great Jewish sages who made notable contributions to literature, science, and philosophy of their time. However, unlike other illustrious Spanish figures of non-Hebrew origin, these Andalusian Jewish sages are barely remembered by the current inhabitants of the land that saw them flourish. It is time, therefore, to give them the deserved recognition by remembering the life and work of these great Andalusian Jewish intellectuals who lived in the flourishing and culturally rich Zaragoza of the 11th century.
How did these Jewish sages come to Zaragoza?
To understand how the great Jewish sages arrived in the Muslim Zaragoza of the 11th century, we must go back a century earlier, precisely to the 10th century, specifically to the year 929. In that year, Abd al-Rahman III established the Caliphate of Cordoba, a period of cultural and political splendor in the history of Al-Andalus. Cordoba, being the capital of the Caliphate in the 10th century, became the epicenter of culture in Europe and the Islamic world.
During the caliphate, Cordoba experienced an unprecedented cultural flourishing, with the construction of grand architectural works and a strong push for education, science, and the arts. However, from the year 1009, Al-Andalus was affected by continuous civil wars that led to the dissolution of the Cordoban caliphate and its fragmentation into Taifa kingdoms ruled by independent Muslim lords.
Saraqusta: The Refuge of Culture
Amidst the chaos caused by civil wars, Saraqusta and its surroundings, under the leadership of Mundir I, became independent from the Caliphate of Cordoba in 1018, becoming a refuge for Jewish intellectuals fleeing the civil war that particularly affected what had been the Cordoban capital and its surroundings. After Mundir I, other members of his family ruled with the title of háyib in Saraqusta until 1038. These Tuyibí rulers continued the friendly and welcoming policy towards prominent Andalusian Jews that Mundir I had initiated.
Yequtiel ben Isaac
Yequtiel ben Isaac was a prominent figure in 11th-century Saraqusta. He was one of the Jews who settled in Saraqusta fleeing the civil wars that plagued Cordoba.
He held the position of vizier during the reign of Mundir II (1036 – 1038). As the vizier of Saraqusta, Yequtiel not only fulfilled political functions but also stood out as a respected scholar of the Talmud. His influence was such that it attracted other great Jewish intellectuals of his time to the court of Saraqusta.
Marwan Yoná ibn Yanáh
Marwan Yonah ben Yanah, also known as Yoná ibn Yanáh, was a physician at the court of Saraqusta. Being of Cordoban origin, he left his city to settle in Saraqusta under the protection of Yequtiel ben Isaac.
Yoná ibn Yanáh’s contribution was not limited only to the field of medicine. He was a pioneer in the grammar of the Hebrew language and conducted comparative linguistic analyses, which represented a significant advance in the field of linguistics.
Ibn Gabirol – Avicebrol – Avicebrón
Ibn Gabirol, also known as Avicebrol or Avicebrón, was another great sage who resided in Saraqusta. His family fled from Málaga in the last years of the caliphate. In Saraqusta, he became an eminent philosopher and poet.
In the philosophical realm, his relevance lies in his role as a preserver and disseminator of the ideas of classical philosophers such as Plato and Plotinus. His synthesis of Greek philosophy with Jewish theology and mysticism left a lasting mark on the evolution of Jewish and philosophical thought.
In his poetic facet, Ibn Gabirol is known for his lyrical and spiritual style in Hebrew poetry. His poems reflected a deep connection with religious and spiritual themes, gaining appreciation both in his time and in later generations. It is noteworthy that Ibn Gabirol’s poetry shone during a time of scarcity of relevant poets in the Christian kingdoms of the peninsula.
Ibn Gabirol maintained a strong bond with Yequtiel ben Isaac, and after the latter’s death, he composed moving elegies in his honor and decided to leave Saraqusta.
Ibn Cheqatila, Moisés ben Samuel ha-Kohen
Moisés ben Samuel ha-Kohen, also known as Ibn Cheqatila or Chiquitilla, was a prominent scholar, poet, and translator. Like many others, being a Cordoban Jew, he lived his adult life in Córdoba.
As a translator, he showed exceptional skill in translating from Arabic to Hebrew. He was also a great exegete, providing commentaries on almost the entire Bible in its Judeo-Arabic version.
Jews in the City of Culture, the Saraqusta of the Hudíes (1039 – 1110)
In the year 1038, a tragic event occurred in Saraqusta when the háyib Mundir II was assassinated by his cousin Abd Allah ben Hakam, who sought to take power through a violent coup d’état. In his attempt to solidify his rule, Abd Allah ben Hakam exterminated all the followers and protectees of Mundir II, including the distinguished Jewish vizier Yequtiel ben Isaac, mentioned earlier. The execution of Yequtiel ben Isaac led to the flight of other prominent Jews from Saraqusta, who had also been protected by the vizier, and among them was Ibn Gabirol.
Despite this tragedy, Jewish scholarship in the city did not completely disappear. The illegitimacy of the coup leader Abd Allah ben Hakam sparked a revolt by the inhabitants of Saraqusta against him. This uprising was supported by Sulayman b Hud, the qadi of Lérida, who assumed the government of Zaragoza and extended his rule over virtually the entire former Upper Frontier of Al-Andalus. In this way, Sulayman b Hud became the first háyib of the Taifa of Saraqusta from the Hudí dynasty.
With the arrival of the new háyib dynasty in Saraqusta, a new generation of Jewish scholars emerged in the city. These new sages, unlike their predecessors, were born in the city itself, ensuring the continuity of Jewish erudition and cultural legacy, despite the adversities and difficult times the city had faced.
After the death of Sulayman b Hud in 1046, his son Al Muqtadir became the háyib of the Taifa of Saraqusta until his death in 1081. During Al Muqtadir’s reign, neighboring Taifas were subjugated, and the splendid Aljafería Palace was built, where the most renowned Jewish and Muslim intellectuals gathered. Al Muqtadir’s cultural policy was continued by his son Al Mutamán, who ruled between 1081 and 1084, having been educated by Abu al-Fadl ibn Hasdai, one of the Jewish intellectuals who resided in Saraqusta.
After the death of Sulayman b Hud in 1046, his son Al Muqtadir became the háyib of the Taifa of Saraqusta until his death in 1081. During Al Muqtadir’s reign, neighboring Taifas were subjugated, and the splendid Aljafería Palace was built, where the most renowned Jewish and Muslim intellectuals gathered. Al Muqtadir’s cultural policy was continued by his son Al Mutamán, who ruled between 1081 and 1084, having been educated by Abu al-Fadl ibn Hasdai, one of the Jewish intellectuals who resided in Saraqusta.
Ibn Paquda (1040 – 1110)
Ibn Paquda was a prominent figure of his time. He is remembered as a philosopher, mystic, and poet, but his influence was not limited solely to these fields. He also played a crucial role as a “dayyan,” a religious judge in the Jewish tradition with the authority to make legal decisions based on Jewish religious law, in the Jewish quarter of Zaragoza.
One of his most significant contributions is the work “Duties of the Heart,” in which he argued that to attain God, both faith and reason are necessary. This balanced perspective has left a lasting mark, demonstrating Ibn Paquda’s ability to combine spirituality and rational thought in a way that continues to resonate today. Furthermore, he anticipated many philosophical conclusions that would not be reached in the Christian world until the appearance of Saint Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century.
Ibn Paquda passed away in 1110, the same year in which Saraqusta was taken by the Almoravids, Muslims of Berber origin, who, due to their more austere and orthodox interpretation of Islam, were less supportive of sciences and culture.
Abu al-Fadl Hasdai ibn Yusuf ibn Hasdai
Hasdai was born around the year 1050 in Saraqusta. He had the honor of educating Al Mutaman, the son of Al Muqtadir, who, in addition to ruling Saraqusta between 1081 and 1085, excelled as an advanced mathematician for his time, highlighting Hasdai’s educational ability. He was also notable in the field of poetry.
In addition to his achievements in education and literature, Hasdai played a fundamental role in Al Muqtadir’s successful foreign policy during his tenure as vizier, a position he obtained after converting to Islam. At a time when Muslims were retreating in the face of Christian advances, Hasdai ensured that the Taifa of Saraqusta, as a Muslim kingdom, not only resisted the Christian advance but also expanded its domains and sphere of influence towards the Levant.
Despite his successes, his conversion to Islam earned him the enmity of both the Jewish and Muslim communities. Due to pressure from these communities, Al Mutamin II was forced to send him away, and Hasdai was appointed as an ambassador to Egypt, where he passed away in 1093.
Bibliography
Rubio, C. G. (1968). Zaragoza en la historia del judaísmo español. Miscelánea de Estudios Árabes y Hebraicos. Sección Hebreo, 97-105.
Ibn Yanah. (s. f.). Real Academia de la Historia. https://dbe.rah.es/biografias/120492/ibn-yanah
Abu al-Fadl Ibn Hasdai. (s. f.). Real Academia de la Historia. https://dbe.rah.es/biografias/abu-al-fadl-ibn-hasdai
Bahya Ben Yosef Ibn Paquda. (s. f.). Real Academia de la Historia. https://dbe.rah.es/biografias/23924/bahya-ben-yosef-ibn-paquda
Moisés Ben Samuel Ha-Kohen ibn Cheqatila (o Chiquitilla). (s. f.). Real Academia de la Historia. https://dbe.rah.es/biografias/120373/moises-ben-samuel-ha-kohen-ibn-cheqatila-o-chiquitilla
Selomon Ben Gabirol Ibn Gabirol. (s. f.). Real Academia de la Historia. https://dbe.rah.es/biografias/7050/selomon-ben-gabirol-ibn-gabirol