Maimonides (Moses ben Maimon, Rambam)
1138 – 1204 Andalusi-Egyptian (Sephardic Jewish) Rabbi, philosopher, physician, codifier of Jewish law
The towering medieval Jewish thinker, author of the Mishneh Torah and the Guide for the Perplexed.
- Religion
- Judaism (Rabbinic)
- Affiliations
- Cordoba, Fez, Fustat (Cairo); court physician to Saladin's vizier
Born in Cordoba, Maimonides fled Almohad persecution and settled in Egypt, where he served as a physician and community leader. His 'Mishneh Torah' organized the whole of Jewish law into a single code, and his 'Guide for the Perplexed' tried to reconcile Torah with Aristotelian philosophy. His rationalism sparked fierce disputes among Jews for generations after his death.
In the timeline
- 1138 Maimonides, the Rambam central figure
- 1168 Maimonides sets out the Thirteen Principles of Faith central figure
- 1178 Maimonides completes the Mishneh Torah central figure
- 1190 Maimonides writes the Guide for the Perplexed central figure