History
How al-Farabi was read in Hebrew
How al-Farabi’s texts entered the Jewish philosophical tradition through reading and translation from Arabic.
Published
This is a translation. The original is Русский. Language review: not performed by a native speaker.
Al-Farabi’s works entered the Jewish intellectual tradition through the reading of Arabic texts, translations and commentaries.
Samuel ibn Tibbon, known for translating Maimonides’ “Guide of the Perplexed” into Hebrew, also drew on al-Farabi’s logic. In his philosophical glossary, definitions of categories and ways of describing a subject rely on this thinker’s texts. The translator had to convey both the Arabic word and the reasoning behind it in Hebrew.
Ibn Tibbon’s glossary shows familiarity with al-Farabi’s logical writings, but not a personal acquaintance between the two thinkers.