Joseph ben Judah ibn Aknin ( ar, يوسف ابن عقنين, he, יוסף בן יהודה אבן עקנין; 1150 – c. 1220) was a Sephardic Jewish writer of numerous treatises, mostly on the ''

Mishnah The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Tor ...

'' and the

Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...

. He was born in

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

, but settled in

Fes Fez or Fes (; ar, فاس, fās; zgh, ⴼⵉⵣⴰⵣ, fizaz; french: Fès) is a city in northern inland Morocco and the capital of the Fès-Meknès administrative region. It is the second largest city in Morocco, with a population of 1.11 mi ...

, where by his own admission he lived as a

crypto-Jew Crypto-Judaism is the secret adherence to Judaism while publicly professing to be of another faith; practitioners are referred to as "crypto-Jews" (origin from Greek ''kryptos'' – , 'hidden'). The term is especially applied historically to Sp ...

. Though a native of Spain, his family had originated in North Africa.

Works

In addition to an introduction to the Talmud in Arabic (Hebrew translation at
Mevo ha-Talmud
'), and a treatise on Talmudic weights and measures, his surviving works include: * ''Sefer ha Musar'' (''"Book of Morality"'') :A commentary on the ''

Pirkei Avot Pirkei Avot ( he, פִּרְקֵי אָבוֹת; also transliterated as ''Pirqei Avoth'' or ''Pirkei Avos'' or ''Pirke Aboth''), which translates to English as Chapters of the Fathers, is a compilation of the ethical teachings and maxims from ...

'' similar to that of

Maimonides Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Tora ...

. * ''Tibb al-Nufūs al-Salīma wa-Mu'' ʿ''ālajat al-Nufūs al-Alīma'' (, ''"The Hygiene of Healthy Souls and the Therapy of Ailing Souls"'') :A book on psychology, with a chapters on friendship, speech and silence, keeping a secret, lying, food and drink, asceticism, education, the needs and destiny of the soul, persecutions and the proper response to them, and repentance. The chapter on education argues that the study of logic and science should not be undertaken before the age of thirty, and only after a solid traditional education so that religious convictions should not be affected by philosophical doubts. * ''Inkishāf al-asrar ważuhūr al-anwār'' ('','' ''"The Divulgence of Mysteries and the Appearance of Lights"'') :A commentary on the '' Song of Songs'', treating each verse at three levels: at the literal level, citing contemporary grammarians to explain every word on the scroll; at a rabbinical level, based on midrashic texts, symbolising the people of Israel's relationship with God; and at an allegorical level, describing the soul trying to unite itself with the intellect, supported by Jewish and Arab poets, and the philosophy of

Al-Farabi Abu Nasr Muhammad Al-Farabi ( fa, ابونصر محمد فارابی), ( ar, أبو نصر محمد الفارابي), known in the West as Alpharabius; (c. 872 – between 14 December, 950 and 12 January, 951)PDF version was a renowned early Isl ...

and Avicenna. * ''Risālat al-ibānah fi uṣūl al-diyānah'' ( ''"Clarification of the Fundamentals of Faith"'') A book no longer in existence that discussed a man's freedom. * A Hebrew translation of

Kitab al-Musiqa al-Kabir ''Kitab al-Musiqa al-Kabir'' ( ar, كتاب الموسيقى الكبير, en, the Great Book of Music) is a treatise on music in east by the medieval philosopher al-Farabi (872-950/951). The work prescribes different aspects of music such as ma ...

(Great Book of Music) Works which have been lost include ''Hukkim u-Mishpatim'' (a compendium of Jewish law), and a theological work ''Risalat al-Ibana fi Uṣul al-Diyana'' (''"A Religious Clarification of Religious Fundamentals"''). Ibn Aknin is known to have known

in North Africa, and draws on many of the same sources, sharing a similar outlook. But he is not the Joseph ben Judah to whom the ''

Guide A guide is a person who leads travelers, sportspeople, or tourists through unknown or unfamiliar locations. The term can also be applied to a person who leads others to more abstract goals such as knowledge or wisdom. Travel and recreation Ex ...

'' is addressed.

References

* Colette Sirat, ''A History of Jewish Philosophy in the Middle Ages'', pp. 207–8. Cambridge University Press, 1990. *

Hava Lazarus-Yafeh Hava Lazarus–Yafeh (1930–1998; ) was a German-born Israeli Orientalist, scholar, editor, and educator. She known for her work in medieval and modern Islamic Studies and interfaith relations. Lazarus–Yafeh was a professor and a head of the ...

Judeo-Arabic Literature
1977. 1150s births 1220s deaths Year of birth uncertain Year of death uncertain Jewish writers 12th-century Arabic writers 13th-century Arabic writers 12th-century Catalan Jews 13th-century Catalan Jews People from Barcelona {{Judaism-bio-stub