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Isaac ben Solomon IsraeliJewish physician, Neoplatonic philosopher and commentator on Scripture
Date of Birth: 01.01.0850
Country:  Egypt |
Content:
- Isaac Israeli: A Renowned Medieval Physician and Philosopher
- Founding Father of Jewish Neoplatonism
- Philosophical Beliefs
- Cosmic Emanations and the Human Soul
- The Soul and its Divisions
- The Significance of Prophecy
Isaac Israeli: A Renowned Medieval Physician and Philosopher
Medical Career and InfluencesIsaac Israeli, a Jewish physician and philosopher, was born in Egypt. Initially practicing as an oculist, he later relocated to Kairouan, where he pursued advanced medical studies under Ishaq ibn Imran. Around the age of 50, he became the court physician to the Fatimid caliph, Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi. Israeli rose to prominence as one of the greatest physicians of the medieval period. He established a medical school that produced notable physicians, including Dunash ibn Tamim and Abu al-Jazzar.
Founding Father of Jewish Neoplatonism
Beyond his medical contributions, Israeli played a crucial role in the development of Jewish philosophy. He is regarded as the father of Neoplatonism in Jewish thought, synthesizing Aristotelian and Platonic ideas with Jewish theology. Israeli's philosophical writings explored the nature of God, the creation of the world, and the human soul.
Philosophical Beliefs
Israeli conceived of philosophy as a means of approaching God. He emphasized the importance of faith in the Creation ex nihilo (out of nothing) and believed that the universe existed as a manifestation of God's wisdom and benevolence. Influenced by Aristotelian teachings, he viewed the universe as a hierarchy of emanations, where the soul is a substance independent of the body. The human soul, he argued, strives for union with the divine intellect, an experience that leads to blissful paradise.
Cosmic Emanations and the Human Soul
According to Israeli, the universe was created through the emanation of two primary substances: Matter and Form. From them emanated the Intellect, initiating a chain of emanations. Each subsequent emanation inherited not only the light of its predecessor but also elements of darkness, resulting in a gradual weakening of spiritual force. The phenomena of the natural world, such as the four elements, are the final manifestations of this process.
The Soul and its Divisions
Following the Intellect in the hierarchy of emanations is the Soul. Israeli divided the Soul into a higher and lower aspect, the latter being designated as the Sphere or Nature. Drawing inspiration from Aristotle, he extended the structure of the individual soul to the universal Soul, assigning the Sphere as the final phase of emanation where matter becomes perceivable.
The Significance of Prophecy
Israeli believed that prophetic visions in dreams were manifestations of the Intellect, representing a bridge between matter and spirit. He saw the prophets' words as conveying pure truth wrapped in sensory forms, accessible to the wise and the masses alike.
