Arabic Astrology Research Articles

Planets in Alchemy

The Arabic alchemical poetry collection Shudhūr al-dhahab (“The Splinters of Gold”) by Ibn Arfaʿ Raʾs (fl. 12th and/or 13th c.) has engendered a remarkably rich commentary tradition, both in separate works and in manuscript glosses, written and copied from the 12th/13th to the 20th centuries. Of particular interest to the commentators was the first poem of the collection. It was known as al-Kawkabiyya (“The Planetary Poem”) since the seven classical planets are the principal agents in its two opening verses. After providing a survey of all known commentaries on Shudhūr al-dhahab and of the poetry collection’s manuscripts with glosses on the “planetary” verses, this article analyses their explanations, particularly with regard to the interrelations of astrological and alchemical imagery. It also includes an edition of an alchemical poem of unclear authorship, which was probably composed as an imitation of the first poem of Shudhūr al-dhahab by emulating its references to the planets.
 Keywords: Arabic alchemy – Arabic astrology – Arabic manuscripts – commentaries – glosses – alchemical poetry

The Impact of Hagin le Juif's French Translations on Subsequent Latin Translations of Abraham Ibn Ezra's Astrological Writings

From the Middle Ages until the present, the development of astrology among Jews has been associated with Abraham Ibn Ezra (ca. 1089–ca. 1161). He created the first comprehensive set of Hebrew astrological textbooks, which addressed the main systems of Arabic astrology and provided Hebrew readers with access to the subject. Some of his works became known to Christian scholars during his years in the Latin West and shortly after his death. However, Ibn Ezra's astrological writings remained outside the mainstream of Latin astrological literature until the last decades of the thirteenth century. An Ibn Ezra renaissance took place in the Latin West, thanks to a number of almost simultaneous translation projects. This essay aims to shed light on a limited but fundamental facet of the Ibn Ezra renaissance in the Latin West: the impact of the earliest datable translation project—Hagin le Juif's French translations, carried out in 1273—on subsequent Latin translations of Ibn Ezra's Hebrew astrological writings. The current study examines all of Hagin's French translations and all the relevant Latin translations of Ibn Ezra's astrological writings. In addition, the current study presents hitherto unknown biographical information about Hagin le Juif and attempts to explain the cultural context of his French translations.

Henry Bate, Translator of Abraham Ibn Ezra's Astrological Writings

Henry Bate of Mechelen (1246–after 1310) was the first to bring the astrological work of the twelfth-century Jewish polymath Abraham Ibn Ezra (ca. 1089–ca. 1161) to the knowledge of Latin readers. Ibn Ezra created the first comprehensive set of Hebrew astrological textbooks that addressed the main systems of Arabic astrology and provided Hebrew readers with access to the subject. The present study, divided into three parts, studies Henry Bate as translator of Ibn Ezra's astrological writings. The first part focuses on Bate's complete translations, authenticates Bate's authorship, determines their title and the time and place of composition, and consolidates information about their source texts. The second part reviews Bate's numerous references to Ibn Ezra and translations of individual passages from his astrological works. The third part examines the most salient features of Henry Bate's modus operandi as translator of Ibn Ezra. This begins with his use of double or triple translations for a single word or locution, a feature that readers of his translations recognize as his hallmark. This is followed by an investigation of Bate's familiarity with Hebrew and how he applied this knowledge in his translations. Finally, it looks at the additions and glosses Bate incorporated into the translations and considers his motives for doing so. The conclusion summarizes the findings and asks how Bate prepared these translations.

Las fuentes de la astrología durante el Renacimiento: algunas consideraciones

During the Renaissance period, the recovery of the main texts of ancient astrology, particularly Ptolemy, made possible a movement to reform pseudoscience that sought to eliminate allelements of medieval origin, linked to Arabic astrology. However this target was not achieved, motivated by limitations in Ptolemaic doctrines. In this paper we will analyze some of the main sources from which astrological practice was nurtured mainly during the 15th and 16th centuries, and in what way they contributed to shaping the astrological art of that time.

Pietro d’Abano, traductor de las obras astrológicas de Abraham ibn Ezra

Desde la Edad Media hasta el presente, el desarrollo de la astrología judía ha sido asociado con Abraham ibn Ezra (ca. 1089-ca. 1161), quien compuso el primer corpus de textos astrológicos hebreos que trata los principales sistemas de la astrología greco-árabe y que otorgó amplio acceso a lectores hebreos a la astrología. Algunas de sus obras fueron conocidas por estudiosos cristianos durante su vida en el Occidente Latino y poco después de su muerte. Sin embargo, los escritos astrológicos de Abraham ibn Ezra quedaron fuera de la corriente principal de la literatura astrológica latina hasta las últimas décadas del siglo XIII. Entonces tuvo lugar un renacimiento de Abraham ibn Ezra en el Occidente Latino gracias a varios proyectos casi simultáneos de traducción de sus tratados astrológicos. El más amplio y famoso de esos proyectos fue el realizado por Pietro d’Abano, el filósofo, astrologo y profesor de medicina italiano durante su residencia en Paris (1293-1307). El principal propósito de este artículo es estudiar el contenido, estructura y los textos de origen de las traducciones latinas de Pietro d’Abano. Este artículo estudia también la correspondencia entre las traducciones latinas de Pietro d’Abano y los textos hebreos originales de Abraham ibn Ezra, las referencias de Pietro d’Abano a sus propias traducciones, y su modus operandi como traductor latino de Abraham ibn Ezra.

Success and Suppression: Arabic Sciences and Philosophy in the Renaissance by Dag Nicolaus Hasse

Reviewed by: Success and Suppression: Arabic Sciences and Philosophy in the Renaissance by Dag Nicolaus Hasse Paul J. J. M. Bakker Dag Nicolaus Hasse. Success and Suppression: Arabic Sciences and Philosophy in the Renaissance. I Tatti Studies in Renaissance History. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2016. Pp. xix + 660. Cloth, $59.95. Historiography of Renaissance philosophy and science has long been characterized by tendencies to minimize the influence of medieval Arabic philosophy and science. According to the standard narrative, the humanists successfully eliminated Arabic writers, along with their Latin scholastic interpreters. Against this background (and in the sensitive political context of present day polemics about the contribution of Islamic civilization to European culture), Dag Nikolaus Hasse calls for a "sober historical approach" (xii) in order to "assess the factual influence of Arabic sciences and philosophy in the Renaissance" (xiii). His narrative is summarized by the title of his impressively erudite and well-documented Success and Suppression; in the Renaissance, Arabic philosophical and scientific traditions reached the height of their influence while at the same time being actively suppressed. Hasse's book follows a twofold approach. The first part ("The Presence of Arabic Traditions") focuses on the dissemination of Arabic philosophy and science by means of editions, bio-bibliographies, and translations. This part first gives a concise overview of the pre-1700 printing history of the writings by forty-four Arabic authors in Latin translation and of the place these works occupied in university curricula (chapter 1). It then documents the way in which Renaissance writers increasingly included Arabic authors in their bio-bibliographical accounts of learned men (chapter 2). Finally, it offers a reconstruction of the (Arabic-Latin and Hebrew-Latin) translation movement of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, focusing on five specific translation projects (chapter 3). In this first part of his book, Hasse provides strong evidence of the positive role played by the humanists in the process of distribution of Arabic works in Latin. The second part of Hasse's book ("Greeks versus Arabs") consists of three case studies of philosophical and scientific debates in which Arabic authors played a key role. The first case study is taken from the domain of medicine, more specifically, pharmacology (chapter 4). It focuses on the debate concerning the laxative senna, known from Arabic sources but absent in Greek writings (especially in Dioscorides's De materia medica). This case study makes it clear that, in the field of medicine, radical humanist attempts to rely exclusively on ancient Greek sources failed, and that, for scientific reasons, the Arabic pharmacological tradition remained indispensable (172). The second case study covers the field of philosophy (chapter 5). It focuses on the most influential Arabic philosopher, Averroes (d. 1198), in particular, on his view of the "unicity of the human intellect" and its reception in the Averroist movement in Italy. Hasse demonstrates that Averroes's highly controversial theory was suppressed more actively by clerics and theologians (in particular by the Paduan bishop Pietro Barrozzi and the Paduan theologian Antonio Trombetta) than by humanist writers. But this religiously motivated attack against Averroes did not bring about the complete disappearance of Averroes (neither as a philosopher nor as a commentator on the works of Aristotle) from the philosophical stage. The third, and most technical, case study deals with astrology (chapter 6). Focusing on points of disagreement between ancient Greek (Ptolemaic) and Arabic astrology, Hasse shows, on the one hand, that the Renaissance revival of Greek astronomy led to the gradual disappearance of certain forms of prognostication present in the Arabic astrological tradition, but, on the other hand, that [End Page 557] the influence of Arabic astrology (in particular the Arabic theory of the great conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter) reached its highpoint between 1550 and 1650. All three case studies offer an impressive degree of detail and precision. In his massive appendix ("The Availability of Arabic Authors in Latin Editions of the Renaissance," 317–407), Hasse presents a comprehensive inventory of the pre-1700 Latin editions of the works of the forty-four Arabic authors (listing for each edition the date and place of publication and offering brief quotations from the title page). Thanks to this precious and accurate inventory...

The Ibn Ezra–Henry Bate Astrological Connection and the Three Abrahams

This paper studies the astrological connection between Abraham Ibn Ezra (ca. 1089–ca. 1161), who created the first comprehensive corpus of Hebrew astrological textbooks that address the main systems of Arabic astrology, and Henry Bate (1246–1310), who first translated into Latin a collection of Ibn Ezra’s astrological writings and brought Ibn Ezra to the knowledge of the Latin West. The first part of this paper offers a brief chronological survey of how Henry Bate became acquainted with Ibn Ezra’s astrological treatises. The second part focuses on a surprising element: when Bate refers to astrological treatises that we now know were written by Ibn Ezra, he assigns them to one of three different authors. All three are ‘Abraham’, but they have distinguishing cognomens. Here we determine which astrological treatises Bate assigned to each of the three Abrahams, try to identify the historical figure behind each of them, and explain Bate’s reason for trisecting Abraham Ibn Ezra.

Encoded Ajami, Talisman and the Preservation of Arabic Spiritual Medicinee in Hausa Society

The paper is all about exploring the incorporated Ajami script in traditional Islamic astrology by the Islamic Scholars of Western Sudan from the jihad period to contemporary times. Talismanic practices, in the Islamic societies referred to as Asraru (the hidden) are based on numerological ascription to certain alphabets within Islamic literary texts (both religious from the Qur’an, and non-religious). These literary talismanic texts are often re-interpreted by Hausa ajami scholars as prescriptions for various spiritual and physical ailments as well as means of safeguard. This paper analyses the categories of Asraru publications commonly available in Kano markets, by looking at their origin, their availability, distribution, use and finally meaning. The fact that this type of spiritual practice is still currently subscribed to in the Hausa society makes it significant in understanding the force of Ajami literacy in communicating and preserving knowledge in traditional Hausa societies.It is divided into two parts, the first part contain the issue of encoded Ajami and its application in Astrological calculation and the second part deals with the Talisman and the use of Ajami (here not the encoded type) in its explanation for remote usage.

Sreeramula R. Sarma. Persian-Sanskrit Lexica and the Dissemination of Islamic Astronomy and Astrology and India

Les dictionnaires bilingues persan-sanskrit, relativement nombreux, existaient deja avant le sultanat de Delhi, sur la cote ouest de l’Inde, grâce aux contacts des milieux jaina avec les musulmans. Akbar ayant designe des hindous comme astronomes royaux, les cours mogholes sont a l’origine des lexiques persan-sanskrit portant egalement sur l’astronomie et l’astrologie, et importants, entre autres, pour la connaissance du calendrier, des elections (periodes propices ou nefastes), du vocabulair...

Sahl and the Tājika Yogas: Indian transformations of Arabic astrology

Summary This paper offers a positive identification of Sahl ibn Bishr's Kitāb al-˒ aḥkām ˓alā ˒n-niṣba al-falakiyya as the Arabic source text for what is perhaps the most characteristic feature of the medieval Perso-Indian style of astrology known as tājika: the sixteen yogas or types of planetary configurations. The dependence of two late sixteenth-century tājika works in Sanskrit – Nīlakaṇṭha's Tājikanīlakaṇṭhī and Gaṇeśa's Tājikabhūṣaṇa – on Sahl, presumably through one or more intermediary texts, is demonstrated by a comparison of the terminology and examples employed; and the Indian reception of Arabic astrology is discussed, including reinterpretations of technical terms occasioned partly by corrupt transmission.

Hebrew and Latin astrology in the twelfth century: the example of the location of pain

The formative period of Latin and Hebrew astrology occurred virtually simultaneously in both cultures. In the second quarter of the twelfth century the terminology of the subject was established and the textbooks which became authoritative were written. The responsibility for this lay almost entirely with two scholars: John of Seville for the Latins, and Abraham ibn Ezra for the Jews. It is unlikely to have been by coincidence that the same developments in astrology occurred in these two cultures. John of Seville and Abraham ibn Ezra were both brought up within the Islamic culture of Spain, and their astrology was Arabic astrology. Moreover, some scholars have thought that John’s origins were Jewish, while Ibn Ezra is known to have collaborated with Latin scholars (whose names are not recorded). It cannot be a coincidence that they forged the science of astrology for their respect co-religionists at almost the same time. Yet, very little research has been done on the possible relations between the two scholars. The purpose of this paper is to begin to explore this relationship, and to illustrate it in particular by their shared doctrine concern the location of pain.

From Alexandria to Baghdād to Byzantium. The transmission of astrology

It is argued in this article that a series of texts preserved in various Greek manuscripts are epitomes of an astrological compendium assembled by Rhetorius at Alexandria in about 620 AD. It is also demonstrated that this compendium was utilized and frequently refashioned by Theophilus of Edessa between 765 and 775 and was made available by Theophilus to his colleague at thecAbbāsid court at Baghdād, Māshā' allāh. Māshā' allāh's works in turn strongly influenced the early development of Arabic astrology, and many of them were translated into Latin and Greek, thereby spreading Rhetorius' influence. A manuscript of Rhetorius' compendium was apparently brought to Byzantium by Theophilus' student, Stephanus, in about 790; from this archetype are descended the several Byzantine epitōmes and reworkings of portions of this text; some of these—pseudo-Porphyry, Ep(itome) III, Ep. IIIb, and Ep. IV—passed through the hands of Demophilus in about 1000, while two of the remainder—Ep. IIb andBer.—were the only ones to preserve the name of Rhetorius as their author.

Astrological Considerations on the Length of Life in Hellenistic, Persian and Arabic Astrology

Astrological Considerations on the Length of Life in Hellenistic, Persian and Arabic Astrology

King Ptolemy and Alchandreus the Philosopher: The earliest texts on the astrolabe and Arabic astrology at Fleury, Micy and Chartres

Summary This paper reassesses the importance of the Benedictine monasteries of St Benoît of Fleury and St Mesmin of Micy (both on the outskirts of Orléans), and the Cathedral of Chartres for the early diffusion of Arabic learning concerning the astrolabe, and it relates this diffusion to that of the judicial astrology of ‘Alchandreus philosophus’ and the astronomical tables of the Preceptum canonis Ptolomei. Evidence is given for the fact that already, by the turn of the millennium, the elements were in place for a corpus of a new, mathematically based, practical science of the stars, consisting of works partly of Arabic and partly of Greek inspiration. This corpus was progressively revised and inspired, in turn, further translations from Arabic, until it reached its most mature form in the mid-twelfth century. Until recently, scholarship has tended to concentrate on the cathedral schools of North-east France and Lotharingia, and the monastic schools of South Germany, and to see Gerbert d'Aurillac, the Archbishop of Reims, as the pivotal figure. While these schools were undoubtedly important in the diffusion of the new science of the stars in the eleventh century, it is argued that a key role in the initial stages of the diffusion was played by the interrelated centres of Fleury, Micy and Chartres at the beginning of the century, and Gerbert may not have contributed as much as has been believed. Additional sections are devoted to the authorities in this corpus, ‘King Ptolemy’ and ‘Alchandreus’. A reworking of the Arabic material on the construction of the astrolabe by Ascelin of Augsburg was copied into this corpus. The text has previously been known from only one manuscript; a new edition, from five manuscripts, is provided here, together with a translation and commentary.

Foretelling the future. Arabic astrology and English medicine in the late twelfth century.

Malgre la relation qui existe entre la medecine et l'astrologie, la complexite technique de l'astrologie empeche les medecins de tirer avantages de cette science

Abu Ma 'Shar and Latin Aristotelianism in the Twelfth Century: The Recovery of Aristotle's Natural Philosophy through Arabic Astrology. Richard Lemay

Previous articleNext article No AccessReviewsAbu Ma 'Shar and Latin Aristotelianism in the Twelfth Century: The Recovery of Aristotle's Natural Philosophy through Arabic Astrology. Richard Lemay Harry BlumbergHarry Blumberg Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Speculum Volume 40, Number 3Jul., 1965 The journal of the Medieval Academy of America Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.2307/2850939 Views: 3Total views on this site Copyright 1965 The Mediaeval Academy of AmericaPDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

The Latin Translations of Astrological Works by Messahala

Previous articleNext article No AccessThe Latin Translations of Astrological Works by MessahalaLynn ThorndikeLynn Thorndike Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Osiris Volume 121956 Published for the History of Science Society Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/368596 Views: 5Total views on this site Citations: 7Citations are reported from Crossref PDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Anne Lawrence-Mathers Medieval Meteorology, 37 (Nov 2019).https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108289948Ari Belenkiy Māshā’allāh Ibn Atharī (Sāriya), (Dec 2016): 1409–1410.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9917-7_907Jean-Patrice Boudet A ‘college of astrology and medicine’? Charles V, Gervais Chrétien, and the scientific manuscripts of Maître Gervais’s College, Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences 41, no.22 (Jun 2010): 99–108.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsc.2010.04.005Ari Belenkiy Māshā'allāh ibn Atharī (Sāriya), (Jan 2007): 740–741.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-30400-7_907Tony Lévy, Charles Burnett Sefer ha-Middot : A Mid-Twelfth-Century Text on Arithmetic and Geometry Attributed to Abraham Ibn Ezra, Aleph: Historical Studies in Science and Judaism 6 (Jan 2006): 57–238.https://doi.org/10.2979/ALE.2006.-.6.57H. Schipperges Arabische Medizin im lateinischen Mittelalter, (Jan 1976): 9–192.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-01140-9_1H. Dingle 41. Commission de L’histoire de L’astronomie, Transactions of the International Astronomical Union 10 (Apr 2016): 610–618.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0251107X00021192