AmongtheintellectualluminariesdottingthemillenniaofJewishhistory,noneshinesbrighterthanMaimonides(1138-1204).Hewasarabbi,jurist,Talmudist,philosopher,physician,astronomer,andcommunalleader,andproducedamyriadofwritingsonhalakhah,theology,medicine,andphilosophythathaveattainednear-canonicalstatus.WehavemoresourcematerialfromoraboutMaimonidesthanpossiblyanyotherJewishfigureinthemedievalperiod,andmorehasbeenwrittenabouthimthanperhapsanyotherJewinhistory.Epithetslikethe’GreatEagle’andthe’WesternLight’-andtheglorifyingstatement’FromMosestoMoses,nonearoselikeMoses’-reflectcenturiesofauthority,influence,andfascination.TheGoldenPathtracestheimpactandreceptionofMaimonidesandhisthoughtthroughastudyofmateriality,specificallytheproductionanddisseminationoftextualobjects.Itconsistsoftwosections:adescriptivecatalogueofanexceptionalprivatecollectionofmanuscriptsandrarebooks;andessaysfromleadingscholarsonaspectsofMaimonides’sculturalcontext,influence,andappropriationthroughdisparateerasandgeopoliticalspheres.Combiningintellectual,reception,andbookhistoricalresearch,theheavilyillustratedvolumeexploreshiseffectsinassortedsocialandpoliticalcircumstances,acrossdiverseintellectualandculturalenvironments.
PATH INFLUENCE GOLDEN PHILOSOPHER MEDICINE
