Samuel ben Ḥofni Gaon and his cultural world
Book Description
This scholarly exploration invites readers into the remarkable intellectual world of Samuel ben Hofni Gaon, a pivotal Jewish leader who guided the prestigious Yeshiva of Sura in tenth-century Baghdad. During a time of extraordinary cultural flowering under Buyid rule, this influential figure embodied the dynamic exchange between Jewish and Islamic thought that shaped medieval spirituality.
The book illuminates how Arabic literary traditions profoundly influenced Jewish intellectual life, revealing the rich cross-cultural dialogue that occurred in this vibrant period. Readers will discover the complex dynamics of Jewish institutional life, including the challenges and renewal of the great centers of learning, while exploring intellectual developments that flourished beyond traditional academic boundaries.
Samuel ben Hofni's philosophical approach, deeply informed by Mu'tazilite theological reasoning, offers insights into how spiritual seekers of his era grappled with fundamental questions of faith and practice. The volume presents his reconstructed works on legal theory, including his Treatise on the Commandments and Ten Questions, recovered from ancient manuscript fragments discovered in the Cairo Geniza.
For those interested in the evolution of spiritual thought and the ways different religious traditions have influenced each other throughout history, this work provides a window into a transformative period when Jewish scholarship flourished through meaningful engagement with the broader intellectual currents of its time.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Long (> 400 pages) (~11 hours)
🕉️ Tradition: Judaism
📄 Length: 408 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Philosophers
- ✓ Explore Biography
- ✓ Explore Judaism, doctrines
- ✓ Explore Jewish - General
- ✓ Explore Jewish scholars
- ✓ Explore Biography / Autobiography
- ✓ Explore Cultural studies
- ✓ Explore Jews
