Jewish Averroism in the Renaissance

On Jewish Averroism (see Renan 1925; Hayoun 1991) was a trend that played an important role in Jewish philosophy from the end of the thirteenth to the end of the fifteenth century. This school of thought flourished primarily in Spain, Provence, and Italy and counted among its adherents many important rabbis, such as Isaac Albalag, Isaac Pulgar, Joseph Ibn Kaspi, Levi ben Avraham, Nissim of Marseille, Moses of Narbonne, and Elia del Medigo. These rabbi-philosophers wrote essentially philosophical (or theological – the distinction does not exist in Jewish philosophy) books and supercommentaries on Averroes’ commentaries on Aristotle. They also wrote Bible commentaries as well as books that explain the art of biblical exegesis, though none wrote books on Jewish Law (Halacha).