orig. Moses ben Maimon
born March 30, 1135, Córdoba
died Dec. 13, 1204, Egypt
Jewish philosopher, jurist, and physician.
He was obliged to practice his faith secretly after a revolutionary and fanatical Islamic sect, the Saladin . Maimonides's first major work, begun at age 23 and completed 10 years later, was an Arabic commentary on the Mishna . His other writings included a monumental code of Jewish law called the Mishne Torah (in Hebrew) and a classic work of religious philosophy, The Guide of the Perplexed (in Arabic), which was influenced by the teachings of Aristotle and called for a more rational approach to Judaism. It also sought to reconcile science, philosophy, and religion. He is considered the greatest intellectual figure of medieval Judaism.