Abraham Ibn Ezra Latinus on Elections and Interrogations
A Parallel Latin-English Critical Edition of Liber Electionum, Liber Interrogationum, and Tractatus Particulares. Abraham Ibn Ezra’s Astrological Writings, Volume 7
As a result of Abraham Ibn Ezra’s increasing popularity after his death, there were repeated waves of translation of collections of his Hebrew astrological treatises into Latin and into the emerging European vernaculars. A study of these versions affords us a golden opportunity to shed light on a significant missing link in our knowledge of Ibn Ezra’s astrological oeuvre. The present volume offers the first critical edition, accompanied by an English translation, a commentary, and an introductory study, of three Latin texts on the astrological doctrines of elections and interrogations, written by or attributed to Abraham Ibn Ezra: the Liber electionum, the Liber interrogationum, and the Tractatus particulares.
Shlomo Sela is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Jewish Thought at Bar-Ilan University. His research focuses on Jewish attitudes toward the sciences, with special interest in the history of astrology in the Middle Ages. With this volume he continues the publication of Abraham Ibn Ezra’s complete works on astrology.
Preface Abbreviations
General Introduction Contacts with Christian Scholars in the Twelfth Century The Ibn Ezra Renaissance in the Latin West Liber Electionum, Liber Interrogationum, and Tractatus Particulares
I Liber Electionum and Liber Interrogationum Earlier Research on Liber Electionum and Liber Interrogationum Authorship, Links with Ibn Ezra’s Work, and the Dates of Composition of Liber Electionum and Liber Interrogationum Ibn Ezra’s Approach to Elections in Liber Electionum Ibn Ezra’s Approach to Interrogations in Liber Interrogationum The Organization and Contents of Liber Electionum and Liber Interrogationum The Sources of Liber Electionum and Liber Interrogationum Special Features of Liber Electionum and Liber Interrogationum Linguistic Features of Liber Electionum and Liber Interrogationum
II Tractatus Particulares Earlier Research on Tractatus Particulares Manuscripts, General Features and Transmission of TpA and TpQ Structure and General Features of TpA and TpQ according to Their Incipits and Explicits Contents and Sources of TpA and TpQ General Features of TpH
III Manuscripts and Editorial Principles Manuscripts for the Critical Edition of Liber Electionum and Liber Interrogationum Witnesses for the Critical Edition of Tractatus Particulares Editorial and Translation Principles
Part One: Liber Electionum: Latin Text and English Translation
Part Two: Notes to Liber Electionum
Part Three: Liber Interrogationum: Latin Text and English Translation
Part Four: Notes to Liber Interrogationum
Part Five: Tractatus Particulares: Latin Text and English Translation
Part Six: Notes to Tractatus Particulares
Part Seven: Appendices
1 The Debate about Elections
2 The Debate about Interrogations
3 Elections
4 Interrogations
5 Planets, Signs and Horoscopic Places
6 The Modena Fragments of Mivḥarim III and Sheʾelot III
7 Passages of Sheʾelot le-Māshāʾallāh in Tractatus Particulares
8 A Section of Sheʾelot le-Talmai and Its Counterpart in Ptolemy’s Iudicia
9 Significationes Planetarum in Domibus Ascribed to Gergis
10 The Account of the Seven Planets in Mishpeṭei ha-Mazzalot
11 Māshāʾallāh’s Book on Reading Thoughts
12 The Section on Elections at the End of Nativitates
13 Fragments of Epistola Argafalau ad Alexandrum
14 English-Latin Glossary
15 Latin-English Index to the English-Latin Glossary
16 Authorities and Sources
17 Literal Renderings in Liber Electionum of Hebraisms and Hebrew Words/Expressions Employed by Abraham Ibn Ezra
18 Literal Renderings in Liber Interrogationum of Hebraisms and Hebrew Words/Expressions Employed by Abraham Ibn Ezra
19 Indications of the Horoscopic Places in Liber Electionum, Mivḥarim I, Mivḥarim II, and Epitome
20 Indications of the Horoscopic Places in Liber Interrogationum, Sheʾelot I, Sheʾelot II, and Epitome
21 Index of Technical Terms and Biographical Notes
Bibliography Index
Those interested in the history of science, especially astrology and astronomy, European and Jewish medieval history, Latin and Hebrew medieval literature, Jewish philosophy and biblical exegesis.