Acknowledgments
The present book is an adaptation of my PhD dissertation submitted to the School of Philosophy, Linguistics, and Science Studies at Tel Aviv University in 2017. It was revised, updated, corrected, somewhat shortened, and prepared for publication in the Maimonides Centre for Advanced Studies at Univesität Hamburg, which has been my academic home since 2018.
Looking back from the endless hours of solitude dictated by a study of this nature, it warms my heart to realize just how fortunate I was to have benefitted from the wisdom, generosity, and support of so many people in so many contexts.
First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my PhD supervisors, Prof. Ilai Alon and Prof. Carlos Fraenkel, each of whom made his own distinctive mark on my career development.
Ilai took me under his wing when I was a clueless undergraduate student, throughout my MA studies, and up until the completion of my doctorate studies. The first thing he ever told me and my classmates, in the first session of his Introduction to Medieval Philosophy, was âI will teach you nothing!â How wrong he was. An ever-flowing source of inspiration, Ilai had taught me that there is no difference between teacher and student, that no idea is too far-fetched, and that risk-taking is an integral part of rigorous scholarship. Without Ilai I would have never found my independent scholarly voice.
Carlos is the âefficient causeâ of the present study, which stems from his suggestion, years ago, to translate together Themistiusâ paraphrase into English. An exemplar of balance between philological precision and philosophical broadmindedness, Carlos guided me through the complex and confusing world of philology and taught me how to use Hebrew and Arabic manuscripts. What is more, his unique perspective about the philosophical importance of the history of philosophy and its relevance to contemporary cross-cultural discourse inspired me to think of the present project as something whose significance goes beyond the mere âstuff of academia.â
Carlos and Ilai, together and apart, were always extremely responsive to my questions, deliberations, and concerns, with endless patience, generosity, and encouragement. I will forever cherish their presence in my academic life.
Several other people have helped me tackle many different philosophical, philological, and historical issues, kindly sharing their knowledge, allowing me to draw from their mastery, and occasionally offering much needed criticism.
Orna Harari, forever my Greek teacher and now a close friend, was always readily available to discuss whatever Greek term or philosophical issue was on my mind at any given moment, preferably over coffee. István Bodnár, with whom I was lucky enough to study when he spent a semester in Tel Aviv, offered me valuable, ongoing advice in matters of causation and astronomy in Aristotle and the Aristotelian tradition, much beyond what would be expected. A lively correspondence between Richard Sorabji, Devin Henry, James Wilberding, and myself about Themistiusâ metaphysics prompted some significant breakthroughs in my attempt to penetrate what our protagonist is actually up to. Chiara Ferella guided me through the problematic use Themistius makes of Anaxagoras. Special thanks are due to Nadav Ratzabi, with whom I read many Greek philosophical texts. His help with the Latin translation of Themistius was also indispensable.
On the Arabic side of things, I would like to extend my warmest gratitude to Eric van Lit, who meticulously read through the entire edition of the Arabic text, saving me from many embarrassing errors. My friend Ahmad Ighbariya lent me invaluable advice on many issues in medieval Arabic grammar and philosophical terminology.
My dear friend and colleague Michael Engel read through the entire Hebrew edition and also gave me important comments on matters of methodology and approach. Reimund Leichtâs penetrating observations about my analysis of the Hebrew manuscript tradition were eye-opening, thought provoking, and invaluable. Warm thanks are due to Gad Freudenthal, who offered me priceless advice, constructive criticism, support, and encouragement. Hagar Kahana kindly shared with me important, surprising, and yet unpublished findings of her own work about Moshe ibn Tibbonâs Hebrew translations. Our discussions were stimulating and rewarding, opening many avenues which merit future research.
Yossi Schwartz, head of the School of Philosophy, Linguistics, and Science Studies at Tel Aviv University, offered me, besides valuable scholarly advice and orientation, enormous help at critical junctions. Tzvi Langermann offered comments and suggestions that were of considerable aid for paving the way in the early stages of the present project. Finally, Yehuda Halper and Resianne Fontaine offered me a wealth of advice concerning the project as a whole and its various parts.
I was fortunate to be able to present different parts of this study, in various stages of work, with fellow scholars in the following venues: Medieval Hebrew Philosophical Terminology in The Making (The Institute for Advanced Studies, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, December 2011); KNAW/OIKOS master class âExpanding the Canon of Ancient Philosophyâ (Amsterdam, February 2012); Corpus Christi College (Oxford, June 2015); Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies (Central European University, Budapest, February 2016); First conference of the Officina Philosophica Hebraica (OPH I): Themes, Terminology, and Translation Procedure in 12th Century Jewish Philosophy (Universität Hamburg, April 2016). I would like to extend my gratitude to the organizers and participants of these different settings for their hospitality, comments, questions, suggestions, and criticisms. Thanks are due in this respect to István Bodnár, Daniel Davies, Michael Engel, Gad Freudenthal, Pieter dââ¯Hoine, Reimund Leicht, Anna Marmodoro, Marije Martijn, Richard Sorabji, Giuseppe Veltri, and Irini Fotini Viltanioti.
I would like to warmly thank the Brill publishing house and the Aristoteles Semitico-Latinus editorial board for a smooth and professional publication process. Hans Daiber and Jaap Mansfeld read through the entire manuscript and offered many comments and suggestions. Teddi Dols oversaw the publication of the book with efficiency and care. Finally, thanks are due to Johannes Rustenburg and Cas Van den Hof for their professional and highly intelligent typesetting.
Needless to say, whatever errors and misfortunes remain in the present studyâand doubtlessly there are plentyâare entirely my own.
It would have been impossible for me to undertake this study without the generous financial aid of the following sources: The School of Philosophy, Linguistic, and Science Studies (Tel Aviv University); The Department of Philosophy (Tel Aviv University); The Dan-David Foundation; The Ignatz Bubis Fund in Jewish Studies; and the SwitzerlandâIsrael Philosophy Foundation, KKL. I hope I did justice to their faith in my abilities.
I would like to thank the staff of the Institute of Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscript at the National Library of Jerusalem for their professional help during the long hours I spent there. Thanks are also due to the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Leipzig Universitaetsbibliothek, and Biblioteca nazionale universitaria di Torino, all of which granted me permission to photocopy microfilms of Hebrew manuscripts belonging to them.
Several people helped me track down materials that I had trouble finding. In this avenue I would like to thank Peter Adamson, Amos Bertolacci, Jonathan Greig, Antonia Kakavelaki, Jamil Ragep, Alexander Treiger, and John Watt.
On a personal note, it is very important to me to thank the Department of Philosophy and the School of Philosophy, Linguistics, and Science Studies at Tel Aviv University for being my home for many years. It is here that I was first given the opportunity to learn, interact, teach, and flourish. I would like to thank my teachers, colleagues, and students for years of intellectual stimulation, warmth, and collegiality. Many of them have become close friends. Special mention is owed to Nehama Verbin, for our fascinating conversations on various themes in philosophical theology, and to Ilit Ferber, a model scholar and a genuine friend.
Since 2018 I have been a research associate at the Maimonides Centre for Advanced Studies at Universität Hamburg, where I found a vibrant research community, an ideal working environment, and endless opportunities to brainstorm my ideas with brilliant people. I would like to thank Giuseppe Veltri, the director of the Centre, as well as Racheli Haliva and Stephan Schmid, its co-directors, for setting up such a magnificent enterprise and making me feel at home from the moment I set foot in the door. In Hamburg I benefit every day from the wisdom, friendship, and patience of my colleagues Daniel Davies, Michael Engel, Anne-Sarah Fiebig, Libera Pisano, José MarÃa Sánchez de León Serrano, Zeâev Strauss, Michela Torbidoni, and Maria Wazinski.
Finally, my family. Here I am at a loss for words. Studies of this nature tend to take a tremendous toll out of the authorâs proximate environment, and my own was no exception. My parents, Nurit and Shmuel Meyrav, besides offering endless love and support, did everything they could, as committed grandparents, to offer me time and space whenever I needed them. The same holds for my mother in law, Lea Shavit, who was always readily available, patient, and kind.
This project grew alongside my children; Romi got things going, and Adam joined us as things began to take shape. Although too young to understand what it was that their father was doing, they completely understood the importance I attached to it, uttering the expression âdaddyâs doctorateâ with a charming blend of reverence and mystique. In full objectivity I declare that they are the best children in the world.
To properly describe the part Anat, my companion, the love of my life, played in this adventure would demand a separate volume, much longer than this one. I could have never, ever, done this without her. Anat, this book is dedicated to you.