Ibn Tibbon
Ibn Tibbon is a family of Jewish rabbis and translators that lived principally in southern France in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
Abraham ibn Tibbon
Translator of Aristotle's "Economics".
Jacob ben Machir ibn Tibbon
Provençal astronomer; born, probably at Marseilles, about 1236; died at Montpellier about 1304. He was a grandson of Samuel ben Judah ibn Tibbon. His Provençal name was Don Profiat Tibbon; the Latin writers called him Profatius Judæus. Jacob occupies a considerable place in the history of astronomy in the Middle Ages. His works, translated into Latin, were quoted by Copernicus, Reinhold, and Clavius. He was also highly reputed as a physician, and, according to Jean Astruc ("Mémoires pour Servir à l'Histoire de la Faculté de Médecine de Montpellier," p. 168), was regent of the faculty of medicine of Montpellier.
In the controversy between the Maimonists and the anti-Maimonists Jacob defended science against the attacks of Abba Mari and his party; the energetic attitude of the community of Montpellier on that occasion was due to his influence.
Jacob became known by a series of Hebrew translations of Arabic scientific and philosophical works, and above all by two original works on astronomy. His translations are: (1) the "Elements" of Euclid, divided into fifteen chapters; (2) the treatise of Kosta ben Luka on the armillary sphere, in sixty-five chapters; (3) "Sefer ha-Mattanot," the "Data" of Euclid; (4) a treatise of Autolycus on the sphere in movement; (5) three treatises on the sphere of Menelas of Alexandria; (6) "Ma'amar bi-Tekunah," or "Sefer 'al Tekunah," in forty-four chapters, from Abu 'Ali ibn Ḥassan ibn al-Ḥaitham; (7) treatise on the use of the astrolabe, in forty chapters, from Abu al-Kasim Aḥmad ibn al-Ṣaffar; (8) compendium of the "Almagest" of Ptolemy, from Abu Muhammed Jabar ibn Aflaḥ; (9) "Iggeret ha-Ma'aseh be-Luaḥ ha-Niḳra Sofiḥah," from Abu Isḥaḳ; ben al-Zarḳalah; (10) preface to Abraham bar Ḥiyya's astronomical work; (11) an extract from the "Almagest" on the arc of a circle; (12) "Ḳiẓẓur mi-Kol Meleket Higgayon," Averroes' compendium of the "Organon" (Riva di Trento, 1559); (13) Averroes' paraphrase of books xi.-xix. of Aristotle's history of animals; (14) "Mozene ha-'Iyyunim," from Ghazali.
The two original works of Jacob are: (1) a description of the astronomical instrument called the quadrant (Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, MS. No. 1054), in sixteen chapters, the last of which shows how to construct this instrument; it was translated several times into Latin; (2) astronomical tables, beginning with March 1, 1300 (Munich MS. No. 343, 26). These tables, also, were translated into Latin and enjoyed the greatest repute.
Judah ben Moses ibn Tibbon
Rabbi in Montpellier; took part in the dispute between the followers and the opponents of Maimonides. He induced his relative Jacob ben Machir ibn Tibbon to support the Maimonidean party by pointing out that the anti-Maimonideans were the opponents of his grandfather Samuel ibn Tibbon and of the son-in-law of the latter, Jacob ben Abba Mari ben Samson ben Anatoli. In consequence of this, Jacob ben Machir ibn Tibbon protested against the reading of Solomon ben Adret's letter to the community of Montpellier, which nevertheless took place in the synagogue of that city on the following day, a Sabbath, in the month of Elul, 1304. According to Jacob ben Machir ibn Tibbon, Judah wrote various works. None of them are extant.
Judah ben Saul ibn Tibbon
Translator; born at Granada, Spain, 1120; died after 1190. He left his native place in 1150, probably on account of persecution by the Almohades, and went to Lunel in southern France. Abraham ibn Ezra, expresses some doubt as to the authenticity of this commentary on account of its often very unsatisfactory explanations. According to Steinschneider, it was merely a supercommentary on Abraham ibn Ezra.
(3) "Sefer Pe'ah," an allegorical explanation of haggadic passages in the Talmud and the Midrash (Neubauer, "Cat. Bodl. Hebr. MSS." No. 939, 9).
(4) Commentary on the weights and measures of the Bible and the Talmud (Vatican MSS., No. 298, 4; see Assemani, "Catal." p. 283; Steinschneider, "Joseph ibn Aḳnin," in Ersch and Gruber, "Encyc." section ii., part 31, p. 50; "Ginze Nistarot," iii. 185 et seq.).
(5) "Sefer ha-Tanninim," mentioned by Isaac de Lattes (l.c.), but without indication of its contents.
(6) Letter on questions raised by his father, Samuel ibn Tibbon, in regard to Maimonides' "Moreh Nebukim" (Neubauer, "Cat. Bodl. Hebr. MSS." No. 2218, 2).
Moses ibn Tibbon's translations are even more important and numerous than his original works. They include versions of Arabic works on philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, and medicine.
Samuel ibn Tibbon
Son of Moses ibn Tibbon; first mentioned in a responsum of Solomon ben Adret (Neubauer, in "R. E. J." xii. 82 et seq.), which narrates a suit brought by Samuel against his rich young cousin Bionguda (). Bionguda was the youngest of three daughters born to Bella, the daughter of Moses ibn Tibbon. After the death of her husband, Jacob ha-Kohen (1254), Bella went to Marseilles, where Bionguda became engaged to Isaac ben Isaac. Samuel ibn Tibbon, who at that time was probably living at Marseilles, contested the legality of the marriage to Isaac ben Isaac, saying that he had made Bionguda his legal wife while she was still living at Naples. Bionguda denied this.
Samuel ben Judah ibn Tibbon
A separate article exists on Samuel ben Judah ibn Tibbon.
