Moses Halevi: A Jewish Andalusian Avicennist in the Age of Averroes and Maimonides

Only a handful of medieval Jewish philosophers are known to have openly endorsed Avicenna's views against the overwhelming dominance of Averroes. Of these philosophers, the Andalusian Moses Halevi stands out as Avicenna's fiercest advocate against Averroes's attacks. Nevertheless, we know almost nothing about him, and his ideas have yet to be systematically studied or contextualized. The present paper offers, for the first time, a comprehensive overview of his persona and works. I argue that all previous attempts to situate Moses Halevi chronologically are unfounded and suggest that he should, based on an analysis of his works and ideas, be placed in the final third of the 12th century. He should be regarded as a rare example of an Andalusian philosopher who operates within an Avicennan framework and responds to Averroes in real time. In the context of Jewish thought, he should be regarded as a pre-Maimonidean author.