Book of Direction to the Duties of the Heart (The Littman Library of Jewish Civilization)

ibn Pakuda, Bahya Ben Joseph; Mansoor, Menahem [Editor]

ISBN 10: 1904113230 / ISBN 13: 9781904113232

Published by The Littman Library of Jewish Civilization in association with Liverpool University Press, 2004

About this Item

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Seller Inventory # Q-1904113230

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Book of Direction to the Duties of the Heart (The Littman Library of Jewish Civilization)
• Publisher: The Littman Library of Jewish Civilization in association with Liverpool University Press
• Publication Date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1904113230
• ISBN 13: 9781904113232
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: New
• Weight: 22 ounces

About this title

Synopsis

Bahya Ibn Pakuda was born c. 1050, and lived for some time in Saragossa in Spain. His major work was written in Arabic, but it is most well-known by its Hebrew title Hovot ha-Levavot (Duties of the Heart). It enjoyed enormous popularity and was reprinted many times.

In the book Bahya investigates the motivation of Jewish practice and embarks on a philosophical enquiry into the nature of God, religion, and man. He was very much influenced by the Neoplatonism of his age, as well as by the Muslim mystics.

This edition by Menahem Mansoor is the first translation of the work from the original Arabic text, and this shows a number of variations from the Hebrew version. He has added an Introduction and Notes which draw attention to the influences on Bahya’s thought and to other relevant material.

‘The accepted and normative translation . . . reliable and readable. This book belongs in even the smallest collections of Judaica, as well as of ethical literature.’ Choice

About the Author

Menahem Mansoor is Chairman in the Department of Hebrew and Semitic Studies at the University of Wisconsin.