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Article ID: CBB040144572

The Mechanism of General Providence in the Astronomical-Astrological Section of Levi ben Abraham's Livyat ḥen (2020)

Garshtein, Niran (Author)

Aleph: Historical Studies in Science and Judaism
Volume: 20
Issue: 1
Pages: 203-228

URI: https://muse.jhu.edu/article/776500

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Science and religion Cosmology Astronomy Astrology Medieval Levi Ben Gershon Levi Ben Abraham Ben Hayyim

The third book of Levi ben Abraham ben Ḥayyim's voluminous treatise, Livyat ḥen, is a compendium of astronomical and astrological knowledge. In its twelfth chapter, Levi describes a cosmological mechanism that ensures optimal thermal conditions for human life, thereby securing the persistence of the inhabited world. Levi identifies this mechanism with God's general providence, or at least one aspect of it. This article examines the mechanism in detail, and sheds light on Levi's views on the providential role of the celestial bodies. The article also shows that the mechanism was known to Gersonides, and compares it with Gersonides' naturalistic account of providence. In addition, the article identifies some of the scientific sources Levi drew on in compiling the astronomical-astrological section of Livyat ḥen, and provides insight into its overall profile.

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