Article ID: CBB040144572

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

unapi

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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Authors & Contributors
Goldstein, Bernard R.
Freudenthal, Gad
Sorokina, Maria
Wuidar, Laurence
Stuckrad, Kocku von
Stroud, Rick
Concepts
Astronomy
Astrology
Cosmology
Science and religion
Jewish civilization and culture
Arab/Islamic world, civilization and culture
Time Periods
Medieval
Ancient
14th century
Early modern
Renaissance
13th century
Places
Europe
Spain
Greece
India
Middle and Near East
England
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