The contemplative soul : Hebrew poetry and philosophical theory in medieval Spain / by Adena Tanenbaum.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 247-273) and indexes.

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During the eleventh and twelfth centuries, Jewish poets in Islamic Spain introduced philosophical themes into their devotional verse. Drawn to Neoplatonic thought, they made liberal use of its myth of the soul to explore the human relationship with the Divine. This novel merger reflected a conviction that ideas borrowed from Greco-Arabic philosophy meshed comfortably with traditional Jewish approaches to prayer and spirituality. This study focuses on Solomon Ibn Gabirol, Moses Ibn Ezra, Abraham Ibn Ezra, and Judah Halevi, polymath poets who also wrote philosophically-informed prose works. It probes the contemplative motifs in their religious verse, uncovering new and, at times, unorthodox layers of meaning. The book includes the Hebrew texts of representative poems accompanied by original English translations and detailed analyses.

Table of Poems -- Preface -- 1. From Greco-Arabic Thought to Hebrew Poetry -- 2. God, Man, and the Universe: Solomon Ibn Gabirol's Keter Malkhut -- 3. A Sermon to the Soul: Solomon Ibn Gabirol's ""Shabbe i nafshi le- urekh"" -- 4. Intertwined Exiles: Moses Ibn Ezra's ""Nafshi ivvitikha ba-laylah"" -- 5. The Adornment of the Soul: A Philosophical Motif -- 6. Meditation on the Soul as a Prelude to Prayer: Abraham Ibn Ezra's ""Imrat ye idah le-ya id ya atah"" -- 7. The Motif of Self-Knowledge: ""From My Flesh I Behold God""

8. Anti-rationalism or Metaphysical Skepticism? Judah Halevi's ""Shuvi nafshi li-mnu aykhi"" -- 9. An Inventive Heir: Judah Al arizi and his Andalusian Models -- 10. The Afterlife of the Genre: The Reception and Transformation of Andalusian Poems on the Soul -- Bibliography -- Bibliographical Abbreviations -- Primary Sources -- Secondary Literature -- Indices -- Index of Poems -- Index of Sources -- General Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- W -- Y -- Z.

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