Isaac Ben-suleiman

Isaac ben-Suleiman

(Salomo) Israeli, a Jewish philosopher and philologian, was born in Egypt about 845. He was a physician by profession, and as such attained to very high distinction, serving from 904 to his death at Kairuan, as private physician to the reigning prince, and celebrated as the author of several medical works valuable even in our day.' But also as philologian and philosopher he attained great notoriety, more particularly as the author of a philosophical commentary on the first chapters of Genesis, treating of the Creation, of which, however, only a part is now extant. It bore the title of Sefer Jezirah, whence the error that he wrote a commentary on the book Jezirah. He died about 940. See Gratz, Gesch. d. Juden, 5, 282 sq. (J. H. W.)