Moses de León facts for kids
Moses de León (born around 1240, died 1305) was a Spanish rabbi and a special kind of Jewish scholar called a Kabbalist. In Hebrew, his name was Moshe ben Shem-Tov. He is famous for making the book called the Zohar well-known.
The Zohar is a very important book in Kabbalah, which is a mystical part of Judaism. Moses de León said he was just writing down old traditions from a wise man named Shimon bar Yohai. However, many modern experts believe that Moses de León actually wrote the Zohar himself.
He also wrote other books, like Sefer ha-Rimon. This book was written in Hebrew. He also wrote many other texts, like letters and commentaries. He sometimes said these were written by older, respected teachers.
Life of Moses de León
Moses de León was born in León, which was part of the Kingdom of León in what is now Spain. At that time, the Kingdom of León was joined with the Crown of Castile. Some people think he might have been born in Guadalajara. If so, his last name, "de León," would have come from his father, Shem-Tov de León.
He lived for about 30 years in Guadalajara and Valladolid. After that, he moved to Ávila, where he spent the rest of his life. Moses de León passed away in 1305 in a town called Arévalo. He was on his way home when he died.
See also
In Spanish: Mosé ben Sem Tob de León para niños
