Yehuda ben Moshe facts for kids
Yehuda ben Moshe ha-Kohen was a very smart person who lived a long time ago, in the 1200s. He was the personal doctor for King Alfonso X of Castile in Spain.
Yehuda was also a brilliant astronomer, which means he studied stars and planets. He was a key figure at the Toledo School of Translators. This was a special place where important books were translated. He helped turn many scientific works from Arabic and Hebrew into Castilian, which is an old form of Spanish.
Besides his work as a doctor and translator, Yehuda ben Moshe was also the Rabbi (a Jewish religious leader) of the main Synagogue in Toledo. He was one of the most important people in the Jewish community there at that time.
Amazing Works
As part of the Toledo School of Translators, Yehuda helped translate many important books.
- He worked with Alvaro de Oviedo to translate a big book about astrology called Liber de Judiciis Astrologiae. This book talked about how stars might influence events.
- He also translated the Lapidario, with help from Garci Pérez. This book was about different types of stones and their properties.
- Yehuda helped create the famous Alfonsine tables. These tables were like a guide that showed where the Sun, Moon, and planets were in the sky compared to the stars. They were very important for astronomers.
Some other books he worked on included:
- Tratado de la açafeha (translated into Latin).
- Tetrabiblon or Quatriparito by Ptolemy.
- Books about how stars might affect people and the special powers of 360 different stones.
- Other astronomy books like IIII libros de las estrellas de la ochaua espera, Libro de las cruces, and Libros del saber de Astronomía.
A Special Mission to Portugal
There's a famous story about Yehuda ben Moshe. The Crown Prince of Portugal, Denis of Portugal, became very sick. No doctor could figure out what was wrong with him.
At the time, the king's priest believed that God was punishing the king. This was because the king had Jewish officials working in his government. People worried that the kingdoms of Portugal and Spain, which were about to become allies, might turn against Jewish people and force them to leave.
Legend says that Yehuda ben Moshe decided to act. He traveled to Portugal and managed to see the sick prince. Yehuda quickly realized the prince had a serious blood-clot. This is a clump of blood that can block blood flow.
Yehuda performed a very difficult operation. It was a success, and he saved the prince's life! Because of this brave act, he helped stop the plan to expel Jewish people from Spain and Portugal.
See also
In Spanish: Yehuda ben Moshe para niños
