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Jacob ben-Abba-Mari ben-Simon

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(Simson), generally known as Jacob Anatoli (ANATOLIO), a Jewish philosopher, was born in Provence in the latter half of the 12th century. He was the son-in-law of the celebrated writer Samuel Ibn-Tibbon, and, like him, became an ardent follower of Maimonides. In early life he acquired a thorough knowledge of the Arabic language, and this enabled him to translate many of the philosophical works for the benefit of his Jewish brethren. But, unlike his great master, he was inclined to rationalism to such a degree that he set about attempting to explain the miracles of the O.T. Scriptures in a natural way. His fame soon spread abroad, and when the emperor Frederick II, the last of the Hohenstaufen, looked about for a translator of Aristotle, his eves fell on Anatoli, and he was invited to Naples, and paid an annuity from the emperor's private purse to perform the arduous task, or, according to some, to assist in the undertaking. He prepared, in conjunction with Michael Scotus, a translation of the Greek philosopher, together with the commentary by the Arabian philosopher Averroes (Ibn-Rosill), into the Latin (comp. Gr tz, Gesch. d. Juden, 7, 105, note 1; Roger Bacon, Opera, 2, 140; Renan, Averroes et l'Arerroisme, p. 163 sq.). Jacob Anatoli died about 1250. (See SCHOLASTICISM); (See SCOTUS (MICHAEL).) (J. H.W..)