AbrahamAvenezra,Liberdenativitatibus

Author:AbrahamIbnEzra(fl.ca.11401160,mainlyinItalyandFrance).
Original title: the Liber de nativitatibus, which can be dated to 1154 on the basis of internal
evidence,appearstohavebeenoriginallycomposedinLatin,mostprobablybyAbrahamIbn
Ezra himself or under his supervision (see Smithuis). It is therefore not likely to be a
translationofalostHebrewversionofAbrahamsSeferhaMoladot(BookofNativities,1148)
madebyHenriBateofMalines,aswassuggestedbySela.TheSeferhaMoladotwastranslated
twiceintoLatin,byPeterofAbanoaroundtheendofthe13thcentury(asLibernativitatumet
revolutionumearum)andbyLudovicusdeAnguloin1448(asTractatusdenativitatibus).
Significance: the Liber de nativitatibus is extant in at least four manuscripts and one printed
edition.
Contents:thisworkexplainshowtointerpretanativity(birthhoroscope)intwelvechapters
corresponding to the twelve houses. Several authorities are quoted, including Hermes,
Ptolemy,Andruzagar,Messahallah,Zael,andAlbumasar.

Reproduction:Venice,ErhardusRatdolt,1484[WarburgFAH750],sig.a2rc4v.Thisvolume
also includes Henri Bate of Maliness Compositio astrolabii (sig. c5rd6r), which has been
retainedinthepresentonlineedition.
Title:IncipitliberAbrahamIudeidenativitatibus.
Inc.: Dixit quoque Abraham Iudeus: Optimum instrumentorum ad inveniendum gradum
orienteminnativitatibus[TK,1015].
Expl.: ... et pecudibus iudicat singuli secundum proprium. Explicit feliciter liber Abraham
Iudeiutilissimusineaparteastrologiequedenativitatibustractat,cumfigurisexemplaribus
singulisdomibusantepositis.

Bibliography: L. Thorndike, The Latin Translations of the Astrological Tracts of Abraham

Avenezra, Isis, 35, 1944, pp.293302 (pp. 297298); S. Sela, Abraham Ibn Ezra and the Rise of
Medieval Hebrew Science, LeidenBoston, 2003, pp. 6264; R. Smithuis, Science in Normandy
and England under the Angevins: The Creation of Abraham Ibn Ezras Latin Works on
AstronomyandAstrology,inHebrewtoLatin,LatintoHebrew:TheMirroringofTwoCulturesin
theAgeofHumanism.ColloquiumheldattheWarburgInstitute,London,October1819,2004,ed.
G. Busi, BerlinTorino, 2006, pp. 2359 (esp. pp. 3446); R. Smithuis, Abraham Ibn Ezras
AstrologicalWorksinHebrewandLatin:NewDiscoveriesandExhaustiveListing,Aleph,6,
2006,pp.239338(pp.251252).

(NoticebyDavidJuste)