Creator Bio
Shabbetai Donnolo
913–ca. 982
Shabbetai ben Abraham Donnolo was a physician from Oria, in Apulia, a region of southern Italy. He is primarily known for The Book of Ḥakhmoni (Sefer ḥakhmoni), a Hebrew work of biblical exegesis, medicine, philosophy, and astrology, written in the form of a commentary on the Book of Creation (Sefer yetsirah). In the autobiographical section, Donnolo recounts that at the age of twelve he was kidnapped and eventually ransomed by his family. Donnolo knew rabbinic literature, geonic writings, and Greek and Latin medical works. The Book of Great Value (Sefer ha-yakar), also by him, is a work of pharmacology.
Content by Shabbetai Donnolo
Primary Source
The Book of Ḥakhmoni: Introduction
I, Shabbetai, son of Abraham, called Donnolo the doctor, with the help of the ever-living God who grants wisdom, understanding and knowledge, have sought to discover valuable things (Ecclesiastes 12…
Primary Source
The Book of Great Value
Sefer ha-yakar, 1-2, 6, 17-19
This is a book on electuaries, beverages, powders, poultices, ointments, and the cloths called paplasia of medicine. It was written by Shabbetay the physician, surnamed Donnolo bar Avraham who left…
Primary Source
The Book of Ḥakhmoni: On the Human Body
He [God—Ed.] made for him [man—Ed.] the orifices of the eyes and their eyelids, so that he may look through them and see when they are open, and see nothing when they are shut. Moreover, when he wants…