The Book of Ḥakhmoni: Introduction

The Book of Ḥakhmoni (Sefer ḥakhmoni) is a very early example of Hebrew Neoplatonic thought. Most of the text, whose title is related to the Hebrew word for wisdom (ḥokhmah), deals with philosophical issues, but the introduction includes autobiographical details. In these excerpted passages, Shabbetai Donnolo recalls his tumultuous and peril-filled early life and describes how he later developed an interest in learning the sciences. He explains that his Jewish contemporaries failed to understand these disciplines, motivating him to expand his knowledge, both for his own sake and for that of his readers. According to Donnolo, the scientific knowledge that he sought was to be found in Jewish literature, but non-Jewish writing was easier to understand. The Book of Ḥakhmoni was evidently popular, surviving in thirty-two manuscript copies.