Letter to the Sages of Provence: On Astrology

This Hebrew letter, written in response to a query from the sages of Provence, presents Maimonides’ most thorough treatment of astrology, as well as reflections on creation ex nihilo and other philosophical doctrines that overlap with his other writings. Maimonides’ rejection of the possibility that the stars and the planets influence human behavior places him in the minority of medieval Jewish thinkers. Here and elsewhere, he asserts that magical practices and attempts to predict the future based on the stars violate biblical prohibitions due to their falsity, not simply because they are idolatrous or theologically problematic. In these excerpts, Maimonides recounts his own encounter with astrology—he studied it in his youth—and belittles its adherents.