The Oath

Asaf ha-Rofe’

8th or 9th Century

[1]‌ This is the pact which Asaph ben Berakhyahu and Yoḥanan ben Zabda made with their pupils, and they adjured them with the following words:

[2]‌ Do not attempt to kill any soul by means of a potion of herbs, [3] Do not make a woman [who is] pregnant [as a result of] of whoring take a drink with a view to causing abortion, [4] Do not covet beauty…

Please login or register for free access to Posen Library
Register
Already have an account?
Engage with this Source

These ethical guidelines for doctors appear at the end of The Book of Asaf (spelled here Asaph). The Hebrew text contains significant parallels to the ancient Hippocratic oath as well as the Greek Didache, likely of the first century, and the Latin Doctrina apostolorum, which closely parallels that work. Physicians must treat their patients with integrity and trust in the healing power of God.

Read more
Restricted
Some content is unavailable to non-members, please log in or sign up for free for full access.

Related Guide

Intellectual Culture in the Early Medieval World

6th to 12th Century

You may also like

Treatise on the Art of Logic

Maqāla fī ṣinā‘at al-manṭiq, Introduction, Chapters 6, 8 (selections)

In the name of God, the merciful and the compassionate! An eminent person, one of the masters of the juridical sciences and the possessors of clarity and eloquence in the Arabic language…
View Source

Book of the Discipline of Wisdom

Sefer musar haskel, Chapters 48-49 (selections)

The Ga’on says, It is clear to us that the soul is created and renewed, just as other substances are created and renewed; and this renewal is the creation of something out of nothing, in a…
View Source

The Refiner

Matsref, Introduction, Chapters 2-4 (selections)

I have called this book The Refiner, for its purpose is to refine and purify my knowledge and that of my friends, by means of that which I have written therein as the product of my own…
View Source

Commentary on the Mishnah: Introduction

Introduction (selections)

When you find an animal or plant that, in your opinion, does not provide any benefit or sustenance, this is due to our deficient knowledge. Instead, it must be the case that every herb, every fruit…
View Source