Seats of the Soul

Joseph Ibn Zabara

Late 12th Century

Therefore doth it behoove every man to bless and to praise Him for all the good He hath conferred upon man; to exalt Him, to honor Him, to sanctify Him, and to declare His unity, in the thoughts of his heart and in his imaginings, when he sitteth, and when he riseth, and upon all his ways, for that He hath satisfied all his needs. And I His servant…

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Joseph Ibn Zabara’s “Seats of the Soul” was composed in verse, perhaps to facilitate memorization. It is made up of 126 rhymed and metered couplets, and the beginning lines start with an acrostic of Ibn Zabara’s name. These excerpts offer assorted theological reflections on the human body. Ibn Zabara praises God’s wisdom in the creation of various organs and body parts.

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Creator Bio

Joseph Ibn Zabara

ca. 1140–ca. 1200

Joseph ben Meir Ibn Zabara was a physician and poet from Barcelona. His Hebrew Book of Delight (Sefer sha‘ashu‘im) is written in saj‘, rhymed prose, interspersed with poems, and was intended to entertain the reader. In it, Ibn Zabara displayed his knowledge of Arabic and Hebrew literature and dealt with scientific topics at some length. He dedicated this work to Sheshet Benveniste (d. 1209), the Jewish nasi (“prince”; indicating a claim to Davidic descent) who served in the court of Alfonso II, king of Aragon (d. 1196). Joseph also composed a Hebrew didactic medical poem about human anatomy.

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