RESEARCH ARTICLE
A T ansla o a Wo k: Samuel ben Judah o Ma seilles’s
T ansla ion No es on Alexande ’s De Anima
[ e sion 1; pee e iew: 1 app o ed, 2 app o ed wi h ese a ions]
Hanna Paulmann
Religions, Uni e si y o Hambu g, Hambu g, Hambu g, 20148, Ge many
Fi s published: 07 Oc 2025, 5:306
h ps://doi.o g/10.12688/open eseu ope.20551.1
La es published: 07 Oc 2025, 5:306
h ps://doi.o g/10.12688/open eseu ope.20551.1
1
Abs ac
Backg ound
Samuel ben Judah o Ma seilles’s mid- ou een h-cen u y Heb ew
ansla ion o Alexande o Aph odisias’s De anima, made om Is?aq
ibn ?unayn’s nin h-cen u y A abic ansla ion o he o iginal G eek,
su i es in ou manusc ip s. Th ee o hese con ain Samuel’s no es on
his ansla ion, which disclose a weal h o in o ma ion conce ning
ex ual p oblems he aced, edi o ial decisions he ook, and his
unde s anding o he ex and i s a gumen s.
Me hods
The p esen pape analyses hese no es, which ha e ne e been
s udied be o e, acco ding o philosophical and philological me hods.
Resul s
My analysis shows ha Samuel is a philosophically engaged ansla o
who app oaches Alexande ’s ex wi h a ex -c i ical a i ude ha
enables him o ende i in a mo e cohe en and accessible o m han
ha ound in he A abic manusc ip ha se ed as his sou ce. Thus,
his pape deepens ou unde s anding o Samuel’s ac i i y as a
ansla o ,
Conclusions
These esul s shows ha we should ake ansla o s se iously as
philosophical agen s in hei own igh and compels us o s udy
manusc ip s ha con ain ansla ions o ind and explo e he
ansla o s’ own oices wi hin o nex o hei wo ks.
Open Pee Re iew
App o al S a us
123
e sion 1
07 Oc 2025 iew iew iew
Yehuda Halpe , Ba Ilan Uni e si y, Rama
Gan, Is ael
1.
jacobus naude, Uni e si y o he F ee S a e,
Bloem on ein, Sou h A ica
2.
Richa d Pleijel, S ockholm Uni e si y,
S ockholm, Sweden
3.
Any epo s and esponses o commen s on he
a icle can be ound a he end o he a icle.
Open Resea ch Eu ope
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Open Resea ch Eu ope 2025, 5:306 Las upda ed: 21 NOV 2025
Co esponding au ho : Hanna Paulmann ([email p o ec ed])
Au ho oles: Paulmann H: Concep ualiza ion, Da a Cu a ion, In es iga ion, Resou ces, Visualiza ion, W i ing – O iginal D a
P epa a ion
Compe ing in e es s: No compe ing in e es s we e disclosed.
G an in o ma ion: This p ojec has ecei ed unding om he Eu opean Union’s Ho izon 2020 esea ch and inno a ion p og amme
unde g an ag eemen No [101041376] (p ojec name: [HEPMASITE]).
The unde s had no ole in s udy design, da a collec ion and analysis, decision o publish, o p epa a ion o he manusc ip .
Copy igh : © 2025 Paulmann H. This is an open access a icle dis ibu ed unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion License,
which pe mi s un es ic ed use, dis ibu ion, and ep oduc ion in any medium, p o ided he o iginal wo k is p ope ly ci ed.
How o ci e his a icle: Paulmann H. A T ansla o a Wo k: Samuel ben Judah o Ma seilles’s T ansla ion No es on Alexande ’s De
Anima [ e sion 1; pee e iew: 1 app o ed, 2 app o ed wi h ese a ions] Open Resea ch Eu ope 2025, 5:306
h ps://doi.o g/10.12688/open eseu ope.20551.1
Fi s published: 07 Oc 2025, 5:306 h ps://doi.o g/10.12688/open eseu ope.20551.1
Keywo ds
Samuel ben Judah o Ma seilles; Alexande o Aph odisias; De Anima;
T ansla ion; Heb ew Philosophy; Heb ew Manusc ip s; Medie al
Philosophy; A is o elian Psychology.
This a icle is included in he Eu opean
Resea ch Council (ERC) ga eway.
This a icle is included in he Ho izon 2020
ga eway.
Open Resea ch Eu ope
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1. In oduc ion
Samuel ben Judah o Ma seilles, a a he colou ul igu e o
he in ellec ual ci cles o ou een h-cen u y F ance, ans-
la ed Isḥaq ibn Ḥunain’s A abic ansla ion o Alexande o
Aph odisias’s De Anima in 1324 and hen e ised his ans-
la ion in 1340. The wo k su i es in ou manusc ip s, h ee
o which con ain his wo king no es co e ing ex ual p ob-
lems, edi o ial decisions, and explana ions. These no es a e an
impo an i s -pe son es imony o a schola a wo k, and hey
can each us bo h abou his ansla ing me hods (including
his edi o ial decision-making ega ding a ian s ha accom-
pany he ex ) and abou his unde s anding o he philosophi-
cal a gumen s in he ex . Fu he mo e, some o Samuel’s no es
e e di ec ly o Isḥaq’s los A abic e sion o he wo k, which
allows us a glimpse a he ex ual adi ion o he A abic ex .
Though p e iously ecognized by schola s, he esea ch on
hese no es so a has been e y limi ed.1
The p esen pape will s udy Samuel’s wo king no es on his
ansla ion, wi h a iew o deepening ou unde s anding o
Samuel and his wo k as a ansla o . As such, i also se es as
a con ibu ion o he small bu impo an body o schola ship
abou Heb ew ansla o s’ wo king no es.2 In he cou se o his
pape , i will become e iden ha Samuel is a philosophically
engaged ansla o who app oaches he ex wi h a ex -c i ical
a i ude.
To achie e his, I will i s gi e a sho in oduc ion o
Samuel and Alexande ’s De Anima (Sec ion 2). Then, I will
o e a de ailed discussion o i e o Samuel’s ansla ion no es,
which gi e insigh in o di e en aspec s o his ansla ion
p ocess (Sec ion 3). Finally, I will summa ize he esul s o
he discussion, con ex ualize hem, and p esen he akeaways
o his pape (Sec ion 4).
2. F om Alexande o Samuel
Alexande (bo n be ween 140 and 165 CE in Aph odisias, a
ci y in Ca ia, mode n-day Tu key) w o e many highly in lu-
en ial commen a ies on A is o le’s wo ks and also com-
posed o iginal wo ks in which he elabo a es on and de ends
A is o elian poin s o iew. A is o le’s doc ine o he soul se ed
as ma e ial o Alexande on wo sepa a e occasions, bu while
mos o his commen a y on A is o le’s De Anima was los
qui e ea ly (11, pp. 317–24), his independen wo k on he soul
( oge he wi h i s supplemen , usually e e ed o as “Man issa,”
a collec ion o smalle ex s on a ious ma e s) has su i ed,
p ese ing access o his unde s anding o A is o le’s De Anima
and ende ing i a aluable esou ce o engagemen wi h he
his o y o A is o elian psychology since he Middle Ages.
Fo he mos pa , Alexande ’s De Anima ollows bo h he
s uc u e and he doc ine o A is o le’s De Anima. Howe e ,
he app oaches he opic in a sys ema ic way a he han making
use o A is o le’s dialec ical manne and d aws om he
comple e A is o elian co pus o embed he discussion o he
soul in i s heo e ical ame (12, pp. 1–3). Wi h his app oach,
he no only cla i ies A is o le’s doc ine o he soul, bu also
p esen s i as a cohe en pa o A is o le’s o e all philosophi-
cal sys em. Alexande ’s De Anima was ansla ed in o A abic by
Isḥaq ibn Ḥunain (d. 910 o 911 AD), who ansla ed di ec ly
om he G eek (5, p. 317), bu his ansla ion is los (2, p. xi ).3
Samuel comple ed his Heb ew ansla ion o Alexande ’s De
Anima in 1324 in Mu cia, sou he n Spain, and made i acces-
sible o he public a e a e ision in Mon élima in 1340
unde he i le שפנב רמאממ (T ea ise on he Soul) (5, pp. 296,
298).4 As he was ac i e in he i s hal o he ou een h
cen u y, Samuel s ands a he a he end o he ansla ion
mo emen ha saw many philosophical wo ks being ans-
la ed om A abic in o Heb ew.5 Acco ding o Mo i z S ein-
schneide , Samuel’s ansla ion is based on a good A abic
manusc ip (4, p. 152), and he closely ollows he A abic ex
(2, pp. xi –x ). Samuel’s Heb ew ansla ion su i es in ou
manusc ip s: Pa is BN héb. 89313, Pa is BN héb. 89414, Be lin
O . Oc . 33215, and, agmen a ily, in Munich Cod. Heb .
38916.6 O hose ou , no manusc ip con ains all he no es, and
Be lin 332 con ains none.
Samuel closes his ansla ion wi h a colophon,7 in which he
gi es de ails o he ansla ion p ocess and me hods. Many
o he hings he add essed in he colophon can be seen in he
su i ing manusc ip s. He complains abou he obscu i y o
he ex , wo sened by he chain o ansla ions (5, p. 317),
a ema k ha is also ound in some o his ansla ion no es
in he ma gins o he ex . Samuel also gi es some de ails
1 Resea ch on Samuel’s ansla ions and his no es can be ound in
Günsz1, which desc ibes he Heb ew manusc ip s and p in ed he sec-
ion o Samuel’s ansla ion ha deals wi h he in ellec as well as pa
o he colophon; Alexande o Aph odisias2, which con ains pa s o
S einschneide ’s ansla ions om he Heb ew ex , his commen s abou
some passages, and e en some o Samuel’s ansla o ’s no es; Be line
and Ho mann3, in which S einschneide p in ed he comple e colophon
(pp. 8–10); S einschneide 4, which gi es a b ie o e iew o Samuel’s
ansla ion and he manusc ip s in which i is p ese ed (pp. 152–53);
and, mo e ecen ly, Be man5, which gi es an accoun o Samuel’s li e
and wo ks and con ains a ansla ion o his colophons, and inally,
in Be man’s edi ions o wo o Samel’s ansla ions (6 and 7).
2 Namely, Fon aine8, which discusses ibn Tibbon’s ansla ion no es;
F aenkel9, which s udies ibn Tibbon’s glosses and analyses hem
in o de o lea n abou his ansla ion me hods, his way o explain-
ing echnical e minology, and his unde s anding o Maimonides’s
ex ; and Mey a 10, which is dedica ed o Moses ibn Tibbon’s wo king
no es and e aces he his o y o ansla ion and e ision o he Heb ew
e sion o A e oes’s Epi ome o he Physics.
3 The G eek ex also se ed as he sou ce o La in ansla ions, which
ha e no ele ance o his pape . Hence, I will me ely no e b ie ly ha
he e is one ansla ion by Hie onymus Dona us ha was published in 1495
and a pa ial ansla ion da ed o he six een h cen u y by a ce ain An o-
nius de Albe is, who may, acco ding o F. Edwa d C anz, be iden ical
wi h An onio di Niccolò degli Albe i (bo n 1495) (17, pp. 84–88; 2, p. xi ).
4 Fo he mos ecen e o s o illumina e Samuel’s biog aphy and wo ks,
see Be man5– 7, and Zon a18.
5 Fo in o ma ion on he imeline o his ansla ion mo emen and he
di e en ways philosophy became accessible in Heb ew, see Ha ey19.
6 I ha e gi en a mo e de ailed desc ip ion o he manusc ip s in he
ex ended da a (20, pp. 1–4).
7 The ab idged e sion o Samuel’s colophon o his ansla ion o De
Anima ound in Be lin 332 was i s published by Günsz1. The i s com-
ple e p in ing o he colophon as ound in he wo Pa isian manusc ip s,
which was unde aken by S einschneide , can be ound in Be line
and Ho mann (3, pp. 8–10). I was ep in ed in he chap e on Samuel
in Renan (21, pp. 553–67) and ansla ed in i s en i e y by Be man5.
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abou his ansla ion me hod. He s a es ha in his i s ansla-
ion, he did no ollow all he a ian eadings he ound in he
A abic, bu some imes p e e ed he eading o he main ex
(p. 318). This can be seen in he manusc ip s ha con ain a i-
an s in he ma gins ha a e ma ked wi h he A abic le e nun,
wo o which Samuel discusses ega ding which eading should
be p e e ed. He desc ibes ha his guiding p inciple in edi -
ing was wha he hough o be he u h (ibid.). Many o he
hings ha he co ec ed du ing his e isions we e amended
acco ding o his “conjec u e and opinion and wha seemed
o me o be co ec a e ex ao dina y s udy” (p. 319). This
oo can be seen in he manusc ip s, which con ain ma ginal
no es in which Samuel sugges s o poin s ou co ec ions. In
he las pa o his colophon, he men ions ha he in oduced
di isions in o he ex acco ding o i s subjec ma e
(pp. 319–20), which s ill exis in he su i ing manusc ip s.
3. No es
In o al, he e a e nine een di e en no es w i en by Samuel
ound ac oss he manusc ip s and hey include bo h philological
and philosophical con en . In he ollowing discussion, I will
examine i e o hem in de ail o show Samuel’s engagemen
wi h he ex du ing he ansla ion p ocess. All o he no es and
hei e e ence passages can be ound alongside he G eek ex
and a co esponding English ansla ion in he ex ended da a,
(20, pp. 4–24). Fo simplici y’s sake, I ha e numbe ed hem
and will hence o h e e o hem by hei espec i e numbe .
3.1. No e 1: Engagemen wi h a ex ual p oblem8
In his i s su i ing no e, Samuel add esses a p oblem he
has no iced in he ex and o e s al e na i e eadings in an
a emp o sol e i . The passage in ques ion belongs o he
beginning o Alexande ’s De Anima, in which Alexande
discusses how ma e and o m cons i u e a body and in wha
way hey con ibu e o he quali ies o he body hey cons i u e.
In he G eek passage ( igh hal o Table 1a), Alexande a gues
ha a compound o ma e and o m has i s being in i ue o
i s o m. His i s p emise is ha e e y body, be i a i icial
o na u al, is wha i is in i ue o i s o m (2, 7.4–5). He hen
equa es he o m o a hing wi h i s comple ion and pe ec ion
(G : τελειότης: eleio ēs; Heb .: תומלשש: šelemu ) (2, 7.5–6) and
d aws he conclusion ha “when con e ed” (G .: ἀντιστρέψαντι:
an is epsan i; Heb .: �פ�ת�ש��פ�ת�ש��: ke-še-hi hapekh), i is also
ue ha e e y body has i s being in i ue o i s o m and
ha his o m is he pe ec ion o i s body (2, 7.4–8). The dis-
inc ion ha Alexande d ew be ween a i icial and na u al
bodies ha is men ioned in his a gumen p ecedes his passage.
A i icial bodies a e hose ha a e c a ed by someone pos-
sessing an a , o example, a ca pen e (2, 2.25–3.13).
Na u al bodies, on he o he hand, a e o med na u ally
wi hou anybody in en ionally c a ing hem, and a e p io o
a i icial bodies (2, 3.13–17).
The Heb ew ansla ion o he quo ed passage (le hal o
Table 1a) di e s om he sense o he G eek ex as i is
ansmi ed ega ding Alexande ’s an eceden , acco ding o
which e e y body, be i a i icial o na u al, is wha i is in i ue
o i s o m. Mos no ably, he G eek passage καὶ πολὺ πρότερον
ἔτι τῶν κατὰ φύσιν (kai poly p o e on e i ōn ka a physin:
“and, e en p io o ha , each hing < o med> na u ally”)
unde goes a ans o ma ion in he co esponding Heb ew
passage םייעבט� םימשג� וארקי �רובעבוו (u-baʿa u ah yiqqa e’u
ha-gešamim ha-ṭi eʿiyyim: “and o i s [i.e., a ’s] sake, hey
a e called na u al bodies”). Ins ead o πολὺ πρότερον (poly
p o e on: “p io ”), he Heb ew ex eads �רובעבוו (u-baʿa u ah:
“and o i s sake”). Fu he mo e, in he Heb ew passage, a
Table 1a. The e e ence ex o no e 1 in Heb ew and G eek wi h English ansla ion.
Heb ew passage (13,
. 4א)English ansla ion G eek passage (2,
p. 7) English ansla ion (9,
pp. 35–36)
The e o e, i should
necessa ily be said ha each
body’s culmina ion is h ough
a o m.
Bu i each body ha is
cons i u ed by a , and
o i s [i.e., a ’s] sake,
is called a na u al body,
hen i is wha i is by o m,
and his [i.e., he o m] is he
culmina ion o each o hem.
The e o e, his s a emen ,
when con e ed, is ue, and
i is ha he hing by which
each body composed o
ma e and o m is wha i
is is he same hing, i s o m
and culmina ion.
[7.2–8] […] εὐλόγως
ἑκάστῳ τῶν σωμάτων
ἐν τῷ εἴδει ἡ τελειότς
ἂν εἶναι λέγοιτο.
Ἀλλὰ εἰ κατὰ τὸ εἶδος
ἑκάστῳ τῶν τε κατὰ
τέχνην συνεστώτων
καὶ πολὺ πρότερον
ἔτι τῶν κατὰ φύσιν
τὸ εἶναι τοῦτο ὅ
ἐστι, καὶ τοῦτ΄ ἔστιν
ἡ ἑκάστου τελειότης,
καὶ ἀντιστρέψαντι
ἀληθὲς τὸ καθ’ ὃ τὸ
εἶναί ἐστιν ἑκάστῳ
τῶν ἐξ ὕλης τε καὶ
εἴδος συνθέτων, τοῦτ’
εἶναι τὸ εἶδος αὐτοῦ
καὶ τὴν τελειότητα.
[…] hen i would make
sense o say ha each
body’s culmina ion is in
i s o m.
Ye , i each hing pu
oge he by a and,
e en p io o ha ,
each hing o med
na u allyis jus wha i
is in i ue o i s o m,
and [ he o m] is he
culmina ion o each,
hen i is ue, when
con e ed, ha ha in
i ue o which e e y
compound o ma e
and o m has i s being is
i s o m and culmina ion.
8 This no e is he i s one in Pa is 894. Despi e he passage being ma ked, i
is no ound in Pa is 893 and is hus he only su i ing no e ha is no ound
in ha manusc ip .
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epe i ion o םתדימעע (ʿamida am: “ hei cons i u ion”) is nei he
assumed, as happens in he G eek wi h he wo d συνεστώτων
(synes ō ōn: “pu oge he ”), no explici ly epea ed, bu
ins ead, he new e b וארקיי (yiqqa e’u: “ hey a e called” o
“ hey a e called upon”) is added. I וארקיי is unde s ood as “ hey
a e called,” hen he Heb ew main ains ha a i icial bodies
a e called na u al bodies, which di e s om he G eek mean-
ing, acco ding o which na u al bodies a e p io o a i icial
bodies. This Heb ew eading ende s he ex philosophi-
cally p oblema ic. Pe haps unde s anding וארקיי as “ hey a e
called upon” makes be e sense; i may mean ha na u al
bodies a e u ilized o he sake o a , which is cohe en wi h
Alexande ’s iew. None heless, wi h he A abic ansla ion
los , i emains unclea how exac ly his ph asing came o be
based on he G eek.
The second di e ence is he s uc u e o he an eceden . In
i s Heb ew ansla ion, he an eceden o he condi ional
in he G eek is b oken up by an addi ional �נ�� (hine: “ hen”)
o c ea e a condi ional wi hin he an eceden . The new
an eceden is “i each body ha is cons i u ed by a , and o
i s [i.e., a ’s] sake, is called a na u al body” and he conse-
quen “ hen i is wha i is by o m.” This condi ional, i ue,
would equi e a lo o addi ional in o ma ion o explain why
his should be he case.
Samuel’s no e on his passage (Table 1b) sugges s ha he
no iced ha he ex is p oblema ic in i s cu en s a e. In his
no e, he add esses he ou wo ds םייעבט� םימשג� וארקי �רובעבוו
(“and o i s [i.e., a ’s] sake, hey a e called na u al bodies”),
sugges ing ha hey we e no in he o iginal G eek ex and
no ing ha he canno make sense o hem. S ill, he decided
o lea e hem in he ex and o e s al e na i e ansla ions
o וארקיי – namely, ואבויי (yu e’u: “ hey a e b ough o h”)
and ובושיי (yašu u: “ hey become, hey e u n”) – in an a emp
o sol e i .
The e b ואבויי has he basic meaning “ o b ing,” which can
also ake on a causal no e o “ o b ing o h.” Replacing
וארקיי wi h ואבויי would c ea e a sen ence ha exp esses ha
na u al bodies a e b ough o h o he sake o a . Since na u al
bodies can, in ac , be used o a , his eading p ese es he
co ec ela ion be ween na u al and a i icial bodies.
The second op ion Samuel men ions is ובושיי, which in his
case seems o ca y he meaning “ o become.” The e a e wo
ways o unde s and he passage wi h his meaning. Ei he i is
ead as a i icial bodies becoming na u al bodies, which would
u n he ac ual ela ion be ween a i icial and na u al bodies
upside down, o i is ead as na u al bodies coming o be
o he sake o a , which is simila o he eading wi h ואבויואבויי.
All h ee op ions can be ead in a way ha is philosophically
meaning ul and ha a oids iden i ying a i icial and na u al
bodies. Howe e , hey do no gi e any mo e cla i y o he i s
condi ional ha is o med om he an eceden in he G eek
ex by an addi ional �נ�� in he Heb ew ex , so his passage
emains p oblema ic.
3.2. No e 6: Inse ion o a co ec ion in o he ex
In no e 6, Samuel explains ha he has inse ed a nega ion
in o he ex ha he did no ind in he A abic manusc ip
ha p o ided him wi h his sou ce ex . E en hough he had
no access o he G eek ex , he co ec ly es o ed a nega ion
ha exis ed in he G eek, bu was los a some poin du ing he
ansmission p ocess, he eby emedying an absu di y c ea ed
by he los nega ion. I e e s o a passage in which Alexande
a gues ha he soul has mo e han one powe .
Alexande ’s a gumen is ha i he e was only one powe o
he soul, hen he soul o e e y li ing being would be able o
exe e e y kind o ac i i y as long as adequa e objec s o
his ac i i y we e p esen . The e a e, howe e , li ing beings
ha canno exe some powe s o he soul despi e he p es-
ence o adequa e objec s. I only he lack o co esponding
o gans we e o blame, hen one would ha e o admi ha hese
powe s exis ed in ain in his li ing being, hus unde min-
ing he claim ha na u e does no hing in ain ( igh hal o
Table 2a). The Heb ew ex ollows he a gumen o he G eek
ex (le hal o Table 2a).
In his no e, Samuel desc ibes how he nega ion ןיאא (ein) in he
ph ase “ hese ac ions will no be in hese species o animals
due o he lack o o gans” was no in he A abic manusc ip
om which he ansla ed and ha he added i (Table 2b).
Wi hou his nega ion, his passage would be ende ed absu d,
Table 1b. Samuel’s no e 1 in Heb ew and wi h English ansla ion.
No e 1 in Heb ew (14, . 3א) English ansla ion
Samuel he ansla o said: I seems o
me ha he ou wo ds lis ed we e no
c ea ed [i.e., hey we e no in he o iginal
ex ], and I canno make sense o hem
in any way, bu so I ound hem and so
I ha e le hem. Ins ead o he wo d
וארקי, i is possible o ansla e he wo d
ואבוי (“b ough [ o h]”) o he wo d ובושי
(“become”). I do no unde s and [ he ex ]
in any manne [o eading i ].
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since he e is no meaning ul way o say ha an animal can
exe ce ain ac i i ies because hey lack he co esponding
o gan. Samuel’s in e en ion, he e o e, elimina es he absu di y
and co esponds o he ex as i is ansmi ed in G eek.
I should be no ed ha changing he main ex cons i u es a
a he d as ic in e en ion. Samuel in o ms he eade abou he
change in his no e, bu no es a e no always copied. A eade
o he Be lin manusc ip 15, which does no con ain Samu-
el’s no es, would no know ha Samuel was he one inse ing
i . They would he e o e be comple ely unawa e ha he e
was a p oblem in his passage and would mo eo e lack
in o ma ion o make up hei own mind abou which e sion is
co ec , which, in u n, a ec s he way he ex is ecei ed
and unde s ood.
3.3. No e 2: Rep oduc ion o a ma ginal no e
No e 2 ep oduces a ma ginal no e ha Samuel ound in he
A abic manusc ip om which he was ansla ing, which explains
he e m ἐντελέχεια (en elecheia: “comple ion”). He deems
ha i does no belong o he main ex and a ibu es i o he
A abic ansla o Isḥaq ibn Ḥunain. Howe e , a compa ison
wi h he G eek ex as ansmi ed shows ha pa s o i belong
o he main ex , which gi es ise o ques ions abou he o igin
o his passage.
The passage o which his no e e e s is pa o an a gu-
men ha he soul is he i s comple ion o a li ing being.
In he G eek ex , Alexande desc ibes how A is o le equa es
he culmina ion o a hing (G .: τελειότης: eleio ēs; Heb .:
תומילשש: šelemu ) wi h i s comple ion. He explains ha i is called
“comple ion” because i is esponsible o a hing becoming
comple e and ha he e o e, A is o le cha ac e ized he soul
as he “ i s comple ion” (ἐντελέχεια ἡ πρώτη: en elecheia
hē p ō ē) ( igh hal o Table 3a).
The Heb ew ex shows ha he A abic ansla ion ollowed he
G eek ex closely, e en ansc ibing ἐντελέχεια in o A abic,
om which a Heb ew ansc ip ion was made (אי�לטנאא), since
he discussion is abou a G eek e m. Howe e , he explana-
Table 2a. The e e ence ex o no e 6 in Heb ew and G eek wi h English ansla ion.
Heb ew passage (13, .
ב13)English ansla ion G eek passage (2,
p. 27) English
ansla ion (12,
p. 53)
We ind some animals
ha ha e a powe
o he soul, and i is
impossible o hem
o pe o m i s [i.e., he
soul’s] o he ac i i ies,
e en hough he
hings ha i needs
o he ac ions ha i
pe o ms h ough he
same powe s exis . Fo
i someone says ha
hese ac ions will no
be in hese species o
animals due o he lack
o he [co esponding]
o gans, hen he denies
ha na u e does
no hing in ain.
[27.9–13] […] εἶναι
δὲ τινα <ζῷα>, ἃ
δύναμιν ψυχῆς
ἔχοντα μηκέτ΄
ἐνεργεῖν κατὰ τὰς
ἄλλας ἐνεργείας
δύναται καίτοι
τῶν πραγμάτων
ὄντων περὶ ἂ ἁι
κατ΄ ἐκείνας τὰς
δυνάμεις ἐνέργειαι.
Εἰ γὰρ λέγοι τις δι΄
ὀργάνων ἀπορίαν ἐν
τούτοις μὴ γίνεσθαι
τὰς ἐνεργείας,
ἀναιρήσει τὸ μηδὲν
μάτην ποιεῖν τὴν
φύσιν.
[…] and he e a e
hings ha ha e a
powe o soul, bu
canno engage
in o he ac i i ies
beyond i , e en
when he e a e
objec s p esen
which he ac i i ies
co esponding
o hese powe s
conce n. Fo i
someone we e o
claim ha hese
ac i i ies do no
occu in hem
[solely] due o a
lack o o gans, he
will unde mine he
claim ha na u e
does no hing
supe luous.
Table 2b. Samuel’s no e 6 in Heb ew and wi h English ansla ion.
No e 6 in Heb ew (13, . ב13) English ansla ion
Samuel he ansla o said: The wo d
“no ” was no in he A abic om which I
ansla ed.
I his nega ion o my own acco d.
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ion o ἐντελέχεια and he cha ac e iza ion o he soul as a i s
comple ion (unde lined in he G eek and in Cas on’s ansla ion
in he able) is missing in he Heb ew main ex . A e equa ing
he hing’s culmina ion wi h i s comple ion, he ex imme-
dia ely con inues by dis inguishing be ween wo kinds o
culmina ion ( igh hal o Table 3a).
In he no e o his passage, Samuel explains ha he ound
a no e in he ma gins ha does no seem o belong o he
main ex . He ela es ha no e in Heb ew and, a e he quo-
a ion, says ha he hinks ha i s ems om he A abic
ansla o Isḥaq ibn Ḥunain (Table 3b). Pa s o he no e he
quo ed con ain he pa s ha a e missing in he Heb ew main
ex : namely, he desc ip ion o he meaning o he wo d
ἐντελέχεια as “ ha which is in a hing when i ends” (ם� רשא�
רבדב �י�יש �מ: ma še-yihye be-da a ka-aše am). A e ha ,
howe e , he e is an addi ional ollow-up explana ion ha
does no exis in he G eek, which desc ibes ha he comple-
ion is wha a hing has in he end and ha his comple ion is he
cause o ac ion. The G eek ph ase “i makes sense, hen, ha
he o e ed his so o he cha ac e isa ion” is ende ed as
“The e o e, i is necessa ily u e ed in his way, and his is an
exp ession ha includes he de ini ion and he desc ip ion,” and
he quo a ion ends by saying ha “i s” de ini ion, which,
acco ding o con ex , should be he soul’s de ini ion, is a i s
comple ion (Table 3b).
The no e ha Samuel quo es is an explana o y passage
ha is missing om he Heb ew main ex , bu con ains an
addi ional explana ion ha is no ound in he G eek. This
cons ella ion aises ques ions abou he o igin o his passage
and he addi ional explana ion wi hin i . B uns does no no e ha
his passage is missing in his sou ces in his c i ical appa a us.
Ne e heless, i emains an open ques ion whe he i was
emo ed in he A abic adi ion o in he G eek adi ion, and
also, i i was emo ed in he G eek adi ion, whe he i was
o iginally pa o he main ex o no . The same applies o
he ques ion o whe e he addi ional explana ion comes om
and how i en e ed he passage in ques ion. This no e,
he e o e, ells o a p oblem ha migh go back o he G eek
adi ion, and as such, i is also o in e es o schola s o
classics.
3.4. No e 3: C i icism o an a gumen
In no e 3, we ind a no e by Samuel ha does no pe ain o
he ansla ion. Ra he , i con ains a c i ical s ance owa ds
Alexande ’s manne o a gumen a ion.
This passage is pa o Alexande ’s a gumen ha o ms can-
no be bodily. A e gi ing an a gumen as o why o ms
a e no bodily acco ding o his own concep ion o a body,
he also a gues ha o ms a e no bodily acco ding o he
S oic concep ion o a body, because acco ding o he S oics,
quali ies – and wi h ha , o ms – a e bodies (12, p. 100n162).
The o e all claim o which Alexande wan s o a gue is ha
o ms canno be bodies (e en acco ding o he S oics), and
he does so by way o a educ io a gumen . Acco ding o he
S oic concep ion o a body, he says, a body is ei he ma e
Table 3a. The e e ence ex o no e 2 in Heb ew and G eek wi h English ansla ion.
Heb ew passage (13, .
ב8–9א)English ansla ion G eek passage (2, p.
16) English ansla ion (12,
p. 43)
And i has al eady been
explained ha he o m is a
culmina ion o ha o which
i is a o m. I is also in he
habi o A is o le o call he
culmina ion en elechy in
G eek.
This comple ion is o wo kinds.
One o hem is a disposi ion
and po en iali y, and he o he
is he ac uali y ha [p oceeds]
om ha po en iali y. And
he po en iali y is he i s
comple ion o hese wo.
[16.4–10] […] τὸ δὲ
εἶδος, οὗ ἐστιν εἶδος,
ἐδείχθη καὶ τελειότης
ὄν, ἔθος δὲ Ἀριστοτέλει
τὴν τελειότητα καὶ
ἐντελέχειαν λέγειν,
ῶς τοῦ ἐν τῷ τέλει
εἶναι τὸ πρᾶγμα οὗ
ἐστιν οὖσαν αἰτίαν,
εἰκότως αὐτῆς ἀπέδωκε
τοιοῦτον τὸν λόγον:
ἐντελέχεια ἡ πρώτη.
Διττὴ γὰρ ἦν ἤ
τελειότης, ἠ μὲν ἓξις τε
καὶ δύναμις, ἡ δὲ ἀπο
τῆς δυνάμεως ἐνέργεια,
ὧν ἡ δύναμις ἦν πρώτη
[…].
[…] and i has u he been
shown ha he o m is
a culmina ion o ha o
which i is a o m; and i is
cha ac e is ic o A is o le o
say ha he culmina ion is a
comple ion,
since i is esponsible o
he ac ha he objec o
which i belongs is comple e,
i makes sense, hen, ha
he o e ed his so o
cha ac e isa ion: [ he soul] is
a “ i s comple ion.”
Fo he e a e wo kinds o
culmina ion, (a) one which
is a disposi ion and powe
and (b) ano he which is he
ac i i y issuing om ha
powe , and o hese he
powe is i s […].
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o composed o ma e . In he passage quo ed in he able, he
denies ha o m can be ma e , because ma e does no pos-
sess any quali y, while o m is, in a way, a quali y ( igh
hal o Table 4a). A e his passage, Alexande con inues by
gi ing se e al a gumen s ha he o m canno be composed o
ma e and o m ei he , hus concluding ha he o m canno be
bodily acco ding o he S oic de ini ion o a body (2,
17.18–18.10).
The Heb ew di e ges om he G eek in wo signi ican aspec s.
The i s is ha he enume a ion o op ions as o wha a body
migh be in he G eek ex no longe applies o bodies, bu o
he o m. In he ph ase “whoe e says ha i is…” ha p ecedes
he enume a ion, he “i ” is a eminine p onoun (אי�שבב:
be-še-hi’) and hus e e s o “ o m” (�רו��: ṣu ah) and no o
“body” (םשגג: gešem), which is masculine (le hal o Table 4a).
The second di e ence is ha simple bodies (טושפ םשגג: gešem
pašuṭ) we e added o his enume a ion as a i s op ion
(le hal o Table 4a). This addi ion can be explained by
Alexande ’s discussion ha he soul canno be a simple body,
which ollows his discussion o whe he o ms can be composed
o ma e and o m (2, 19.21–20.26).
B uns’s c i ical appa a us o he G eek ex does no
men ion his a ian . Howe e , i is possible ei he ha he sim-
ple bodies we e an o iginal pa o he enume a ion, bu a e
missing om he G eek manusc ip s ha su i ed – hey migh
ha e been emo ed because simple bodies a e hemsel es
composed o ma e and o m and he e o e seemed
edundan – o ha hey we e added in some manusc ip s o
make he lis o op ions a he beginning co espond wi h all
he discussed op ions o how a o m (o he soul, which is a
kind o o m) could be a body.
These wo changes c ea e a ex s a ing ha o ms can-
no be bodies, no e en acco ding o hose who hink ha
o ms a e ei he simple bodies o ma e o composed o
ma e and o m. So, while he conclusion o he a gumen
is s ill he same – namely, ha o ms a e no bodies – he
educ io a gumen does no wo k as i does in he G eek
ex , because now, ins ead o enume a ing wha kinds o
being coun as a body, he Heb ew ex enume a es wha
kinds o beings coun as a o m. In he passage in he able,
Alexande ules ou ha o ms a e ma e , and a e wa ds,
he a gues ha o ms a e no composed o ma e and o m
ei he (2, 17.17–19.20), no a e souls simple bodies (2,
19.21–20.26). So i , acco ding o he Heb ew ex , he S oics
claim ha o ms a e ei he simple bodies o ma e o com-
posed o ma e and o m, and he only hing o which
Alexande subsequen ly a gues is ha o ms a e nei he ,
hen he conclusion ha can be d awn om his is ha he
S oics had a w ong concep ion o o m, no ha o ms a e no
bodies. The e o e, he e is no explici a gumen in he Heb ew
ex o he claim ha o ms a e no bodies.
Samuel add esses his p oblem in his no e. He complains ha
while Alexande wan s o a gue agains he claim ha a o m is
a body, he ends up p o iding an a gumen ha o m is no ma -
e (and la e ha o m is no composed and ha souls a e
no simple bodies), which only add esses he S oic concep-
ion o o m, no he claim ha o ms a e no bodies. This
disc epancy lea es Samuel demanding ha Alexande close
he gap wi h a p oo o he o iginal claim ha he o m is no a
body. Fu he mo e, e en i such a claim we e sel -explana o y,
he sugges s a di e en con inua ion o he sen ence. In
he main ex , he sen ence con inues wi h “ o o m is no
ma e ” (ילוי� �ניא �רו��ש �זוו: we-ze še-ha-ṣu ah einah hiyuli).
This ph asing sugges s ha he a gumen ha o ms a e no
Table 3b. Samuel’s no e 2 in Heb ew and wi h English ansla ion.
No e 2 in Heb ew (13, . ב8) English ansla ion
Samuel he ansla o said: I ound one
anno a ion he e and I hink ha i is no
pa o he main ex , and i is his:
The meaning o his noun in G eek is
“ ha which is in a hing when i ends,”
meaning ha in he end, his comple ion
is wha he hing has. Tha which is he
comple ion o his hing is he cause
o ac ion. Tha which is he comple ion
o his hing is he cause o ac ion.
The e o e, i is necessa ily u e ed
in his way, and his is an exp ession
ha includes he de ini ion and he
desc ip ion. And i s de ini ion is he i s
en elechy
I said: I hink ha his anno a ion was
[made] by Isḥaq ibn Ḥunayn, he i s
ansla o .
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ma e is pa o he a gumen ha o ms a e no bodies, which,
as we ha e seen, does no wo k in he Heb ew ex . Ins ead,
Samuel sugges s changing i o “and o m is no ma e ”
(ילוי� �ניא �רו��וו: we-ha-ṣu ah einah hiyuli) (Table 4b). This
ph asing de aches he a gumen ha o m is no ma e om
he claim ha o m is no a body and ins ead s a s a new
a gumen , hus doing jus ice o he al e ed con ex o he
a gumen .
3.5. No e 7: Engagemen wi h a ex ual a ian
The las no e I will discuss is no e 7, in which Samuel dis-
cusses a a ian ound in he ma gins. This a ian belongs o a
g oup o ma ginal no es con aining a ian s ha a e ma ked
wi h he A abic le e nun. In his colophon, Samuel men ions
ha he ound ma ginal no es in he A abic manusc ip om
which he was wo king and ha he did no always ollow hem,
depending on whe he he ma ginal no e o he main ex
seemed mo e eliable o him (5, p. 318). No e 7 a es s o
his engagemen wi h a ian s in he ma gins o which Samuel
e e s.
The passage o which no e 7 e e s discusses he ela ionship
be ween being nou ished and g owing.
In he G eek passage, Alexande explains why nou ishing
and g owing a e no he same ac i i y. Animals nou ish hem-
sel es du ing hei whole li es, which makes nou ishmen
he mos con inuous (συνεχεστάτη: syneches a ē) ac i i y o
he soul. G owing, on he o he hand, is some hing animals
only do o a ce ain pe iod o hei li es, since some s a o
sh ink a e eaching a ce ain age ( igh hal o Table 5a).
The Heb ew ex con ains he same kind o explana ion. An
animal is nou ished as long as i “endu es” (ראשנ דימת�ש �ממ:
ma še-hi mid niš’a ), meaning as long as i exis s. The e o e,
as pe he main ex , i is “below” (�טמלל: le-maṭa) he ac i i-
ies o he soul. This no ion di e ges om he G eek, which
desc ibes his ac i i y as “con inuous.” The inal pa o he
explana ion conce ns he con as be ween g owing and nou -
ishing by saying ha hings will no always g ow, e en
hough hey a e nou ished, because hey a e nou ished as long
as hey exis , bu hings ha a e al eady dec easing, and hus no
longe g owing, s ill exis (le hal o Table 5a).
In his no e, Samuel discusses a ma ginal no e he ound, w i -
ing ha he “inne o mula ion” (תימינפ�� אחסנ��: ha-nusḥa’
ha-penimi ), meaning he o mula ion in he main ex , is co -
ec and ha he hinks ha he “ou e one” (�נו�ח��: ha-ḥiṣona),
meaning he one in he ma gins, is w ong. The o mula-
ion his no e add esses is “below he ac i i ies” in he main
ex and “wi hou he ac i i ies” (תולועפ ידעלבב: bil‘adei pe‘ulo )
in he ma gins. Samuel exp esses his p e e ence o nou ishing
being unde s ood as an ac i i y “below” he ac i i ies o he
soul (Table 5b).
The o mula ion in he ma gins hea ily con adic s he A is o-
elian de ini ion o he soul as a li e p inciple ha enables li ing
beings o pe o m he ac i i ies ha a e ypical o li ing
Table 4a. The e e ence ex o no e 3 in Heb ew and G eek wi h English ansla ion.
Heb ew passage (13,
. ב9)English ansla ion G eek passage (2,
p. 17) English ansla ion
(12, p. 44)
And because o his, i [i.e., a o m] is
also no a body, since his is no possible;
nei he acco ding o whoe e says ha
i [i.e., he o m] is a simple body, o
ma e , no [a composi e o ] ma e and
o m, as he ollowe s o [ he way o ]
da kness [i.e., he S oics] I is no clea
how exac ly he S oics became “ ollowe s
o he way o da kness.” In B uns’s edi ion,
S einschneide ema ks ha he A abic
e m migh ha e been Ahl al- uwāq, which
Samuel migh no ha e unde s ood (2,
p. 17). He be A. Da idson, on he o he
hand, men ions ha he A abic ansla ion
o Alexande ’s De In ellec u ansla es he
S oics as “membe s o he shaded a ea”
(al-miẓalla) (22, pp. 297–80), which migh
se e as an al e na i e explana ion o
Samuel’s ansla ion o S oics as “ ollowe s
o he way o da kness.” The e is only
one o he occu ence o he S oics in
Alexande ’s De Anima (2, 26.16), which
Samuel ansla ed in he same way as he
did in his passage (13, . 13 ). hough ,
ha he o m is a body. Fo he o m
is no ma e , because ma e does no
ecei e quali ies, whe eas he o m is a
ce ain quali y.
[17.15–18] Ἀλλ΄
οὐδὲ κατὰ τοὺς
λέγοντας πᾶν σῶμα
ἢ ὕλην ἢ ἐξ ὕλης,
εἶναι (ὡς τοῖς ἀπὸ
τῆς Στοᾶς δοκεῖ)
εἴη ἂν τὸ εἶδος
σῶμα. Οὔτε γὰρ
ὕλη τὸ εἶδος (ἡ μὲν
γὰρ ἄποιος, τὸ δὲ
ποιότης τις)
A o m, u he mo e,
canno be a body
along he lines o
hose who claim, like
he S oics, ha e e y
body is ei he ma e
o composed om
ma e . Fo o m is no
ma e , since he la e
is quali yless, while
he o me is a kind o
quali y.
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Yes
Is he a gumen pe suasi e and suppo ed by e idence?
Yes
I any, a e all he sou ce da a and ma e ials unde lying he esul s a ailable?
Yes
Does he esea ch a icle con ibu e o he cul u al, his o ical, social unde s anding o he
ield?
Yes
Compe ing In e es s: No compe ing in e es s we e disclosed.
Re iewe Expe ise: Linguis ics o P emode n Heb ew (Syn ax (synch onic and diach onic),
Seman ics, Discou se Analysis, Sociolinguis ics and Applied Linguis ics) as well as al e i y and
o ali y in Religious T ansla ion. My esea ch seeks o unde s and al e i y (“o he ness”) o ancien
cul u e and o p ese e i while ep esen ing i in elligibly o mode n use s. In my cu en
esea ch I u ilise complexi y heo y o in eg a e seemingly dispa a e oci (p e-mode n Heb ew
linguis ics and eligious ansla ion).
I con i m ha I ha e ead his submission and belie e ha I ha e an app op ia e le el o
expe ise o con i m ha i is o an accep able scien i ic s anda d, howe e I ha e
signi ican ese a ions, as ou lined abo e.
Re iewe Repo 08 No embe 2025
h ps://doi.o g/10.21956/open eseu ope.22236. 62585
© 2025 Halpe Y. This is an open access pee e iew epo dis ibu ed unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons
A ibu ion License, which pe mi s un es ic ed use, dis ibu ion, and ep oduc ion in any medium, p o ided he
o iginal wo k is p ope ly ci ed.
Yehuda Halpe
Ba Ilan Uni e si y, Rama Gan, Is ael
This is an impo an con ibu ion o an a ea o s udy ha is un il now almos en i ely neglec ed. I
e e o ea ing he ma ginalia o a ansla o as hei own con ibu ion o a s udy. The only wo k
o do his has been Ca los F ankel's s udy o Samuel Ibn Tibbon's ma ginal no es (see no e 9). S ill,
his is a e y di e en wo k, since i is ma ginalia o a scien i ic ex by a single au ho , Samuel ben
Judah o Ma seilles. The e has been an impo an s udy o his hinke by Be man (see no e 6), bu
his new s udy adds a g ea deal o nuance ha is no p esen in he ea lie s udy.
The e a e h ee hings ha I would sugges o imp o emen .
1. The mo emen be ween he no es and he manusc ip s is cumbe some. The olio lis ed is
usually ollowing Pa is BNF 893, bu no always (in he i s one). The olio numbe s o each
Open Resea ch Eu ope
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manusc ip in he edi ed no e should be men ioned each ime.
2. How do we know ha hese no es a e all by Samuel ben Judah? Some o hem a e a ibu ed o
him in some (o all?) manusc ip s. No e 1 is no a ibu ed, hough I could no ind i in he
manusc ip . Bu hese could be misa ibu ions made a an ea lie ms sou ce. This should be
add essed in de ail and explained. Re e ence he e should be made o F aenkel's wo k, which
no es he di icul y in a ibu ing o Samuel Ibn Tibbon e e y ma ginal no e con eyed in his name.
3. In 3.1.No e 1, he au ho no es ha he G eekπρότερον comes in o Heb ew as . I should
be no ed ha in many medie al Heb ew sc ip s is qui e simila o and ha he la e
may ha e been a eading ea lie in he chain o ansmission. is, in ac , a ai ly good
ansla ion o πρότερον.
Is he wo k o iginal in e ms o ma e ial and a gumen ?
Yes
Does i su icien ly engage wi h ele an me hodologies and seconda y li e a u e on he
opic?
Yes
Is he wo k clea ly and cogen ly p esen ed?
Yes
Is he a gumen pe suasi e and suppo ed by e idence?
Yes
I any, a e all he sou ce da a and ma e ials unde lying he esul s a ailable?
Yes
Does he esea ch a icle con ibu e o he cul u al, his o ical, social unde s anding o he
ield?
Yes
Compe ing In e es s: No compe ing in e es s we e disclosed.
Re iewe Expe ise: Medie al Jewish and Islamic Philosophy. T ansmission o G eek philosophy
in o Heb ew and A abic. Medie al Heb ew manusc ip s.
I con i m ha I ha e ead his submission and belie e ha I ha e an app op ia e le el o
expe ise o con i m ha i is o an accep able scien i ic s anda d.
Open Resea ch Eu ope
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Open Resea ch Eu ope 2025, 5:306 Las upda ed: 21 NOV 2025
