Samuel S. Kottek
The Hebrew Univesity of Jerusalem, IL
Keywords:
Hebrew medicine, Avicenna , Canon
Abstract
The Hebrew manuscript of Avicenna's Cannon, today in the University Library of Bologna ( Ms. 2197) dates from about the middle of the XVth century; it contains six full-page illuminations which have probably been performed by Northern-Italian artists. The study of the pictures may help modern comprehension of the relationships between medieval men, illnesses and age of life, and it clarifies the profound ethical links correlating physicians with patients and their entourage. The text, written in Hebrew square capitals and Rashi italics, clearly show how, on the threshold of Italian Renaissance, Hebrew was still considered, as Greek and Latin, one of the classical languages.
