Abraham Bar Hiyya - Translations

Translations

As has already been stated, Abraham bar Ḥiyya assisted a number of scholars in their translations of scientific works. But there is still a great deal of doubt as to the particulars. A number of Jewish translators named Abraham existed during the 12th century, and it is not always possible to identify the one in question. It is only possible, therefore, to give the titles of the works thus translated, without touching upon the question of authorship, or inquiring into the language of the originals, as follows:

• De Horarum Electionibus, the well-known treatise of Ali ben Aḥmad al-Imrani.
• Capitula Centiloquium, astrological aphorisms.
• A commentary of Aḥmad ibn Yusuf on the Centiloquium, attributed to Ptolemy.
• De Astrolabio of Rudolph de Bruges.
• Liber Augmenti et Diminutionis, a treatise on mathematics; a manuscript in the Bibliothèque Nationale of Paris (7377 A).

Abraham b. Ḥiyya or (as Rapoport in his introduction to the Hegyon ha-Nefesh, p. 63, suggests) Ḥayya, so as to rime with "Zakkaya", was a pioneer in his field of work. In the preface to his book, Ẓurat ha-Areẓ he modestly states that, because none of the scientific works such as exist in Arabic was accessible to his brethren in France, he felt called upon to compose books which, though containing no research of his own, would help to popularize knowledge among Hebrew readers. His Hebrew terminology, therefore, occasionally lacks the clearness and precision of later writers and translators.