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Moses de León
c.1240–1305 · Iberia (Castile)Iberian
Description
Moses de León, known in Hebrew as Moshe ben Shem-Tov, was a Spanish rabbi and Kabbalist who first publicized the Zohar. Modern scholars believe the Zohar is his own work, despite his claim to have copied it out of an ancient manuscript by Shimon ben Yochai. His other works include Sefer ha-Rimon, written in Hebrew, and hundreds of pseudepigraphic responsa, commentaries, and Kabbalistic tracts which he falsely attributed to earlier authorities.
Facts
| Born | c. 1240, León, Kingdom of León |
| Died | 1305, Arévalo, Kingdom of Castile |
| Known for | Kabbalah |
| Religion | Judaism |
Life & work in brief
Summarised by section — one row per topic, for fast reading.
| Work / contribution | Significance |
|---|---|
| Life | Moses de León was born in León, Kingdom of León in modern-day Spain, then united with the Crown of Castile. |
| Pardes | Moses de León was the first to advance the Kabbalistic theory of Biblical exegesis, as a Jewish adaptation of the fourfold method of Biblical exegesis from medieval Christianity. |
