Science in Poetic Contexts: Astronomy and Astrology in the Hebrew Poetry of Sepharad

Abstract

This article is a preliminary overview of the presence of astronomical-astrological knowledge in a considerable number of poems written by Jews in Sepharad or rooted in the Sephardic tradition (11th-15th c.). Scientific knowledge, notably astronomical and astrological concepts, played an important role in the curriculum of medieval Muslims and Jews, as did poetry. However, the transmission of scientific knowledge in poetic form took place not only in Arabic, but also in Greek and Latin (didactic poetry). In addition, early piyyutim (written outside the Sephardic tradition and prior to Muslim influence) also made brief references to astronomical subjects. In any case, it seems that astronomy and astrology in Hebrew flourished mainly in Sepharad and under Arabic influence, which also left an impressive imprint on the poetic work of its Jews, samples of which will be considered here (with translations in the appendix).