Moses, or Moses the son of Maimon, a celebrated rabbi, called by the Jews the eagle of the doctors, was born of an illustrious family at Cordova in Spain, in 1131. The early part of his education was undertaken by his father, who afterwards placed him under the tuition of Rabbi Joseph, the son of Megas, a person on whose profound learning he has bestowed the highest praise; and according to Leo Africanus, he had also among his tutors the learned Arabians Ibn Thophail and Averoes. He is commonly named Moses Aegyptius, because he settled in Egypt, where he spent his whole life in quality of physician to the sultan. Here he opened a school, which was soon filled with pupils from all parts, from Alexandria and Damascus especially, whose proficiency under him spread his fame all over the world. He was no less eminent in philosophy, mathematics, and divinity, than in medicine. Casaubon affirms it may be truly said of him, as Pliny of old said of Diodorus Siculus, that "he was the first of his tribe who ceased to be a trifler." It would be tedious to enumerate all the works of Maimonides; some were written originally in Arabic, but are now extant only in Hebrew translations. "Those (says Collier) who desire to learn the doctrine and the canon law contained in the Talmud, may read Maimonides's compendium of it in good Hebrew, in his book entitled Iad; wherein they will find great part of the fables and impertinences in the Talmud entirely discarded. But the More Nevochim is the most valued of all his works; designed to explain the obscure words, phrases, metaphors, &c. in scripture, which, when literally interpreted, have either no meaning or appear absurd.