The medieval Jewish scientist, philosopher, and theologian Levi ben Gershon (1288-ca. 1344), also called Gersonides and Leo Hebraeus, is known for his continuation of the Jewish Aristotelian tradition in philosophy and for his advanced scientific studies.

Levi ben Gershon was born at Bagnols in the Languedoc region of France. He derived from a scholarly family and probably supported himself by practicing medicine. He lived most of his life in the cities of Avignon, Orange, and Perpignan, where the Jews were protected by the papacy. The exact date of his death is unknown.

Modern historians admire Levi ben Gershon for the breadth of his knowledge and writings. He also reflects the close coincidence between Jewish and Christian philosophy in the later Middle Ages. Philosophers of both faiths reacted excitedly to the rediscovery of Aristotle's writings. In the 13th and 14th centuries, both Judaism and Christianity tried to reconcile faith and...