Gersonides

Gersonides, also known as Levi ben Gershon, was a Jewish philosopher, mathematician, biblical commentator and astronomer of medieval Provence.

Gersonides worked in the intellectual world of Avignon and southern France, combining Aristotelian philosophy with original scientific and religious scholarship. In The Dream of Scipio he serves as the historical mentor of the fictional poet Olivier de Noyen and embodies a learned culture exposed to political and religious danger.