Shem-Tov ibn Falaquera

Shem-Tov ben Joseph ibn Falaquera (1225 – c. 1290), also spelled Palquera, was a Spanish Jewish philosopher, poet, and commentator. He is credited with a vast body of work including encyclopedias of Arabic and Greek philosophies, maqamas, approximately 20,000 poetic verses, and commentaries on Maimonides’ *Guide to the Perplexed*. A central theme in Falaquera's writing was his advocacy for observant Jews to engage with philosophy, believing in the harmony between religious texts and rational truth. While he did not promote teaching esoteric knowledge to everyone, he supported broader education in philosophy and science for educated Jewish males. His philosophical-scientific encyclopedia, *De'ot ha-Filosofim* (*The Opinions of the Philosophers*) (ca. 1270), offered a detailed theoretical treatment of zoology, botany, and mineralogy.