Capriles reads Maimonides. A mixed Hebrew Toscan book printed in Venice

Contribute by: dr. Benedetto Ligorio, Ph.D. Post-Doc Early Modern History Department of Philosophy in Villa Mirafiori, Sapienza University of Rome 

Moise Capriles lived for some time in Venice where at the end of the Eighteenth century printed the highly relevant pedagogic volume “Trattato Rituale Morale Toscano del Maimonide” (see attachment) for a correct interpretation of the philosophy and scientific vision of Moise Maimonides in the light of the progressive and universalistic upheavals of the Age of Enlightenment. 

In the preface Capriles declares that he has adopted a free, in a certain sense artistic, translation instead the philological rigidity of the biblical translation. A secularist approach which allows for a better understanding of the value of the source intended to be understandable to a wide audience, overcoming religious barriers thanks to the vector of Maimonides’ rationalistic philosophy.

Book Data: Moise Capriles, Trattato, Venice [1790 circa]