Some Proto-Scientific Jewish scholars, from Pre-Late Modern Period
Medieval period: Masoretes of Tiberias; Maimonides. Early modern period: Eliyahu Bachur; Azaria de Rossi; R’ Yaakov Emden; Vilna Gaon (GRA); Avraham ben HaGRA
The individuals listed below all represent a bridge between traditional Jewish scholarship and a more critical or scientific method of study. They display an openness to external sources of knowledge and a willingness to engage in more objective, scientific historical and textual analysis.
Masoretes of Tiberias (בעלי המסורה - Eretz Yisrael, 5th - 10th centuries CE): The Masoretes were Jewish scribes responsible for preserving the precise transmission of the Hebrew Bible, ensuring its accuracy over time. They developed a system of vocalization and accentuation, known as nikkud, to standardize the pronunciation and intonation of the text. There are parallels between the work of the Masoretes and the textual criticism of the scholars at the Library of Alexandria a thousand years previous.
Rambam (Maimonides): Maimonides’ rational approach to Jewish texts and philosophy can be seen as a precursor to a more scientific method of thinking.
Eliyahu Bachur (אליהו בחור - Italy, 1469 - 1549): An influential grammarian and lexicographer, he promoted the study of Hebrew based on scientific principles.
Azaria de Rossi (עזריה מן האדומים - Italy, c. 1511 - 1578): He is known for Me'or Einayim (מאור עיניים), a work that critically examined Jewish history and was groundbreaking in its application of critical methods to Jewish texts.
R’ Yaakov Emden (יעקב עמדין, Germany, 1697 - 1776): A prominent rabbi and Talmudist, Emden was known for his vehement opposition to the Sabbatean movement. His Mitpachat Sefarim (מטפחת ספרים) is a critical examination of the Zohar, where he argues that it wasn't written by R’ Shimon bar Yochai. his critical stance is similar to the proto-scientific skepticism of literary forgeies of other scholars, such as Porphyry (c. 234 – c. 305 AD) and Casaubon (1559–1614). He also has an important work on grammar (לוח ארש).1 He also has an important work on grammar (לוח ארש).
Vilna Gaon (GRA) (הגאון מווילנה - Lithuania, 1720 - 1797): Known for his encyclopedic knowledge of Chazal, and his textual emendations to various Jewish texts, reflecting a relatively critical approach to the received tradition.
Avraham ben HaGRA (אברהם בן הגר"א - Lithuania, 1766 - 1808): The son of the Vilna Gaon, he is known for his commentaries on the Midrash, reflecting a critical and analytical approach.
See Anthony Grafton, Forgers and Critics (1990). See my previous posts on literary forgeries of Jewish literature, latest installment here: “Forgeries of Talmudic era works, created in the Medieval era - Pt. 1 - Shi'ur Qomah” (August 24, 2023)