Astrology, Kabbalah and Magic in Alfonso de la Torre 's "Visión Deleytable": Hispano-Jewish Contexts

ASTROLOGY, KABBALAH AN MAGIC IN ALFONSO DE LA TORRE' S VISIÓN DELEYTABL!l: HISPANO-JEWISH CONTEXTS* As ología, Cábala y Magia en la Visión Deley able de Al onso de la To e: T as ondo hispano-judío. LUIS MANuEL GIRÓN NEGRÓN Ha a d Uni e si y BIBLID [0544-408X. (1999)48; pp. 133-162] Resumen: Visión Deley able, un a ado de iloso ía esc i o po el bachille Al onso de la To e, cons i uye el es imonio más impo an e de la in luencia del acionalismo maimonidiano en la España del siglo XV. Es e a ículo analiza el as ondo hispano-judío en el in en o de De la To e po concilia as ología, magia y Cábala con la iloso ía eligiosa de Maimónides. Abs ac : Visión Deley able, a ea ise on philosophy w i en by Al onso de la To e, o e s he mos impo an wi ness o he a e o Maimonidean a ionalism in 15 h cen u y Ch is ian Spain. This pape analizes he Hispano-Jewish con ex s o a e ealing aspec o Visión Deley able's inse ion in he medie al A is o elian adi ion: De la To e's e o s o econcile as ology, magic and Kabbalah wi h he Maimonidean ame o his eligious philosophy. Palab as cla e: Al onso de la To e. As ología. Magia. Cábala. España. Siglo XV. Key Wo ds: Al onso de la To e. As ology. Magic. Kabbalah. Spain. 15 h cen u y. Be ween 143 O and 1461, an obscu e igu e el ose o he cou o J ohn II o A agon penned an in oduc o y philosophy ex book in Spanish en i led Visión Deley able de la Filosojia y las A es Libe ales, Me ajisica y Filosojia *. This essay ep esen s a e ised e sion o a lec u e deli e ed a he s session o he Howa d Gilman In ema ional Colloquium "The Spanish-Jewish Cul u al In e ac ion" a Ha a d Uni e si y (Decembe 3 d, 1995). Tha lec u e used, in um, wo smalle subsec ions o ou doc o al disse a ion (Gi ón Neg ón 1 997) . MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162 134 LlJ1S M. GIRÓ N NEGRÓN Mo al. The au ho , Al onso de la To e, had been eques ed o w i e his ea ise by he p io o Na a a Juan de Beamon e, who se ed he Na a an c own p ince don Ca los de Viana. The cu icula scope o Al onso de la To e's p ime , in he encyclopedic adi ion o he Isido ian ecopila io, is qui e ambi ious. Wi h supe b pedagogical skill and li e a y inesse, De la To e wea es an elabo a e allego ical ale abou he In ellec 's joumey up he moun ain o philosophical knowledge. This ic ional scheme ac s as a oil o lucid and li ely disquisi ions on a wide ange o s aple philosophical p oblems om he Medie al epe oi e: he exis ence o God and he di ine a ibu es, e emi y o he wo ld s c ea ion ex-nihilo, P o idence, mi acles and he heodicy, he immo ali y o he soul, he na u e o p ophecy, he possibili y o me aphysical knowledge, e hics, humandes iny, he scope o eason and he con empla i e ideal. Dispa a e sou ces om he G eek, Islamic, Jewish, and Ch is ian philosophical adi ions a e une enly in e wo en in De la To e' s eclec ic exposi ion o his eligious Wel anschauung. He leams logic om al Ghazali. His libe al a s cu ículum is mos ly d awn om S . Isido e. His philosophical e hics a e om A is o le, wi h a sma e ing o Aquinas and pseudo-Senecan ma e ials. To p o e he soul's immo ali y he eso s o Albe Magnus. His philosophical heology ollows Maimonides' Guide and e e ences o Kabbalah a e disce nible h oughou 1. As he explains i : " ... non me mo e á más la e dad dicha po boca de c is iano, que de judío o mo o o gen il, sy e dades sean odas, nin nega é menos la alsya dicha po boca de uno que po boca de o o" (" he u h coming ou om he mou h o a Ch is ian will pe suade me no mo e han ha o a Jew o a Moo o a Gen ile, i hey all be u hs, no will I nega e he alsehood o one mo e han he o he " [VD p. 146]?, The au ho o Visión, acco ding o he p oem, had se ou o l. The pionee ing s udies on Visión Deley able's sou ces a e wo essays by J. P. Wicke sham C aw o d (1913a, 1913b). Fo a ulle ea men o Visión's sou ces, see Luis M Gi ón Neg ón ( 1997). 2. All ci a ions o Visión Deley able ( om now onwa ds VD) will be om Ga cía López's edi ion (1991 ). Di ec quo a ions om b will be iden i ied by page numbe . Speci ic sec ions will be iden i ied by e e ence o he book and chap e numbe s ( e.g. VD ME'AH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162 ASTROLOGY, KABBALAH AND MAGIC IN A. DE LA TORRE 135 dispel con en ional e o s, disclose uni e sal u hs and elucida e by demons a i e means he philosophical pe plexi ies o his Na a an add essee. He o e ed a he same ime a mys ico-in ellec ualis heo y o human pe ec ibili y ancho ed in Maimonides' p ophe ology and his philosophical concep ion o imi a io Dei. De la To e's pedagogical e o s, albei synop ic and encyclopedic, a e me wi h unexpec ed bu eno mous popula success. No wi hs anding he au a o clandes ini y wi h which he au ho en elops his wo k, a ex book p esumably commissioned o he p i a e ins uc ion o a Ch is ian a is oc a , Visión Deley able becomes a Spanish "bes -selle " wi hin a couple o decades. I s ex an manusc ip s, nume ous ep in ings and ea ly ansla ions ind an a id eade ship in Hispano-Ch is ian (and e en so ne Jewish) ci cles and pa icula ly among he con e sos, ci cula ing widely in Spain, I aly and he Ne he lands h oughou he 15 h, 16 h and 17 h cen u ies3. Al onso de la To e's Visión Deley able o e s he mos impo an wi ness o he Hispano-Ch is ian a e o Maimonidean a ionalism in he 15 h cen u y. A li e a y gem in i s own igh , i was also -un il ecen ly- a neglec ed so u ce in he schola ly li e a u e whose s udy could ill impo an lacunae in ou knowledge o Al onso de la To e's Spain and he a ie y o Hispano Ch is ian and Hispano-Jewish esponses o he philosophical adi ion. In his pape , I will examine he Hispano-Jewish con ex s o a e ealing aspec o Visión Deley able 's inse ion in he medie al A is o elian adi ion: 1,20 e e s o chap e 20, book 1). All ansla ions a e mine. 3. The e a e i een manusc ip s and ou p in ed edi ions o he Visión da ing om he 15 h cen u y: he la e include incunabula om Bu gos (1485), Tolosa (1489, 1494), and a Ca alonian ansla ion om Ba celona (1484). De la To e's Visión gained e en g ea e ci cula ion du ing he 16 h and 17 h cen u ies -Se illa (1526, 1528, 1538), Fe a a (1554), Venice ( 15 56), F ank u ( 1626 ), Ams e dam ( 1663 )-especially among J ewish and con e so ci cles in I aly and he Ne he lands. Fo a de ailed desc ip ion o he ex an manusc ip s and p in ed edi ions, see Ga cía López's in oduc ion o his c i ica! edi ion. Fo supplemen a y ma e ials on Visión' s ci cula ion and edi o ial a e, see Concepción Salinas Espinosa ( 1997: 176-183), and Gi ón Neg ón (1997: 212-218). MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162 136 LUIS M. GIRÓN NEGRÓN De la To e' s idiosync a ic e o s o econcile as ology, magic and Kabbalah wi h he Maimonidean ame o his eligious philosophy. I Maimonides s ands ou among medie al Jewish philosophe s in his unequi ocal ejec ion o as ology and magic (Le ne 1968; Lange mann 1991). In his celeb a ed epis les o he J ewish communi ies o Y emen (Halkin 1952) and.Mon pellie (Ma x 1926), he adduces Sc ip u al p oo ex s and philosophical a gumen s o condemn all heo ies on he as al p ede e mina ion and p edic abili y o human e en s as idola ous and non-scien i ic. In MN (Mo eh Nebukhim) 2,24, he e en aligns himsel wi h A e oes and al-Bi uji and hei excep ional epudia ion o P olemaic as onomy as a ue ep esen a ion o he a angemen and mo ions o he hea enly sphe es (S<�:b a 1984; G uenwald 1991 ). Though acknowledging he physical in luence o he sphe es on he subluna wo ld, he ca ego ically ejec s he as ologe s' claims as illegi ima e. Sympa he ic magic, such as alismanic medicine and he quasi magical use o eligious objec s, does no a e any be e in Rambam's eyes. The discussion on Sabean belie s in MN 3,29 -pa o a b oade a gumen agains idola y and his p e ace o he Guide's excu sus on he a 'ame ham mi z o -likewise singles ou o explici condemna ion he u'n gamu o as o magical p ac ices documen ed in his Naba ean sou ce (Twe sky 1980: 479- 484). Al onso de la To e's o he wise ai h ul exposi ion o Mo eh Nebukhim placidly igno es, on he o he hand, Rambam's empha ic epudia ion o as ological and magical belie s. On he con a y, De la To e seems qui e eage o sugges obliquely ha as ology (and e en so ne Kabbalis ic magic) is a demons a i e science ully compa ible wi h his philosophical heology4. Le us conside he ollowing examples om di e en sec ions o Visión. 4. In he ecen book, Salinas Espinosa duly no es De la To e's depa u e om Maimonides on his e ealing poin (1997: 58-9). Howe e , she igno es he la e medie al Hispano-Jewish con ex o his disc epancy and he ole ha De la To e asc ibes o as ological belie s o be examined below. MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162 AS1ROLOGY, KABBALAH AND MAGIC IN A DE LA TORRE 137 In his ini ial exposi ion o he libe al a s, a sec ion o he wise indeb ed o Isido e's E ymologies, Al onso de la To e dis ega ds bo h he Isido ian dis inc ion be ween as onomy and Gudicia y) as ology and he la e 's concomi an ejec ion5. Ins ead, he insinua es in he i le o his sec ion ha as ology, he allego ical maiden o he 7 h mansion gua ding he liminal h eshold o he cas le o T u h, is a ull b anch o na u al philosophy whose sec e s can be disclosed h ough demons a i e easoning. Visión' s chap e on logic also adduces "as ología po la mayo pa e," along wi h me aphysics and na u al philosophy, o exempli y a ield o knowledge based on p oposi ions ha a e necessa ily ué. De la To e u he seems o espond o A icenna' s posi ion on he impe ec ion o as ological knowledge om he 10 h book o al-Shi a ': al-'Ilahiyya as summa ized by al-Ghazzali in he Maqasid', obliquely suppo ing A icenna' s as al ein e p e a ion o lslamic p edes ina ism, while dec ying he A icennian c i ique o as ological knowledge as non-demons a i e specula ion. 5. E ym 3,27 (De di e en ia As onomiae e As ologiae). The as onomy/as ology di ide, mos ly dis ega ded in medie al Spanish science om Al onso X' s ime onwa ds, m ay ha e ound i s ea lies o mula ion in Isido e (Pines 1914: 343-9). · 6. "Es as p opusy ;iones ya dichas, e ;ep as las amosas, que consis en en la opinión syn p ue a, odas cabsan conclusyón e dade a de ne ;cesydad, e lo con a io se ía men i oso e ynposible. E dés as usan la geumé ica, a ismé yca, e la músyca e la as ología po la mayo pa e, e la iloso ía na u al e la me a isyca" (VD p. 120). 7. C . A icenna's classical (and in luen ial) o mula ion o his apología p o as ología ( al-Shi a ': al-Ilahiyya , eds. Mohammad Yousse Moussa, Suleiman Dunya and Sa'id Zayed, 2 ols. [Cai o, 1960] 2: 439-440). Al-Ghazzali's summa y o A icenna's posi ion in he La in ansla ion -pa o a b oade discussion on he knowledge o pa icula s- uns as ollows: Sen en ia quin a es quod deus al issimus si cu sci gene a e species, simili e sci possibilia qua con ingun , quam is nos nesciamus illa, sicu possibile ín e ím dum sci u es se possibile, non po es sci i an con inga , e! non con inga .... Quoníam igi u es ipse sciens o dinaciones causa um, e occasionum, p o ec o es eciam sciens ípsa causa a unde as ologus qui comp ehendi aliquas causa um essendi aliquid, e non omnes, non mi um si iudice esse aliquid oppinando; possibile es enim u id quod sci , con ínga ínpedí i ne ia , quía in eo quod dixi non comp ehende omnes causas; hoc au em non po es esse, nisi p op e emocionem eo um que accidun " (Muckle 1933:70). MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162 138 LUIS M. GIRÓ N NEGRÓN Like Ab aham ba Hiyya in his Epis le on As ology, Al onso de la To e also adduces he as ological expe ise o Ab aham, a well known Rabbinic adi ion (Tose ., Kiddushin 5,17) ha Isido e himsel quo es om Fla ius Josephus (E ym 3,25), o dis inguish be ween judicia y as ology as a alid science p ac iced by he Pa ia ch and he illici as ology o he Chaldeans o bidden by he Law8. This a gumen , echoed in he Lib o de as ología asc ibed o En ique de Villena (Cá ed a 1983: 120), enables him o coun e he Isido ian and A icennian in ec i es agains as ological specula ion. Ab aham's as ological knowledge also p o ides ano he un-Maimonidean p oo ex o a quin essen ially Maimonidean eaching. De la To e men ions i o he i s ime o illus a e he necessi y o in ellec ual pe ec ion in he a ainmen o p ophecy. Subsequen ly, he e en upholds as ological di ina ion as a lici o m o magical ac i i y ("E el de ina en las es ellas lí9i o es, si es a buen yn ... "-VD p. 206). Su eh a indica ion o as ological p ac ice, wi h he au ho i a i e suppo o Ab aham's example, hus becomes implici ly linked bo h o Maimonides' explana ion o he p ophe ic abili y o o esee he u u e as an in ellec ual s eng hening o a na u al acul y o di ina ion (MN 2,38) and o Kabbalis ic magic (see below). De la To e' s de ense o as ology as a demons a i e science bu esses he mode a e concep ion o as al de e minism insinua ed in his elabo a e e iew o Maimonides' discussion on P o idence om MN 3, 17-18. This illumina ing sec ion (VD 1,24-25) dese es a close look. Maimonides p e aces his philosophical analysis o di ine P o idence as "consequen upon he in ellec " ('J.:J'Dil 1nN. n.:J'DD)) wi h a synop ic e iew o ou e oneous opinions: he Epicu ean ( ha all e en s a e con ingen ), he Alexand ian-A is o elian ( ha P o idence only ex ends o he 8. VD 1,28 (p. 203-204) & 2,22 (p. 338). The s o y o Ab aham as an as onome and a na u al philosophe was also known in Medie al Spain h ough Al onso X's Gene al Es o ia, whose edi o s ollowed he La in e sion o Josephus' An iqui ies (F ake 1996). See al so Julio Samsó' s in oduc ion o Cá ed a' s edi ion o T a ado de As ología a ibuido a En ique de Villena (1983: 42-43). MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 ( 1999) 133-162 ASTROLOGY, KABBALAH AND MAGIC IN A DE LA TORRE 139 sphe e o he moon), he Asha i e (absolu e de e minism) and he Mu azili e ( ha di ine jus ice ex ends o all c ea u es, human o no )9. De la To e also begins his discussion on P o idence wi h a c i ical e alua ion o ou e oneous concep ions, h ee o which a e om Maimonides' lis : he Epicu ean, he Asha i e and he A is o elian. The Mu azili e excu sus, hough, is omi ed and ins ead, De la To e indulges in an ex ensi e discussion o as ological de e minism ( he posi ion o hose who "niegan la P o idencia de Dios encomendando odas las cosas a los ados"-VD pp. 177-179). His exhaus i e andcolo ul analysis o his posi ion, a e i able ca alogue o popula as ological belie s, ends wi h a summa y ei e a ion o Maimonides' a gumen agains Asha i e de e minism: ha hei belie is un enable because i makes all hings necessa y and denies ee will, nega ing he Biblical and a ional ounda ions o mo al ac ion10• De la To e does make an impo an concession o he will's powe o o e come he ados, especially in he second pa o Visión 11. As al in luences 9. Fo a nuanced analysis o Maimonides' mul i ace ed discussion on P o idence h oughou he Guide (3,17-18; 3,22-23; and 3,51 ), see Ra el (1987: 25-71 ). 10. The accoun o as ology ha p e aces De la To e's epudia ion o his opinion is pa icula ly elling. His claim ha as ology o igina es among he Chaldeans and he Egyp ians, ollowed by he Romans, echoes Isido e's accoun o he his o y o as onomy (E ym 3,25). Ye , unlike Isido e, De la To e also p o es o be be e acquain ed wi h he basic p emises o judicia y as ology: "E es a gen e ha echo lib os en que oman los nas ;:imien os de los eynos o de las se as o c edulidades e dizen quán o ha de du a ; e anbién izie on lib os donde consyde an las na i idades de los omnes e dizen, segun su opinión, que és e nas ;:ió en al plane a, e en al sygno, e en al conjun ;:ión, en al opusy ;:ión, en al as ;:enden e, e en al declina ;:ión, e be i á an o, e se á al cosa o al, a á al a e o al o i ;:io o al en u a, e aqués os son llamados gene á icos. E ay, en e los sob edichos ma emá icos, o os lib os de las elec ;:iones de los ac os olun a ios po do so igen" (VD p. 178). 11. "E ;:ie o es que los sygnos e cos ela ;:iones e plane as han pode ío, como ú dizes, pa a dispone la ma e ia .... Enpe o aques as pasyones non pueden cos eñi nin o ;:a el ánima del omne, ca la i ud co po al no puede syno sob e o o cue po, e al omne inca libe ad de aze lo que quie e" (VD p. 292). C . ST p.l, q.l l5, a.4 o he Thomis ic o mula ion o his idea(" .. .piu es hominum sequun u passiones, quae sun mo us sensi i i appe i us, ad quas coope a i possun co po a caeles ia: pauci au em sun sapien es, qui MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162 140 LUIS M. GIRÓN NEGRÓN do no ully de e mine human ac ion. Y e his explici epudia ion o as ological de e minism is pa ially comp omised by he ensuing exposi ion o his own iews on di ine P o idence. Lea ing Maimonides' in ellec ualis concep ion o indi idual P o idence in MN 3,18 aside o he momen , Al onso de la To e p oceeds wi h an eclec ic explica ion o na u al P o idence and he ema e coe iciency o di ine will in wo ld e en s, pa ly based on Rambam' s analysis o di ine causali y in MN 2, 48 and leading o a mode a e indica ion o he as ological ados12. His posi ion: ha P o iden ial ca e o e he o ali y o e en s in he subluna wo ld as dec eed by God in he Eliadean illo empo e is e ec ed g os so modo h ough he join media ion o chance, human will and -De la To e's a ian on Rambam's lis o causes he s a s ("la i ud de las es ellas"). The o ali y o e en s in he subluna wo ld can no be s ic ly educed ei he o di ine p edes ina ion, blind o une, as al in luence o olun a y ac ions, bu a he o a combina ion o di e en causes all o which can be e aced back, howe e media ed, o he di ine will (VD pp. 180-188). Na u a in pa icula - he ados which a e he "ligamien o de cabsas" also e ec ed by he ci cula mo ion o he hea enly sphe es s ands as he sole P o iden ial media o be ween he di ine C ea o and he huiusmodi passionibus esis an . E ideo as! ologi u in plu ibus e a possun p aedice e, e maxime in communi. Non au em in speciali: quia nihil p ohibe aliquem homínem pe libe um a bi íum passionibus esis e e"). 12. O cou se, Al onso de la To e is no ejec ing he e he Maimonidean ideal o human pe ec ion h ough knowledge ha unde gi ds he in ellec ualis concep ion o indi idual P o idence inMN3,18. On he con a y, in ellec ual pe ec ionism lies a he co e o Visión Deley able's allego ized umina ions. E en De la To e's s o y o he lepe who is mo ed o concei e a de o ned child by an as al powe in he same chap e (pp. 186-187) can be cons ued as a pa able on ou in ellec ual ailu e o esis he s ong, bu non-coe ci i e in luence o he s a s and plane s. His pi o a! accoun s o he soul's immo ali y, Maimonidean p ophe o!ogy and he human pe ec ions will ancho him wi h equal g a i y in Rambam's in ellec ualis heo y o indi idual P o idence. Bu s ill, De la To e's consis ence wi h Maimonidean in ellec ualism does no answe ou p esen ques ion. His delibe a e omission o Rambam' s hesis in MN 3,18 in a chap e on P o idence p e aced by he Guide's excu sus in 3,17 equi es e!ucida ion. MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 { 1999) 133-162 ASTROLOGY, KABBALAH AND MAGIC IN A DE LA TORRE 141 subluna o de 13. The " ados" a e he s ewa ds o C ea ion ("mayo domos de la C eación" o use a Ce an ine epi he o "na u e" ha Ba aillon d�ems aceable o De la To e [1950]). They a e like ai h ul baili s paying � he wo ke s o execu e oyal o de s and ake ca e o he king's a ai s in he · la e 's absence (a cosmological si nile deeply e niniscen o Shem To ben Joseph ben Shem To 's analogy o he media ion o di ine causali y in his commen a y oMN2,48). This na u alis concep ion o P o idence is u he de eloped in VD 1,30; 1,34 and 2,1214, whe e he causal conca ena ion o as o-hea enly in luxes is ully iden i ied wi h he o de o na u e, subsuming key a eas o human beha iou unde he P o iden ial paJe o a mode a e empe amen al de e minism which is as ally-based. Despi e Maimonides' enchan opposi ion, De la To e's a emp o econcile he o me ' s na u al philosophy wi h his as ological no ions is no wi hou impo an p eceden s in he Jewish philosophical adi ion (Ba kai 1987). The gene al belie in he in luence o s a s on human ac ions in he subluna wo ld had al eady been espoused wi h a ying deg ees o ese a ion by so ne o he leading p e- Maimonidean igu es in medie al Jewish hough : nó only Ab aham ibn Ez a and Ab aham ba Hiyya, whose heo ies and p ac ice o as ology a e well known and in luen ial15, bu al so he likes o 13. G een has sugges i ely no ed he scholas ic oo s o N a u e as media o be ween God and C ea ion ciphe ed by he idea o na u a na u ans (1964: 2/76-92). He men ions De la To e in his con ex (1964: 2/81-2) and also documen s an in e es ing p eceden in De Lille's An iclaudianus (1964: 2/78). I is impo an , hough, o no e wo hings: l. The inadmissibili y o mi acles in De la To e's na u alism se s him a a dis ance om his scho1as ic adi ion; 2. The ac ual e ms na u a na u anslna u a na u a a do no appea in Visión, which p obably was a delibe a e omission. , 14. VD 1,34 is also Visión's sou ce o Solomon ibn Ve ga's impo an ci a ion o De la To e on P o idence (1947: 160). Ibn Ve ga's ci a ion om Al onso de la To e appea s in VD p. 242. 15. Fo a gene al o e iew o Jewish as ology and as onomy, see Ba kai (1987) and Alexande Al mann's and A hu Been's espec i e a icles on as ology and as onomy o he Encyclopedia Judaica. Ba Hiyya, one o he i s o expound P olemaic as onomy in Heb ew, adduces Talmudic p oo ex s o de end as ology as a p edíc i e science - he highes achie emen o which as onomy can aspi e. He only se s Is ael apa om he MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162 148 LUIS M. GIRÓ N NEGRÓN unexplained)28• In oking a s o y ha may be aced o Ped o Comes o 's Es o ias scholas icas, e en Moses is desc ibed as an accomplished p ac i ione o alismanic magic, an anecdo e ha bu esses Maimonides' belie in in ellec ual pe ec ion as a necessa y equi emen o a would-be p ophee9. A one le el, De la To e's scan y allusions o gema ia and Kabbalis ic he meneu ics be ays he udimen a y na u e o his acquain ance wi h classical Kabbalis ic sou ces. Any 15 h cen u y Ch is ian heologian could ha e ga he ed as much, o example, om he polemical w i ings o Hispano Ch is ian and con e so apologis s: Ped o Al onso, Ramon Ma ín, Abne de Bu gos, Pablo de San a Ma ía, Ped o de la Caballe ía and Je ónimo de San a Fe (e en hough Visión has absolu ely no aces o he polemical use o Jewish Kabbalah o indica e Ch is ian doc ine associa ed wi h hese au ho s, no o men ion he la e Ch is ian Kabbalah o Pico della Mi andola [Sec e 1957; 1964: 8-23])30. The alismanic usage o di ine names can e en be aced o he Medie al sou ces o He me ic magic in Muslim and Ch is ian Spain. The e a e, o example, wo no able allusions o He mes T ismegis us in Visión, one 28. "E ida en o as pied as admi ables i udes que esc;ebían de los luga es e de las yn luenc;ias de las es ellas, e ma a illó se el En endimien o quando i do que las pied as que es a an mucho iempo ue a de los luga es que ue on engend adas cómo pe dían la i ud. E ida ma a illosos sec e os en el escul u a de las pied as, e alabó a Dios que ge lo a ía no i icado" (VD p. 240). 29. "E piensan que Muysén e a un ydio a e e a el más sabio onme que a ía en Egip o, an o que sabía en la escul u a de las ymágines más que onme del mundo a la sazón, ca él izo dos anillos en el signo de géminis quando casó con la e iopesa, el uno de amo e el o o de ol idanc;a" (VD pp. 203-4 ). This s o y, which De la To e will epea in VD 2,22, is e old in ulle de ail in Villena's T a ado de as ología, 121. 30. This is an impo an poin ha Salinas Espinosa ails o unde sco e in he a emp o connec De la To e wi h he Ch is ian Kabbalah o he Medie al Spanish and 16 h cen u y I alian schools (1997: 49-55): he e is no Kabbalis ic co obo a ion o Ch is ian heological and c eedal doc ines in Visión, he de ining ea u e o Ch is ian Kabbalah. De la To e's posi i e app aisal o he "mecubalim" could also ha e made him, on he o he hand, an easy a ge o c i icism in Spanish an i-Jewish polemics -c . Alonso de la Espina's an agains he Jewish "sec " o he "mecubalim" in his Fo ali iumjidei (ca. 1458). MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 ( 1999) 133-162 ASTROLOGY, KABBALAH AND MAGIC IN A DE LA TORRE 149 o which Salinas Espinosa sugges i ely connec s o he La inAsclepius31. The au ho o Pica ix himsel asc ibes such a iew o A is o le32, al hough De la To e's imp ecise allusion o a medico- alismanic p esc ip ion aises so ne ques ions abou he ull ex en o his p ac ica! knowledge o his magical adi ion33. On he o he hand, he e a e se e a! magical ea ises o enonnous di usion in 15 h cen u y Spain (Cla icula Salomonis, Libe de Raziel), which also p o ide an immedia e con ex o De la To e's belie in he 31. In VD 1,6 (p. 130), "T imigis o" is singled ou as an ancien expe on he sec e i ue o he bs ("Ca sy los omnes bas asen a pe ec a men e me sabe sab ían la i ud de odas las ye as del mundo, ca según a e nos allado en los lib os de los an iquísymos Acalo e <;e9ina, T imigis o e So oas es, las ojas de las ye as odas son le as yndica i as de la i ud de las ayzes de aquéllas"). La e , in VD 1,25 (p. 185), his palace me apho on he wo kings o P o idence, De la To e no es how "e aques o dixo Hem1es que e a ymam1enes, e e dad dixo, que an o quie e dezi como causas po las qua! es aze la p o iden9ia odo lo que se ha de aze ." On he Asclepius' pa allel, see Salinas Espinosa ( 1997: 57). 32. Pica n·x, I- -37: "A is o eles dixi in suis lib is ymaginum: melius e alcius quod habea ymagines ex 7 plane is p o eni , e du abilius es quando aspici o una. Vul enim dice e p o ahendo spi i us e i u es celi in e a. E i e um dixi quod sun nomina spi i uum que, quando quis ea in oca e ipsos ahe e olue i spi i us, quod descenda ... " (Ping ee 1986: 23). In he Heb ew ansla ion, "nomina spi i uum" is ansla ed as "di ine names" (Idel l995: 74). 33. In he quo a ion abo e, De la To e ad oca es he sympa he ic manipula ion o an uniden i ied image sculp ed unde he sign o Sco pio o heal snak:e bi es. Pica ix only has one alismanic ecipe in ol ing Sco pio o heal he s ing o a sco pion (no a snake bi e): see I- -25. The elabo a e ecipe o e s p ecise ins uc ions on he ma e ials ("lapide de bezaha ," "annulo au eo"), p ope ime ("in ho a Lune, ipsa exis en e in 2 acie Sco pionis, ascenden e Leone, Tau o el Aqua io") and equi ed s eps ( e.g. he consump ion o incense) o he concoc ion o his healing amule . The Lib o de las o mas & ymagenes ( one o Al onso X' s Iapida ian ea ises), on he o he hand, iden i y A ies and Sagi a ius as he only wo cons ella ions ha ha e he i ue o heal, espec i ely, he " e ida de se pien o de qua! quie animal ueninoso" (A ies) and he " e ida de animal oxicoso" (Sagi a ius). The Iapida ian p esc ip ions in his Ii e a u e o he healing o snak:e bi es do no ma ch Al onso's alismanic example ei he . Equally absen , inally, is ano he aspec o Sco pio's cha ac e iza ion in he A abic, Heb ew and La in as omagical ea ises: i s associa ion wi h geni al medicine (see Au igemma [1957]). MEAR, sección Heb eo 48 ( 1999) 133-162 150 LUIS M. GIRÓN NEGRÓN alismanic coe cibili y o spi i ual beings34. I may also be no ed ha he A abic adi ion o alismanic magic media ed o Ch is ian Spain by he cul u al e o s o Al onso X is s ill ali e among Spanish Muslims and mo iscos un il he 16 h cen u y as e idenced in aljamiado li e a u e (Laba a 1981, 1993). Finally, he e is an impo an Hispano-Ch is ian wi ness in De la To e's ime o he associa ion o Kabbalah wi h alismanic magic in C escas' ci cle: he semi-scien i ic ea ises o En ique de Villena. In his T a ado de aojamien o, Villena discussed he medicinal usage o Kabbalis ic amule s which he had hea d a ibu ed o Nahmanides, R. Ashe o Toledo, R. Yi zhaq Is aelí and e en om he lips o "maes o Azday C escas, que ue en es e ienpo nues o" and " abi Za aya [Ze ahya Hale i], a que dezían En Fe e , que ue en es e ienpo" (Villena 1917: 191, 193: c . al so Bae 1981: 2/753, n. 50). Villena's ama eu ish in e es s in Kabbalis ic magic we e supe icial and his knowledge o i , second-hand. They ne e heless con ibu ed o his exagge a ed epu a ion in Hispano-Ch is ian ci cles as an expe in science and magic (e en Kabbalah), a epu a ion ha made him a a ge o ecclesias ical censo ship, culmina ing, albei pos -mo em, wi h he 34. The Libe de Raziel, o example, a col!ec ion o magical adi ions pu po edly augh o Adam's son by he angel Raziel, was, acco ding o ay Lope de Ba ien os, "más mul iplicado en España que en las o as pa es del mundo" (Ba ien os !927: !2 1 ). Ba ien os, who bu ned En ique de Vil!ena's copy along wi h he o he censo ed olumes con isca ed om his lib a y, no ed how i abounded wi h magical incan a ions o coe ce "los buenos ángeles pa a bien ace y a los malos pa a mal ob a " h ough know!edge o hei names (!927: !!6-!22). So ne Hispanis s ha e w ongly asc ibed his magical wo k o he !3 h cen u y Sa agossan Kabbalis Ab aham Abula ia (Russell !978: 250). Al hough Abula ia -who used Raziel, his isopsephic name, o signi y his a ainmen o p ophecy- a! so w o e a ea ise en i led Se e Raziel, ou magical wo k -M. Idel has no ed- has "no hing o do wi h ecs a ic Kabbalah" (Hasidism 38 !, n. 55). S ill, ou Libe deRaziel was he objec o se e al ansla ions (La in, Heb ew, English, F ench) ha ci cula ed widely among Jewish and Ch is ian in el!ec uals in he Renaissance -c . Sec e ( !969) and Idel ( !983b: !93-4 ). Cla icula Salomonis, ano he amous book on magic om Ch is ian sou ces om he Middle Ages, a!so ci cu!a ed widely in !5 h cen u y Spain ( c . Ba ien os [ !927: !22] and Tho ndike [ !958: 2: 280]-see also Idel [ !983b: !94] on he Jewish ecep ion o i s Heb ew ansla ion in he 16 h cen u y). MEAR, sección Heb eo 48 (!999) !33-!62 ASTROLOGY, KABBALAH AND MAGIC IN A. DE LA TORRE 151 agic bu ning o his magni icen lib a y (Gascón Ve a 1979; To es Alcalá 1983). F om his angle, he also o e s a con empo a y Hispano-Ch is ian p eceden o De la To e' s indica ion o Kabbalis ic magic. All he p eceding examples illus a e popula no ions o magic and Kabbalah, and hei ela ionship, in 15 h cen u y Ch is ian Spain. S ill, Al onso de la To e's speci ic allusions o Kabbalis ic name magic and alismanica in he con ex o Maimonidean philosophy may ha e mo e immedia e and signi ican Hispano-Jewish esonances in his u bulen pe iod. Fi s , he iden i ica ion o Maimonidean p ophe ology and he eso e ic dimension o he Guide o he Kabbalis ic sec e o he di ine names goes back o Ab aham Abula ia and he ecs a ic adi ion o in ellec ualis mys icism ha he ushe s (ldel 1988a, 1988c)35. Linking as al magic o he combina ion o Heb ew le e s, and pa icula ly o he concep ion o di ine names as alismanic means o d aw downwa d he spi i ual in lux o he as al bodies, also ha e impo an Medie al p eceden s among he Spanish Kabbalis s in luenced by Abula ia (ldel l995: 156-160)36. Likewise, he e we e impo an Kabbalis s among he Jewish suppo e s o medico-as ological alismans in ea ly 14 h cen u y Ca alonia. This was he case wi h he p eeminen successo o Nahmanides as leade o Ca alonian Jew y, Saloman ibn Ad e . Albei a c i ic o Abula ian Kabbalah, Ibn Ad e ollowed his eache Nahmanides on his seo e, espousing alismanic magic o medica! pu poses as an e icacious mean o as al manipula ion (he had p esumably allowed he p epa a ion o a alisman o Leo o cu e a kidney 35. Salinas Espinosa b ie ly no es he in eg a ion o Kabbalah and magic among Abula ia' s ollowe s ( 1997: 55). Howe e , she is unawa e o Abula ia's ole as a Kabbalis ic commen a o o Maimonides' Guide, which is mo e ele an o he la e Medie al a emp s o econcile magico-Kabbalis ic ideas wi h Maimonidean philosophy. 36. This ype o Kabba!is ic magic is connec ed o an ancien Hellenis ic no ion o spi i ual beings o o ces -TIVEU¡.. .IX1:1X in G eek, n1))n1l in Heb ew- ully de eloped in A abic magical ea ises ha we e independen ly in luen ial on o he Jewish hinke s ( e.g. Shem To ben Shem To 's Se e ha-Emuno ). On he his o y o his magical no ion, see Shlomo Pi es ( 1988). Fo ano he ea ly Jewish p eceden o his linking o as o-magic and le e -combina ion echniques, see Geo ges Vajda (1956). MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162 152 LUIS M. GIRÓN NEGRÓN disease). His de ense o alismanic medicine igu ed p ominen ly in a second dispu e o e Maimonidean a ionalism in ol ing he Jew ies o Ca alonia and P o ence, as lucidly explained by G egg S e n (1995) in his disse a ion on Mei i. Thi dly, as men ioned be o e, he e is an impo an ci cle o Jewish Neopla onis s in he second hal o 14 h cen u y Cas ille - he Spanish leade s o he "Ibn Ez a Renaissance"- ha de ended sympa he ic magic and as ology, d awing connec ions o philosophy, and in so ne cases e en o Kabbalah (Schwa z 1990/91). Ibn Ez a himsel had al eady in e p e ed a numbe o passages om he To ah as sub le e e ences o alismanica (e.g. his commen a y on Gen 31:19 on he alismanic na u e o he e a im ha Rachel s eals om he a he ). In luenced by Joseph ibn Wakka , hese Jewish hinke s (Samuel ibn Za za, Samuel F anco, Samuel ibn Mo o , Ez a Ga igno, Shem To ibn Majo ) w o e majo supe commen a ies on lbn Ez a's commen a y on he Pen a euch ha also con ained impo an discussions on alismanic magic and as ology. Se ing up he exege e on a pa wi h Maimonides, hey sha ed Ibn Wakka 's belie in he compa ibili y o Maimonidean philosophy wi h lbn Ez a' s in e p e a ion o Sc ip u e37. Mo e impo an ly, he e we e so ne 15 h cen u y de ende s o Maimonidean hough ha explici ly adduced Ibn Wakka 's au ho i y in his philosophical con ex . This is he case wi h Ab aham Shalom who quo es bo h Wakka and Abula ia in an en husias ic de ense o p ac ical Kabbalah, c edi ing, as does De la To e, he join e icacy o alismanic magic and he eci a ion o di ine names o wield spi i ual powe s38. Indeed, mos 15 h 37. lbn Wakka acknow1edges lbn Ez a's "g ea e inclina ion" o as o1ogy as he on1y hing ha sepa a es he exege e om Maimonides. C . he passage om he in oduc ion o Ibn Wakka 's main wo k quo ed by Scho1em om a pa ia1 Heb ew ans1a ion (1943/4: 155). Howe e , g1ossing o e Maimonides' epudia ion o as ology, he p oceeds o a gue o he la e 's ag eemen wi h phi1osophy and Kabba1ah -c . G. Vajda (1962: 115-297). On Ibn Wakka and he ci cle o supe commen a o s ha ollowed him, see U ie1 Simon ( 1993). On he in luence o hese . i ings in I alian Kabba1is ic magic, see Ide1 (1983b ). 38. Ne eh Shalom 5,4,64b-5. Sha1om a1so adduces he sympa he ic p ope ies (TII'J;) J) o ce ain s ones and p1an s (O)nD::ml O)J.�nDJ.) - he scien i ic basis o he e1abo a e MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162 ASTROLOGY, KABBALAH AND MAGIC IN A. DE LA TORRE 153 cen u y Hispano-Jewish philosophe s a i med he magical e iciency o he di ine names as a ype o mi acle -E odi,Ma 'aseh E o d (p. 9); Albo, SJ 1,18; C escas, OH 4,10 (c . also VD p. 340 on he no ion o p ophe s as mi;acle wo ke s). Fou hly, he e may ha e also been a ex ual basis in he Spanish ansla ion o he Guide o De la To e's misguided pe cep ion o he " undamen al consis ency be ween Maimonidean hough and wha he knew as cabala'm. In he Spanish ansla ion o MN3,51, Maimonides' exegesis o his palace me apho , Toledo w i es: "Sabe quelos a ones que son ue a dela ;;ibda , es odo aquel que non ien c een ;;ia de ley, njn iene es udio njn cosa po ía de cabala" (Mos ado 357). Ano he passage igh below also eads: "E los que llegan ala casa e andan ende edo , s os son los almudi as que ienen en endimien os e dade os de pa es de cabala" (M os ado 357-8). "Kabbalah" in he Heb ew e sions o hese passages should be ansla ed as " adi ion." Howe e , a Spanish gloss on he i s passage no es how "cabala, es cosa es ;;ebida ijo de pad e, e pad e de abuelo, as a Moysén." This gloss on he Spanish heb aism do e ails an impo an Kabbalis ic idea: he o al ansmission o he mys ical sec e s o he To ah in an unb oken chain om eache o eache ha ha kens back o M oses and he Sinai ic e ela ion40. A eade o his ex and i s gloss who knew li le o no Heb ew, such as De la To e, could hus ha e ound "e idence" in he Spanish Mos ado o conclude ha Maimonides accep ed he e aci y o he (mys ical) Kabbalah! The hauma u gical e e ence o he Kabbalis ic coe cion o spi i s enjoys likewise so ne signi ican p eceden s. In De la To e's angelological excu sus lapida ían heo ies ha we ind in Al onso X' s as omagical !i e a u e- o jus i y he magical e iciency o hese Kabbalis ic alismans -c . Da idson (1964: 11-13). On alismanic magic in o he 15 h cen u y Hispano-Jewish sou ces, see also Elieze Gu wi h ( 1989). 39. This sh ewd obse a ion, and he accompanying e idence om he Spanish Mos ado , o igina e in one o P o . Bema d Sep imus' ex ensi e commen s on an ea !ie d a o ou hesis. 40. C . Nahmanides' Se mon on Ecclesias es (1964: l: 190). On his Kabbalis ic mo i , see also Moshe Idel (l983c). MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162 154 LUIS M. G i.ÓN NEGRÓN (VD 1,28), he e is, o example, an in iguing passage on he na u e o e il spi i s which eads as ollows: "E cómo algunos dixe on que e an engend ables e co up ibles, e que nas�ían e que mo ían, mas pusye on la du a�ión de su ida se muy luenga po que e an muy conjun os a la synpli�idad, ca dixe on que e a de la ma e ia del ay e e del uego. E pusye on que a ían g an conos�imien o de las cosas na u ales po la delgadeza de su espí i u e po la lige eza de la ma e ia. E izolos eni en aques a opinión que eyan po espi ien�ia mágica qu'el umo de una ye a les plazía, e és a en�endida luego enían ... E de la o a pa e eyan que e an yn isibles ... e pa a es o o o en el mundo sec e os los qua! es no es lí�i o el abla dellos" (VD 200). This concep ion o e il spi i s as li ing admix u es o ai and i e, in isible demons wi h sub le bodies suscep ible o decay and a ac ed o a oma ic subs ances is ul ima ely aceable o he commen a y on Le 17:7 by ano he majo Kabbalis : he Ge onese polyma h M oses ibn Nahman41. O cou se, his Nahmanidean bo owing is inconsis en wi h Maimonides' demonology, especially he Guide' s concep ion o S a an as he e il inclina ion (MN 3 ,22) also quo ed by De la To e in he e y same chap e ! Bu De la To e's depa u e om his Maimonidean sou ce could be poin ing, ye again, o he plausible media ion o a con empo a y Jewish schola . A e all, Nahmanides' demonology p o ed in luen ial among Hispano-Jewish philosophe s in he 15 h cen u y, including he a o emen ioned Joseph Albo (Se e ha-'Jqqa im 3,8) and he Ab aham Shalom (Ne eh Sh alom 2, 1,29a)42. 41. C . Nahmanides' commen a y on Le 17:7. The heo y o demons ske ched in Visión ehashes he main elemen s in Nahmanides' concep ion o he Rabbinic 0)1' D ( hei composi ion om ai and i e, hei in isibili y, hei sub leness, hei pe ishabili y, e en he nec oman ic e e ence ). Salinas Espinosa ecen ly sugges ed ha his passage be connec ed o he au ho 's magical iews on he Kabbalis ic manipula ion o Heb ew expounded elsewhe e in Visión (1997: 51). Howe e , she was unawa e o i s Hispano-Jewish o igin in Nahmanides' commen . 42. Finally, i may be no ed ha I ha e no loca ed as ye ano he Spanish sou ce om he 15 h cen u y documen ing Nahmanides' demonology ( e.g. Moshe A agel' s gloss on Le 17:7 in he so-called Biblia de Alba -his explica ion on he Q)l)Y'lJ, which he ende s as "diablos," does no con ain any e e ences o Ramban's accoun ). MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 ( 1999) 133-162 ASTROLOGY, KABBALAH AND MAGIC lN A. DE LA TORRE 155 Finally, du ing he second hal o he 15 h cen u y, an impo an school o Kabbalah ma 'asi lou ished in Spain be o e he Expulsion. This magico Kabbalis ic adi ion also espouses he incan a o y use o he Heb ew language and he di ine names, aided by alismans and o he magical de ices, o b ing down as o-spi i ual o ces and manipula e hem in acco dance wi h he Kabbalis 's in en ion. This adi ion is connec ed o a con empo a y esu gence o Messianic e o and he main sou ce o i s s udy is Se e ha Meshi , a wo k o pa amoun signi icance o he his o y o Kabbalah as ecen ly es ablished by Moshe Idel in a se ies o essays (1981, 1983a, 1993). I s p ac i ione s, ollowing his desc ip ion (1988b: 269), a e pa icula ly "in e es ed in demonology and he use o coe ci e incan a ions o summon demons, angels, and e en God" in o de o has en Messianic imes. Albei a la e wo k, Se o ha-Meshi p o ides in e es ing pa allels o so ne o he a o emen ioned Kabbalis ic p ac ices bols e ed by De la To e, o ins ance wi h i s magical p esc ip ions o he co ec eci a ion o he G ea N ame o 42 Ie e s, a Kabbalis ic me hod o clip he wings o he gua dian angels o Ch is iani y and Islam and ushe he age o Redemp ion43, esona ing De la To e's alismanic magic and he Kabbalis ic usage o one same po en name in o de o cons ain p esumably malignan spi i s. Equally signi ican in Visión Deley able ís he explici connec ion i d aws be ween p ophe ic e ela ion and onomas ic Kabbalah. De la To e's sugges ion e okes he pneuma ic unc ion o he eci a ion o di ines names as a sou ce o p ophecy and e ela ion in Se o ha-Meshi . O cou se, unlike De la To e, he Kabbalis ic ci cle o he Se e ha Meshi iolen ly ejec s A is o elian physics and me aphysics as expounded 43. "By i ue o he pówe o he G ea Name o Fo y-Two Le e s, I adju e you e en agains you will o ha e no he powe o ly o do any hing o o malee any u he accusa ion agains he Is aeli e na ion han you ha e done un il now. I bind you and adju e you ha you will ha e no mo e powe o accuse Is ael o all ime. Ra he , om his day o wa d, you will de end he Is ae1i e na ion ... so shall you and Rabbi Joseph do, bo h o you oge he ... and by his you will b eak he powe o Samae1 and has en he edemp ion in you ime" (Ide1 1981: 86). MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162 156 LUIS M. GIRÓN NEGRÓN by Maimonides (Idel l993). This inconsis ency is also e ealing. De la To e's selec i e bo owings om dispa a e sou ces do no always ag ee wi h his philosophical heology. His p o ession o Nahmanides' demonology, as no ed be a e, is conspicuously un-Maimonidean. His Kabbalis ic belie in he magical powe o he Heb ew language is also incong uous wi h he Maimonidean iews on i s con en ionali y p esen ed ea lie on in he chap e on g amma 44. As he au ho ' s eclec icism demons a es so clea ly, un esol ed con adic ions almos ine i ably ensue om inconsis en bo owings. S ill, i he Kabbalis ic-magical syn hesis o Se e ha-Meshi e lec s ea lie Kabbalis ic ends in 15 h cen u y Spain, hese could p o ide ye ano he Hispano-Jewish con ex o he heme unde conside a ion: Al onso de la To e's ehemen de ense o Kabbalis ic name magic and he concomi an sugges ion ha he la e is a key o he "sec e s" o p ophecy which he leamed om Maimonides. III A couple o b ie ema ks a e inally in a de . Fi s , since he 18 h cen u y, mos o he Hispanicis s ha ha e paid schola ly a en ion o Visión Deley able consis en ly iden i y i s au ho wi h a na i e o he bishop ic o Bu gos who s udied a he Colegio Mayo de San Ba olomé, deeming him an ine i able p oduc o Salamancan scholas icism45. In ligh o ou p e ious excu sus and o o he easons we can no elabo a e he e, we a e p one o accep , wi h so ne ese a ions, Ma cel Ba aillon's hough ul sugges ion: ha , e en as a s uden o San Ba olomé, Al onso de la To e's concep ion o philosophical leaming, his un-Maimonidean dabblings in as ology, magic, and Kabbalah, and his implici inse ion in he in a-Judaic deba e on he eso e ic meaning o Maimonides' Guide b ing him 44. See VD 1,3, pp. 111-2. De la To e's depa u e om his Isido ian sou ce in dealing wi h Adam's ongue in he g amma ical lesson e lec s Maimonides' de ense o he con en ionali y o all languages, and Heb ew in pa icula , in his exegesis o Gen 2:20 inMN 2,30 --c . Bema d Sep imus (1994). 45. On he p esen s a e o biog aphical knowledge abou De la To e, see Salinas Espinosa (1997: 13-27) and Gi ón-Neg ón (1997: 15-25). MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162 ASTROLOGY, KABBALAH AND MAGIC IN A. DE LA TORRE 157 close in ellec ually o he lea ned 15 h cen u y "aljamas" o Tudela and Za agoza han o he scholas ic ci cles o Salamanca's uni e si y46. Secondly, he e is a mo e pe sonal dimension o De la To e's �s o magical belie s ha a his o ian o eligions could as well no e in he e. Judicia y as ology, sympa he ic magic and onomas ic Kabbalah ep esen ed e: icacious means o manipula e linguis ically he a de o C ea ion and bene i om he na u al in lux o he hea enly ados. They o e ed ways o mi iga e ou subluna ulne abili y in a wo ld suscep ible o he ca as ophic whims o na u e and chance ha De la To e's cosmology so i idly desc ibed47. Such a de ensi e esponse o cosmological ea s, which b ings o mind he " e o o his o y" incisi ely e oked by Mi cea Eliade (1954: 146- 7)48, could no ha e eluded he a en ion o his 15 h cen u y Spanish eade s. I aligned hem exis en ially. 46. See Gi ón Neg ón (1997) and Ba aillon (1950). Ba aillon, o cou se, denied he iden i y o Al onso de la To e wi h he Salamancan bachelo on g ounds ha ha e p o en inconc!usi e. We only claim ha e en i De la To e wen o San Ba olomé, which is he mos likely bu no an absolu e ce ain y, his in ellec ual o ma ion has deepe oo s in 15 h cen u y Hispano-Jewish lea ning han e e acknowledged. 47. "Magic is he science o hope because i cul i a es he human capaci y o ace he u u e -and all o he o ms o unknown, hidden eali y. Magic a!lows hope o become a dominan , conc e e o ce in s uc u ing he wo ld and es uc u ing ime and space; h ough magic human hope allies i sel wi h he o ces ha o de he cosmos" (Law ence Sulli an 1987: xi). Fo an an h opological app aisal o he whole issue o language and magic, see: S anley Tambiah, (1985) and Kenne h Bu ke (1969). 48. Mi cea Eliade makes a pe cep i e ema k abou he as ological dimensions o he Medie al cyc!ical heo ies as an a a is ic exp ession o he my h o he e e na! e um ha lends in elligibili y o ca as ophic e en s. His insigh could also shed ligh on he Spanish ecep i i y o he allego ies o Fo une as a ciphe o chance and ados in 15 h cen u y li e a u e. MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162