Ibn Ezra, Moses ben Jacob (fl. 1055–1135)

Ibn Ezra was an exegete, Jewish scholar and one of the foremost Hebrew poets of medieval Spain. Although none of his systematic biblical commentaries have been preserved, two important works survive in Judaeo–Arabic prose, both dealing with biblical literary theory, rhetoric and philosophy. The literary dimension of his work makes Ibn Ezra a forerunner of modern biblical criticism. His speculative system, deeply influenced by Neplatonism, was to have a profound impact on the early Spanish Kabbalists.