Famous Jewish Astronomer Abraham Zacuto Moves from Portugal to the Land of Israel
Abraham Zacuto, a Jewish astronomer, mathematician, rabbi, and historian, was born in Castile, Spain. After the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, he took refuge in Lisbon, Portugal, where he became famous for developing a new type of metal astrolabe that was instrumental in 16th-century navigation and was used by both Christopher Columbus and Vasco da Gama.
His work, “The Great Treatise,” written in Hebrew, offered a detailed description of the solar system.
He served as a royal astronomer to King John II, and his student, Jose Vizinho, translated and adapted his work into a simplified Latin working version called the Almanach Perpetuum, a concise calendar of the constellations of the seven planets.
His writings and inventions allowed voyagers to venture beyond the customary routes, which up to that point had been limited to ancient coastal or other known sea routes.
Zacuto was forced to leave Portugal when King Manuel I ordered the forced christening of Jews. He first fled to Tunis and later moved to Jerusalem, where he is believed to have died in 1515.
Overview
Abraham Zacuto was a Jewish astronomer, who developed a new type of astrolabe that was instrumental to navigation in the 16th century. Born in Castile, Spain, he took refuge in Lisbon Portugal after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492.
His work, “The Great Treatise,” written in Hebrew, offered a detailed description of our solar system.
As Royal Astronomer to King John II, he constructed the Almanac Perpetuum, allowing navigators to take accurate readings of the sun’s coordinates. He invented a metal astrolabe, most certainly utilized by both Christopher Columbus and Vasco da Gama.
In 1515, Zacuto was forced to leave Portugal when King Manuel I ordered the forced christening of the Jews. He settled in Jerusalem, where today a street is named after him.
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