He began his studies as a youth in Paris, France, and was greatly influenced by the social and cultural movements in Europe at the turn of the 20th century.
After returning to his native Iran, Levy pursued various memberships and leadership positions in a few local Jewish organizations.
He traveled to many countries and researched various sources in order to obtain the objective documentation necessary to author his book which was first published in Persian in 1960.
Levy was still in the active pursuit of his extensive research on the history of Iranian Jews prior to his death at the age of 88 in Los Angeles, California.
In 1998, the University of California Los Angeles created the "Habib Levy Distinguished Visiting Professorship In Judeo-Persian Studies".