His father, Abraham ben Ḥayyim, was a Synagogue poet, and rabbi in Narbonne ,but he left about 1240 to settle finally in Villefranche.
[2] Levi left his native city (probably on account of poverty, which oppressed him almost throughout his life), remained for a short time in Perpignan, and then went to Montpellier, where, in 1276, he was engaged in literary pursuits, and earned a scanty living by teaching languages and lecturing.
During the heat of the controversy over the study of secular sciences he was at Narbonne, in the house of the wealthy Samuel of Escaleta, who was prominent both as a poet and a scholar.
Levi enjoyed his hospitality until, yielding to the pressure of the opposing party, represented especially by Shlomo ibn Aderet, Samuel of Escaleta asked his guest to leave.
He has been identified by some with Levi of Perpignan, whom Judah Mosconi, in his super-commentary to Abraham ibn Ezra, characterizes as one of the most prominent of scholars.
Levi ben Abraham wrote two such encyclopedic works, which show the range of knowledge of an educated rationalistic Provençal Jew of that period.
In the preface to this work, which is frequently found in manuscripts, Levi demonstrates the usefulness of his compendium by pointing out the difficulties which those who are not well acquainted with general literature must surmount in order to acquire a knowledge of the sciences, which are scattered through all sorts of books.
He had long cherished the thought of compiling an encyclopedia, but had always been deterred by the fear that the task would prove beyond his power; at last, in 1276, strength was promised him in a vision, whereupon he began the work at Montpellier.
In the paragraphs treating of the history of the diffusion of learning, the author expresses the view that the Greeks and Arabs derived almost their entire scientific culture from the ancient Hebrews, a theory which justified the reading of Greco-Arabic ideas into the Bible (Steinschneider).
), prophecy and the Messianic period (v.; the coming of the Messiah will occur in the year 1345), the mystic theme of the "Merkabah," the divine throne-chariot (vi.
The last, or theological, treatise, which is extant at Oxford,[5] Parma,[6] and Rome,[7] naturally had a greater circulation, and, on account of the author's rationalistic interpretation of the Scriptures, aroused much more opposition than the other sections of the work, which aimed at nothing original and included only what could be found elsewhere.
It mattered little that Levi "was in general very reserved and was communicative only to those who shared his views,"[8] and that it was not known with certainty whether he was to be reckoned among the orthodox or among the heretics; nor yet that he always put off Don Vidal Creseas, who, although he opposed his teachings, was his personal friend, and had often, but vainly, asked him for his writings.
Equally unavailing were his observance of the ceremonial law and his pretense that he occupied himself with philosophical questions only for the sake of being able to cope with heretics (ib.
Poverty compelled Levi, "who was born under an unlucky star," to teach at this dangerous and critical period and thereby spread his doctrines.
"A Muslim is dearer far to me than this man," he wrote, "who is not ashamed to say openly that Abraham and the other patriarchs have ceased to exist as real personages and that their places have been filled by philosophical concepts.
The treatise on predictive astrology is entitled "Sha'ar ha-Arba'im be-Koḥot ha-Kokabim," "the fortieth chapter" of the preceding book, although it forms a separate work.