The Fountain of Life

Solomon ibn Gabirol’s philosophical treatise, known in Latin as the Fons Vitae, is a foundational work of medieval Jewish neoplatonism. It explores the nature of matter, form, and divine emanation in a highly abstract dialogue, and readers will find a systematic metaphysical vision that profoundly influenced both Jewish and Christian thinkers.

Solomon ibn Gabirol (c. 1021–c. 1058), also known in Latin as Avicebron, was an influential Hebrew poet and philosopher whose *Fons Vitae* articulated a neoplatonic metaphysics that later shaped both Jewish and Christian thought. His poetry and philosophy secured him a lasting place in medieval religious and mystical literature.