Timekeepers > Alfonsic Tables
Luḥot Alfonso.
Manuscript in Hebrew on paper.
Italy, ca. 16th century.
MS X893 H11
Rare Book and Manuscript Library
The complicated tables shown here is a fabulous depiction of the known world in the medieval period. Originally commissioned by King Alfonso X of Castille, the so-called Alfonsic Tables provided important astronomical information, such as the rising of planets and stars. Many Jews were among those working for Alfonso to produce the tables, including Isaac ibn Sid and Judah ben Moses ha-Kohen. Although the tables were originally produced in Catalan, many Hebrew copies were produced as well.
On the left-hand page is a list of cities, including Salzberg, Padua, Cordova, Constantinople, Prague, Mantua, Lisbon, Majorca, Cologne, Sicily, Byzantium, Damascus, and Jerusalem. This broad range of cities throughout Europe and the Mediterranean shows us the breadth of known world during Alfonso’s time.