Moses ibn Ezra

Rabbi Moses ben Jacob ibn Ezra, known as Ha-Sallaḥ ("writer of penitential prayers") (Arabic: أَبُو هَارُون مُوسَى بِن يَعْقُوب اِبْن عَزْرَا, Abu Harun Musa bin Ya'qub ibn 'Azra, Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה בֵּן יַעֲקֹב הסַּלָּח אִבְּן עֶזְרָא, Moshe ben Ya'aqov ha-Sallaḥ ibn 'Ezra) was an Andalusi Jewish philosopher, linguist, and poet. He was born in Granada about 1055 – 1060, and died after 1138. Ibn Ezra is considered to have had great influence in the Arabic literary world. He is considered one of Spain's greatest poets and was thought to be ahead of his time in terms of his theories on the nature of poetry. One of the more revolutionary aspects of Ibn Ezra's poetry that has been debated is his definition of poetry as metaphor and how his poetry illuminates Aristotle's early ideas. The impact of Ibn Ezra's philosophical works was minor compared to his impact on poetry, but they address his concept of the relationship between God and man.