To the Editor:—
On page 1158 of The Journal of March 26, 1955, "The Oath and Prayer of Maimonides" was reprinted with the notice: Maimonides—Islamic Philosopher and Sage of Cordova. Although Maimonides' works were published in Arabic language (he wrote Arabic in Hebrew characters), he was neither an Arab nor an Islamic philosopher. Moses Ben Maimon (RaMBaM; usually called Maimonides) was a talmudist (rabbinical teacher), philosopher, astronomer, and one of the most famous physicians of his time. He was born at Cordova, March 30, 1135, and died at Cairo, Dec. 13, 1204; he is known in Arabic literature as Abu "Imran Musa ben Maimun ibn" Abd Allah. The history of the "second Moses," as Maimonides came to be called by his co-religionists, is overlaid with fable. He received his rabbinical instruction at the hands of his father, Maimon, himself a scholar of high merit, and was placed at an early