Did Hasdai Crescas Read Averroes’ Discourse on God’s Knowledge?

Abstract

The two medieval Hebrew translations of Averroes’ short Discourse on God’s Knowledge have recently been edited by Silvia Di Donato. Did Hasdai Crescas, who cites Averroes by name 20 times in his Light of the Lord, read this work? Although Crescas uses arguments similar to those found in the Discourse, it cannot be proved he read it. The term “eternal knowledge”is found 13 times in Averroes’ Discourse and 4 times in Crescas’ Light. In his other works, Averroes avoids the term, and it is found either never or very rarely in them. The term is similarly avoided by Maimonides. It was, however, a favorite of Alghazali, and it is found also in Judah Halevi’s Kuzari. Averroes’ frequent use of the term in his Discourse is thus curious to say the least.