"Medieval Astrolabe: A Symbol of Scientific Exchange Among Muslims, Jews, and Christians"
TL;DR Summary
Historian Federica Gigante discovered a medieval astrolabe in a museum in Verona, Italy, with Arabic and Hebrew markings, revealing its journey across two continents and the shared intellectual achievements of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian scholars. The astrolabe, a 2D map of the universe, originated in 11th century Spain under Muslim rule, and later passed into Jewish and Latin/Italian hands. This discovery highlights the constructive interactions between different cultures and their shared scientific heritage, dispelling the myth of modern science being born in Europe in isolation.
- Astrolabe's Arabic, Hebrew markings recall period of Muslim, Jewish scholarship NPR
- This 1000-Year-Old Smartphone Just Dialed In The New York Times
- Long Overlooked, This 11th-Century Astronomical Device Documents Scientific Exchange Among Muslims, Jews and Christians Smithsonian Magazine
- An Introduction to the Astrolabe, the Medieval Smartphone Open Culture
- 11th-century ancient ‘smartphone’ found to have been shared between Muslims and Jews Upworthy
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