Thirty Problems Concerning Creation

At his own expense, Menasseh Ben Israel self-published Thirty Problems Concerning Creation (De Creatione Problemata XXX) from his home. This work aimed to restore the classical doctrine of creation and to address intricate philosophical and theological questions related to the creation of the world and faith. The present edition is the first translation of the Latin edition that was published in 1635, nearly 400 years ago. The thirty problems explore various questions, including the existence of a beginning of the world, the nature of the raw material, the origin of Moses' knowledge of creation, the universality of this knowledge, the duration of the world's creation, the existence of other worlds before ours, the direct emanation from God, the number of elements necessary for creation, the creation of souls and bodies, the creation of Paradise and Hell, the existence of Purgatory, the creation of demons and angels, the roundness of the sky, the final cause of the world's creation, and the alterability of the world if it is eternal. These problems invite deep reflections on the nature of existence and faith.

Menasseh Ben Israel (1604-1657), born in La Rochelle, France, around 1604 (Cardozo de Béthencourt, 1904; Levy, 1924; H.P. Solomon, 1983; Meinsma, 2006; S. Rauschenbach, 2019) and buried in Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, Dutch Republic, in 1657, is renowned for founding the first Hebrew printing house in Amsterdam. A philosopher, exegete, diplomat, writer, editor, and printer, he published at his own expense Thirty Problems Concerning Creation (De Creatione Problemata XXX) from his own home.