Liber Elhavy (Latin Translation of al-Hawi)

What it is

This manuscript page is from a Latin translation of al-Razi's al-Hawi, made by Faraj ben Salim in 1279 under the title Liber Elhavy (the Continens). The page has two columns of Latin text with a red heading and gold-leaf illuminated miniatures. It is held by the Bibliothèque nationale de France.

Why it matters

This translation was one of the main routes by which al-Razi's medical knowledge reached European doctors and universities in the Middle Ages. The decorated page, made for a wealthy patron, shows how highly prized his work was considered once it crossed from Arabic into Latin scholarship.

Look closer

• Why would a translation made centuries after al-Razi's death still carry his name and authority?
• What do the gold illuminations suggest about who commissioned or used this copy?
• What might change in meaning when a medical text is translated from Arabic into Latin?