תורת הבריאה של החוג הניאואפלטוני במחשבה היהודית במאה הארבע-עשרה

During the second half of the fourteenth century one finds a well-defined stream of Jewish thinkers, who produced works of Neoplatonic content. These philosophers were: Salomon ibn Yaish, Salomon Alconstantin, Salomon Franco, Samuel ibn Zarza, Ezra Getinio, Joseph Tov-Elem, Shemtob Ibn Shaprut and Shemtob Ibn Mayor. Most of their writings are extant in manuscripts. This article examines the Neoplatonic trend's doctrine of creation. While there are clear formulations supporting creation ex nihilo, and the creation of matter in general, there are also clear allusions to the approach envisaging the eternity of the world — in two forms. It seems that most of these philosophers believed in continuous emanation, with the exception of Ibn Shaprut, who followed Gersonides in the doctrine of creation out of a substratum, that is, of matter, and Tov Elem, who believed in endless cycles of the world. They all reject, however, the concept of creation ex nihilo, expressing their own views esoterically.