Biography.guide
Home › People › Rabbi › Jonathan ben David ha-Cohen
Portrait of Jonathan ben David ha-Cohen

Jonathan ben David ha-Cohen

1135 – 1211

12th-century French commentator on the Talmud

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Jonathan ben David ha-Cohen

Lived 1135 – 1211 (aged 75–76). Jonathan ben David ha-Cohen was a rabbi.

Rabbi Jonathan ben David ha-Kohen of Lunel (c. 1135 – after 1210) was a leading French tosafist.

He was also known as Jonathan of Lunel, and was one of several Jewish scholars associated with the town, including Meshullam ben Jacob of Lunel, Rabbi Abraham ben David (the "RABaD") who taught in Lunel before moving to Posquières, and Asher ben Meshullam of Lunel, the author of several rabbinical works.

Jonathan defended Maimonides against the severe attacks of Abraham ben David of Posquières (RABaD), and at Jonathan's instance Maimonides sent to Lunel his Moreh Nebukim, which Samuel ibn Tibbon translated into Hebrew. Jonathan is the author of a commentary on a work by Alfasi. About 1210, shortly before his departure for Palestine, where he went to with Tobiah ben Simson and Samuel ben Simson, he corresponded with Isaac ben Abraham of Dampierre, who had sent him a Talmudic responsum on a subject concerning the Holy Land.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1135
Birth century
Died
1211, Acre
Occupation

People in Jonathan ben David ha-Cohen's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Jonathan ben David ha-Cohen's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Jonathan ben David ha-Cohen?

12th-century French commentator on the Talmud

When was Jonathan ben David ha-Cohen born?

Jonathan ben David ha-Cohen was born in 1135.

When did Jonathan ben David ha-Cohen die?

Jonathan ben David ha-Cohen died in 1211 in Acre.

What was Jonathan ben David ha-Cohen's occupation?

Jonathan ben David ha-Cohen was a rabbi.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Jonathan ben David ha-Cohen

· Wikidata: Q6274906

· DBpedia: Jonathan ben David ha-Cohen

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jonathan ben David ha-Cohen. https://biography.guide/jonathan-ben-david-ha-cohen/

MLA: "Jonathan ben David ha-Cohen." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jonathan-ben-david-ha-cohen/.

Chicago: "Jonathan ben David ha-Cohen." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jonathan-ben-david-ha-cohen/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:22 UTC