'''Maimonides''' ([[March 30]], [[1135]]–[[December 13]], [[1204]]) was a [[Jew]]ish [[Jewish rabbi]], [[physician]], and [[philosopher]] in [[Spain]] and [[Egypt]] during the [[Middle Ages]]. He was one of the various medieval [[Judaism|Jewish]] philosophers who also influenced the non-Jewish world. Although his copious works on Jewish law and ethics were initially met with opposition during his lifetime, he was posthumously acknowledged to be one of the foremost rabbinical [[posek|arbiters]] and philosophers in Jewish history. Today, his works and his views are considered a cornerstone of [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox Jewish]] thought and study.

Maimonides' full name was ''Moshe ben Maimon'' ([[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]: משה בן מיימון) and his [[Arabic language|Arabic]] name was موسى بن ميمون بن عبد الله القرطبي الإسرائيلي (''Mussa bin Maimun ibn Abdallah al-Kurtubi al-Israili''). However, he is most commonly known by his [[Greek language|Greek]] name, '''Moses Maimonides''' (Μωησής Μαϊμονίδης), which literally means, "Moses, son of Maimon", like his name in Hebrew and Arabic. Many Jewish works refer to him by the Hebrew acronym of his title and name — '''R'''abbi '''M'''oshe '''b'''en '''M'''aimon — calling him the '''RaMBaM''' or the '''Rambam''' (רמב"ם).