MESHULLAM BEN JACOB OF LUNEL:
French Talmudist; died at Lunel in 1170. He directed a Talmudic school which produced several famous men, and was an intimate friend of Abraham b. Isaac, ab bet din of Narbonne, who addressed to him several responsa, and spoke of him in high terms. His Talmudic decisions are quoted in "Sefer ha Terumot."
Meshullam was interested also in philosophy. According to Ibn Tibbon, whom he encouraged to translate Baḥya's "Al-Hidayah ila Fara'id al-Ḳulub" into Hebrew ("Ḥobot ha-Lebabot"), he wrote several works dealing with moral philosophy, advised and assisted other Jewish writers, and possessed a large library. Judah ibn Tibbon is never weary of praising Meshullam's zeal in investigating the various branches of knowledge.
Bibliography:
- Gross, Gallia Judaica, p. 229.
