Jaaphar Ibn-tophail

Jaaphar Ibn-Tophail a distinguished Arab of the 12th century, deserves our notice as the author of a philosophical treatise entitled the History of Hoi IbnYokdan (translated into Latin by Pococke [Oxf. 1671] and into English by Ockley [Oxf. 1708, 8vo]). It aims to teach that "the light of nature is sufficient to lead mankind to a knowledge of the Deity without the aid of revelation. Of Jaaphar's personal history we know scarcely anything. He is supposed to have died about 1198. See Gorton's Biographical Dictionary, s.v.