Old astrolabe with inscriptions in Hebrew and Jewish symbols

Ancient astrolabe (a marine navigation tool for determining the angle of the sky relative to the horizon), made of brass and copper. Decorated with engravings of different Hebrew letters with the zodiac signs and Kabbalistic inscriptions. The first known metallic astrolabe in Western Europe was designed and built by the Jewish astronomer Rabbi Avraham Zechut (1452–1514) in Lisbon, Portugal. The metallic astrolabes were far more accurate than those made of wood. Rabbi Avraham Zechut also guided Columbus before his trip and helped him with various calculations on the solar and lunar system as well as the use of the astrolabes. The influence of R. Abraham on the travels of the Portuguese was so great that an historian of the period wrote in his book "History of India" that: "Before ordering people to discover India, King Manuel invited the Jewish man Zechut, who was a great astronomer, secretly spoke to him and asked him if it was at all possible to do the thing ... and he added that he would do nothing without his advice. " Height: 11 cm. Very good overall condition.