The book is a fictional account of the life and times of Moses ben Maimon (the Rambam, Moses Maimonides), one of the greatest Jewish theologians and philosophers who was also a distinguished physician to the Court of Saladin. Born in Cordoba, Spain, in 1135 he will be remembered for his three brilliant books, the Commentary on the Mishna, the Mishneh Torah and the Guide of the Perplexed. He also wrote ten medical treatises. Due to persecution he was forced, with his family, to travel throughout Spain before moving to Fez in Morocco, then Palestine and finally to Egypt where he was appointed as nagid to the Jewish community. He died in 1204 and is buried in Tiberias, Israel. His tombstone reads; "From Moses to Moses, there never arose a man like Moses."