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Rare eleventh-century astrolabe discovery reveals Islamic–Jewish scientific exchange

The identification of an eleventh-century Islamic astrolabe bearing both Arabic and Hebrew inscriptions makes it one of the oldest examples ever discovered and one of only a handful known in the world. The astronomical instrument was adapted, translated, and corrected for centuries by Muslim, Jewish, and Christian users in Spain, North Africa, and Italy.

Dr. Federica Gigante, from Cambridge University's History Faculty, made the discoveries in a museum in Verona, Italy, and published them today in the journal Nuncius.

Dr. Gigante first came across a newly uploaded image of the astrolabe by chance on the website of the Fondazione Museo Miniscalchi-Erizzo. Intrigued, she asked them about it.

"The museum didn't know what it was and thought it might actually be fake," Dr. Gigante said. "It's now the single most important object in their collection."