Illustration of the (Aristotelian) Cosmos

Born in Lippstadt (now North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany), David Ganz was a chronicler, mathematician, historian, astronomer, and astrologer. He studied at two of the great yeshivas of his time, those of Moses Isserles and of Sinai ben Bezalel, brother of the Maharal of Prague. Ganz first became interested in astronomy in his youth and encountered both Johannes Kepler and Tycho Brahe. Most of his writings have been lost. He is best known for his historical work—the only full-length work published in his lifetime—Tsemaḥ David (The Sprout of David). The book is divided into two parts, the first dedicated to the history of the Jews, the second to non-Jewish history. His book on astronomy, Neḥmad ve-na’im (Nice and Pleasant), was published in 1743, more than a century after his death.