Natural Philosophy

• Astronomy and the Heavenly Bodies — The nature, magnitude, distances, and motions of the sun, moon, and stars — refuting astrology and the animation of stars, with detailed calculations of cosmic distances and speeds
• Natural Philosophy of Animals — The creation of fish, birds, and land animals with extensive moral symbolism — bees, cranes, storks, the kingfisher, the turtle-dove, ants, dogs, and many others as mirrors of human virtue and vice
• Natural Philosophy of Plants and Seeds — The creation of plants and trees on the third day, with their seeds and propagative power — including poisonous herbs, thorns, and the question of harmful creatures before the Fall
• The Firmament and the Waters — The nature of the firmament (rakia) as the starry heaven and celestial orbs, made from condensed waters on the second day, with true waters placed above the heavens
• The Sea and the Earth — The formation of the earth and sea on the third day — the gathering of waters, the making of mountains and valleys, the cavities beneath the earth, and the earth as center of the universe