Maimonides, also known as Rabbi Moses ben Maimon or Rambam, was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher, jurist, and physician whose works have profoundly influenced Jewish thought and law. His synthesis of Aristotelian philosophy with Jewish theology in works like 'The Guide for the Perplexed' and his codification of Jewish law in the 'Mishneh Torah' are considered monumental contributions to both religious and secular scholarship.