La The Vida de Barlán e Josafá: The Cultural Model of Sancho IV (Some Remarks in Light of David Arbesú’s Recent Edition)

Abstract

In this research note, I examine David Arbesú’s recent edition of Vida de Barlán e Josafá (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 2023) and the role this work played in the court of Sancho IV. After discussing the merits of the edition, I argue that the text is part of Sancho IV’s broader cultural and spiritual renewal program, aimed at reevaluating the scientific knowledge promoted during the reign of his father, Alfonso X. I highlight passages where the Vida criticizes disciplines such as astrology and rhetoric, portraying them as dangerous and deceptive, while exalting the revealed truth of Christian preaching and monastic asceticism. I conclude by suggesting that the father-son dynamic between King Avenir and Infante Josafá mirrors the complex relationship between Alfonso X and Sancho IV, as well as the latter’s efforts to infuse the Castilian monarchy with a stronger religious dimension.