In the September 2005 edition of the Israeli Medical Association Journal there is a paper dedicated to “Rabbi Dr. David Applebaum Rabbi, Physician, Teacher and Friend, murdered together with his daughter Naavah in a terrorist attack, Jerusalem, 9 September 2003 on the eve of her wedding.”. It’s a fascinating account of the life of Moses Maimonides [PDF] (1138-1204) who ended up being court physician in Egypt in the time of Saladin, as it’s in PDF format here is a snippet:
Maimonides was born in 1138 in Cordoba, Spain, to a celebrated rabbinic family. His mother died in childbirth. His father Maimon, a rabbinic scholar and judge in Cordoba, gave his son a broad Jewish and general education that included mathematics, astronomy and philosophy. In 1148, Cordoba was conquered by the Almohads, a fanatical Muslim sect that forced Jews to convert to Islam. Maimonides’ family fled Cordoba, spent time in Spain and probably also in Provence, and in 1160 settled in North Africa in the city of Fez. Maimonides continued his studies during this period and began his literary work. [...]. In Fez, Maimonides studied under Rabbi Judah Ha-Kohen ibn Susan and acquired medical training from prominent Muslim physicians. But the continuing persecution forced the family to flee Fez (1165) and they made their way to the Holy Land, arriving at the port of Acre.
Finding that the local Jewish community was living in a state of desperate poverty and political oppression at the hands of the Christian Crusaders, the family moved on to Egypt, finally settling in Fostat, the Old City of Cairo. Maimonides’ father Maimon died soon after their arrival (1166). Supported by his younger brother David, a merchant who dealt in precious stones, Maimonides was able to pursue his studies free of financial care. His brother drowned several years later (1178) in the Indian Ocean while on a business trip; Maimonides was shattered by this tragedy and remained depressed for a long time, as seen in his letter to Rabbi Yephet. For reasons of principle Maimonides refused to take money for his rabbinic services, turning to the medical profession for his livelihood.
Maimonides was appointed official leader (naggid) of Egyptian Jewry (1177) and court physician to Vizir Al-Fadhil, Regent of Egypt during the absence of Sultan Saladin the Great, who was off fighting the Crusaders (1185).