 Horwitz claims that this theme is apparent in Gersonides’ biblical commentaries: “a central role of Ralbag’s biblical commentaries is the desire to help his readers attain eternal intellectual felicity through knowledge of the truth.” (Horwitz 2006, p. 124) Nowhere is this emphasis seen more clearly than in Gersonides’ commentary to Song of Songs. Ostensibly the Song of Songs describes the love affair and desires of a shepherd for a maiden. Generations of commentators saw in the work an allegory of the relation between God and the people Israel. Gersonides, however, provides a philosophical reading of the work that incorporates two sets of subsidiary dialogues, first between the human material intellect and the Active Intellect, and second between the faculties of the soul and the material intellect. Gersonides spells out the import of these discussions in his introduction to the work. He first lays down the premise that “man’s ultimate felicity resides in cognizing and knowing God to the extent that is possible for him.” (Song of Songs, 5) Such knowledge is achieved through observation of the state of existing things in the natural universe, that is, through the beings that God has created and caused. Knowledge of God, therefore, is predicated on knowledge of the natural order.