Severus Sebokht

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Severus Sebokht

fl. c. 650

Syrian cleric and scholar who made the first known mention of Hindu numerals outside of India. Sebokht also wrote the earliest known treatise on the astrolabe, as well as works on other aspects of mathematics, astronomy, geography, philosophy, and theology. Of Hindu computations he wrote that these "excel the written word ... and are done with nine symbols."

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