Die Reihe Islamkundliche Untersuchungen wurde 1969 im Klaus Schwarz Verlag begründet und hat sich zu einem der wichtigsten Publikationsorgane der Islamwissenschaft in Deutschland entwickelt. Die über 330 Bände widmen sich der Geschichte, Kultur und den Gesellschaften Nordafrikas, des Nahen und Mittleren Ostens sowie Zentral-, Süd- und Südost-Asiens.

Die Reihe Islamkundliche Untersuchungen wurde 1969 im Klaus Schwarz Verlag begründet und hat sich zu einem der wichtigsten Publikationsorgane der Islamwissenschaft in Deutschland entwickelt. Die über 330 Bände widmen sich der Geschichte, Kultur und den Gesellschaften Nordafrikas, des Nahen und Mittleren Ostens sowie Zentral-, Süd- und Südost-Asiens.

The Fruits of Madness: Perspectives on the Prophetic Movements in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and in Literature brings together selected oral presentations given at the Seminar in Biblical Characters in Three Traditions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) and in Literature held at the University of Vienna, Austria, in July 2014 as part of the Annual International Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. The contributions include work on life on the fringes between two types of lifestyles; the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament prophetic movement phenomenon from the point of view of ancient concerns about the effectiveness of communication between the human and godly realms; resistance led by prophets in ancient Israelite society; the distinction between priests and prophets in ancient Israelite and early Jewish societies; the Prophet Hosea (and his vicissitudes) in the light of the lyrics of the famous Canadian poet and musician, Leonard Cohen; the apocalyptic movements of the exilic and post-exilic eras within Judaism; the biblical Daniel as located at the point of confluence and an agent of prophecy, wisdom, and apocalyptic; and the reliability of God’s/YHWH’s word as mediated to three persons reputed to have received that word. The reader will intuit the theme of liminality in several of the contributors: it dogs the study of prophecy like a great hound its prey. With these writings, the reader is challenged to view the ancient Israelite and early Jewish concern with prophet and prophecy in a fresh and enjoyable, though thought-provoking way, making this volume a worthwhile read.

In Western tradition, St. George is known as the dragon slayer. In the Middle East, he is called Khidr (“Green One”), and in addition to being a dragon slayer, he is also somehow the prophet Elijah. In this book, Robert D. Miller II untangles these complicated connections and reveals how, especially in his Middle Eastern guise, St. George is a reincarnation of the Canaanite storm god Baal, another “Green One” who in Ugaritic texts slays dragons. Combining art history, theology, and archeology, this multidisciplinary study demystifies the identity of St. George in his various incarnations, laying bare the processes by which these identifications merged and diverged. Miller traces the origins of this figure in Arabic and Latin texts and explores the possibility that Middle Eastern shrines to St. George lie on top of ancient shrines of the Canaanite storm god Baal. Miller examines these holy places, particularly in modern Israel and around Mount Hermon on the Syrian-Lebanese-Israeli border, and makes the convincing case that direct continuity exists from the Baal of antiquity to the St. George/Khidr of Christian lore. Convincingly argued and thoroughly researched, this study makes a unique contribution to such diverse areas as ancient Near Eastern studies, Roman history and religion, Christian hagiography and iconography, Quranic studies, and Arab folk religion.

For more than a millennium, from its creation in 330 CE until its fall in 1453, the Byzantine Empire was a cradle of artistic effervescence that is only beginning to be rediscovered. Endowed with the rich heritage of Roman, Eastern, and Christian cultures, Byzantine artists developed an architectural and pictorial tradition, marked by symbolism, whose influence extended far beyond the borders of the Empire. Today, Italy, North Africa, and the Near East preserve the vestiges of this sophisticated artistic tradition, with all of its mystical and luminous beauty. The magnificence of the palaces, churches, paintings, enamels, ceramics, and mosaics from this civilisation guarantees Byzantine art's powerful influence and timelessness.

Retells the Old Testament story of the prophet Elijah, whose task was to turn the Israelites back to God.