This book offers a new approach to the vexing question of how to write the early history of Islam. The first part discusses the nature of the Muslim and non-Muslim source material for the seventh- and eighth-century Middle East and argues that by lessening the divide between these two traditions, which has largely been erected by modern scholarship, we can come to a better appreciation of this crucial period. The second part gives a detailed survey of sources and an analysis of some 120 non-Muslim texts, all of which provide information about the first century and a half of Islam (roughly A.D. 620-780). The third part furnishes examples, according to the approach suggested in the first part and with the material presented in the second part, how one might write the history of this time. The fourth part takes the form of excurses on various topics, such as the process of Islamization, the phenomenon of conversion to Islam, the development of techniques for determining the direction of prayer, and the conquest of Egypt. Because this work views Islamic history with the aid of non-Muslim texts and assesses the latter in the light of Muslim writings, it will be essential reading for historians of Islam, Christianity, Judaism, or Zoroastrianism--indeed, for all those with an interest in cultures of the eastern Mediterranean in its traditional phase from Late Antiquity to medieval times.

The English translation of an important early medieval chronicle. Originally written in Coptic, it survives only in an Ethiopic translation. The Chronicle of John, Bishop of Nikiu is an important source for the history of the turbulent 6th and 7th centuries. Focusing on Egypt where he was a Monophysite bishop, John is one of the few contemporary historians who describes the conquest of this formerly Roman province by the Muslims. Though his Chronicle follows closely that of John Malalas and the anonymous Paschal Chronicle, John includes numerous unique points of local interest. He is among our best sources for the rebellion of the Roman armies in Thrace against the Emperor Maurice in AD 602 and the degenerate reign of the Emperor Phocas. John also provides our best account of the subsequent rebellion of Heraclius against Phocas in AD 609 and covers in detail the battles which took place between the partisans of each in Egypt. He records natural disasters, plagues, and strange portentious events that occured throughout Egypt--such as the appearance of a merman and mermaid in the Nile. He focuses on the turmoil in the churches and comments on the numerous quarrels and frequent violence that erupted between the Monophysites and Chalcedonian factions. As a Monophysite himself, John offers a rarely seen glimpse into the controversy that was still simmering even 250 years after the Council of Chalcedon. The most noteworthy section of the Chronicle is John's description of the conquest of Roman Egypt by the Muslims under the General Amr. John credits the triumphant Muslims for not destroying Christian churches, but he also records the atrocities perpetrated and the onerous tax burden laid upon the conquered Egyptians by their new rulers.Out of print for nearly a century, this volume represents the only English translation of the work, made from an Ethiopic manuscript of 1602. The Ethiopic text was made from an Arabic translation of the original Greek--both the original Greek and Arabic versions were subsequently lost. The translator, R. H. Charles, has provided an introduction to the text, detailing the manuscript history and offering insight into the often confused proper names and spots where his own interpretation of the text is at odds with that of Zotenberg. Despite several lacunae and some obvious corruptions introduced across the translations, this edition of The Chronicle of John, Bishop of Nikiu offers a wealth of insight into a very poorly understood era.