Nevo, Yehuda. “Towards a Prehistory of Islam.” In What the Koran Really Says: Language, Text, & Commentary. Edited by Ibn Warraq. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2002. Pages 131-168.
Nevo’s essay, like so many in Warraq’s volumes, is very well done. In researching some epigraphic texts, and including their facsimiles in his essay, Nevo proceeds to offer an early pre-Islamic understanding of the first two-centuries of the Hijrah, filling in some of the lacunae previously remarked upon by John Wansbrough (131-2). Nevo’s own opinion is that Wansbrough is primarily correct in understanding the beginning of Islam as a sectarian movement in Judeo-Christianity. Nevo’s epigraphical findings contour this Islamic prehistory as essentially monotheistic though “demonstrably not Islam,” (132). In fact, it is not until the 71st year of the Hijrah that Muhammad or Muhammadan theological formula have an epigraphic provenance.
Nevo categorizes inscriptions unearthed in the Negev into six groups (three classes) of chronological sequence. The first are texts from 40-60AH. The second from the middle first century. Third (a second class of texts) are texts that continue roughly to the end of the first century AH. Fourth, are the appearance of the Muhammadan inscriptions, which Nevo associates with the Marwanid dynasty (I did not understand this association). Fifth is Marwanid Islamic inscriptions, and sixth, Abbasid Islamic, both from the second century AH and later (the last class). Reflections on prophetic logia are also given, specifically with reference to the Dome of the Rock. Nevo points out one text from the Dome which speaks of Jesus but does not occur in the Quran (located on the NW-W face, area B11; p. 146).
Nevo’s work is accomplished and mild in its claims compared to the contributions of some of the other revisionist scholars who contributed. His findings, for desiring to fill the holes in Wanbrough’s theory of Islamic origins, do seem too narrowly restricted to the Negev and the Dome of the Rock to be useful for making historical claims that encompass a significantly larger territory. However, his work is given significant weight alongside Warraq’s many other essays reflected on here, and they can all work within a larger understanding of Islamic origins that would be destabilizing of Islamic tradition – to put it in the nicest manner possible.
Mingana, Alphonse. “Towards a Prehistory of Islam.” In What the Koran Really Says: Language, Text, & Commentary. Edited by Ibn Warraq. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2002. Pages 171-192.
Mingana’s essay is more a compilation of findings and studies than a sustained argument. His main concern here is to present Syriacisms in the Quran, or show Syriac influence. He does this with proper names, all of which are important Judeo-Christian biblical figures (175-8); with some important theological terms (179-80); with more common vocabulary (181-3); orthography (183-4); syntax (184-6); and foreign references in the Quran (186-90).
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Frequently bought together
$45.12
Get it as soon as Tuesday, Mar 19
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Customers who bought this item also bought
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
