English

OIP 75. Studies in Arabic Literary Papyri I: Historical Texts

The eight documents presented in this work (together with Oriental Institute No. 14046, previously published) form the main basis of the present study. They represent nine fields and periods of pre-Islamic and early Islamic history that range from the story of creation to military history in the tenth century of our era. The estimated dates of the papyrus fragments cover some two hundred years, roughly from about the mid-eighth to about the mid-tenth century. Furthermore, the documents represent, for the most part, the earliest Islamic historians, even though some are not yet identified. Again, each papyrus fragment is undoubtedly the earliest known existing manuscript of the work it represents. Still unidentified are the authors of Documents 1, 2, and 3, which deal with the story of creation, Adam and Eve, and Jewish legendary history respectively. Tentatively identified are Oriental Institute No. 14046 and Documents 5 and 8, which, in all probability, trace back respectively to the lost works of Wahb ibn Munabbih's legendary history, Ma'mar ibn Rashid's campaigns of Muhammad, and Abu Muhammad al-Faraghani's continuation of Tabari's history. On the other hand, Document 4 is defini

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