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Mirage of the Saracen
Christians and Nomads in the Sinai Peninsula in Late Antiquity
Language:
English
Published/Copyright:
2014
About this book
Mirage of the Saracen analyzes the growth of monasticism and Christian settlements in the Sinai Peninsula through the early seventh century C.E. Walter D. Ward examines the ways in which Christian monks justified occupying the Sinai through creating associations between Biblical narratives and Sinai sites while assigning uncivilized, negative, and oppositional traits to the indigenous nomadic population, whom the Christians pejoratively called "Saracens." By writing edifying tales of hostile nomads and the ensuing martyrdom of the monks, Christians not only reinforced their claims to the spiritual benefits of asceticism but also provoked the Roman authorities to enhance defense of pilgrimage routes to the Sinai. When Muslim armies later began conquering the Middle East, Christians also labeled these new conquerors as Saracens, connecting Muslims to these pre-Islamic representations. This timely and relevant work builds a historical account of interreligious encounters in the ancient world, showing the Sinai as a crucible for forging long-lasting images of both Christians and Muslims, some of which endure today.
Author / Editor information
Contributor: Walter D. Ward
Walter D. Ward is Assistant Professor of History at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Topics
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Frontmatter
i -
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Contents
ix -
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List of Illustrations
xi -
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Preface
xiii -
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Note on Sources
xv -
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Abbreviations
xxv -
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Introduction
1 -
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1. Saracens
17 -
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2. Monasticism and Pilgrimage in the Sinai
42 -
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3. The Sinai as Christian Space
67 -
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4. Martyrdom in the Sinai
92 -
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5. Imperial Response to the Saracen Threat
111 -
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6. The Murderous Sword of the Saracen
128 -
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Bibliography
155 -
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Index
189
Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
April 15, 2019
eBook ISBN:
9780520959521
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
Main content:
224
eBook ISBN:
9780520959521
Keywords for this book
saracens; sinai peninsula; ancient world; christianity; islam; comparative religion; transformation of the classical heritage series; religious studies; defense of pilgrimage; ancient history; ancient african history; egyptian history; religious history; late antiquity; classical; muslim; christians; nomads; monasticism; early seventh century; bible; biblical study; indigenous nomadic population; martyrdom; spiritual benefits of asceticism; biblical narratives; christian settlements; christian monks
