identifying a text

[Carlson, Thomas Andrew]

Dear colleagues,

I have been asked to help a nearby museum identify one page of Arabic text that they have (see attached images).  They were previously told it is a printed Arabic Bible from c. 1450, but that's obviously impossible.  I recognize a few biblical quotes and allusions, but the frequent يعني and what I can read of the rest suggests that this is some kind of theological treatise drawing on biblical references.

Does anyone recognize the text?  Or can shed any light about what the content is?

Also, can anyone say anything about the date of this copy from the script or the chain-lines in the paper?  I don't think fifteenth-century Middle Eastern paper usually is lined like that.  I don't know enough about Arabic paleography to distinguish centuries based on the hand.

Thank you for any help!

Thomas

[Monica Mitri]

Dear Thomas,

It appears later than the 15th century, likely 18th or 19th century, based on the hand, rubrication, and extensive tashkīl. In chain lines and rubrication, it is remarkably similar to an early 19th-century manuscript at St. Macarius Monastery in Egypt (Homilies 16), which is dated to 1808. I'm attaching a page from Homilies 16 and the catalogue information on it from Ugo Zanetti's catalogue (Ugo Zanetti, Les Manuscrits de Dair Abu Maqar: Inventaire. Geneve: Patrick Cramer, 1986, p.49)

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Monica Mitri

PhD Candidate in Religious Studies, University of Southern California

M.A. in Theology, 2020 Claremont School of Theology

M.Sc. in Strategic Management, 2011 German University in Cairo

https://usc.academia.edu/MonicaMitri

https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-mitri-a9087247/ 

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive" (Howard Thurman)

[Carlson, Thomas Andrew]

Thank you, Monica!  I was also thinking in that timeframe, but I don't have as much experience with that period.

Best wishes,

TAC

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From: nas...@googlegroups.com <nas...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Monica Mitri <mitri....@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2026 2:46 PM
To: nas...@googlegroups.com <nas...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [nascas] identifying a text

 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/nascas/CAHdoUGPKdykSAOCt-EW4HhjfJJam%3DeecA3jCDO8X0QoVJJn7PA%40mail.gmail.com.