The Syriac Milieu of the Quran: The Recasting of Biblical Narratives

The Syriac Milieu of the Quran: The Recasting of Biblical NarrativesSyriaca.org: The Syriac Reference PortalThe National Endowment for the HumanitiesThe International Balzan Prize FoundationDavid A. Michelsoncbsc_adminRecord added to Zotero bycbsc_adminSyriaca.org: The Syriac Reference Portalhttp://syriaca.org/cbss/CAT3BX6U/tei

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CREATED: This bibl record was autogenerated from a Zotero record.JosephWitztumThe Syriac Milieu of the Quran: The Recasting of Biblical Narrativeshttp://syriaca.org/cbss/CAT3BX6Uhttps://www.zotero.org/groups/a_comprehensive_bibliography_on_syriac_studies/items/CAT3BX6Uhttps://www.zotero.org/groups/4861694/items/CAT3BX6U2011This dissertation seeks to contribute to our understanding of the Quran and ultimately to the situating of pre-Islamic Arabia in its Late Antique context. The core argument is that Quranic retellings of Biblical narratives are often much more indebted to the Christian Syriac tradition than scholars have hitherto believed. Although it is frequently presumed that stories from the Hebrew Bible were transmitted to the Quranic milieu by Jews, the evidence examined in this study strongly suggests that this is often not the case. The body of the dissertation consists of four case studies: the fall of Adam, Cain's murder of Abel, Abraham's construction of a sanctuary together with his son, and the entire story of Joseph and his travails. A comparison of these four narratives as presented in the Quran to both Jewish and Christian Syriac texts shows that in many respects the Quran is markedly closer to the Syriac tradition. The similarities fall under four headings: motifs, diction, literary form, and typological function. Within the Syriac tradition the sources which tend to present the most parallels are verse homilies and hymns. These were performed publicly and served to instruct a wide population. These literary genres were thus ideal channels of transmission for Biblical traditions to the Quranic milieu. There are several advantages to reading the Quran from the perspective of the Syriac tradition. On an interpretive level, which is the focus of this dissertation, light can be shed on many details which previously were considered errors or innovations on the part of the Quran, but now may be shown to reflect developments found in the Syriac sources. The study of the Syriac background also allows us to appreciate more fully the ways in which the Quran adapts earlier traditions. On a historical level, it furthers our comprehension of an area and era concerning which there is a dearth of contemporary evidence. Witztum, Joseph. “The Syriac Milieu of the Quran: The Recasting of Biblical Narratives.” Ph.D. dissertation, Princeton University, 2011. Joseph Witztum, The Syriac Milieu of the Quran: The Recasting of Biblical Narratives (Ph.D. dissertation, Princeton University, 2011).AbrahamAdamCainGenesisJosephMuslim-Christian relationsOld TestamentQuranSatanSyriac influence [Arabs]VII-XVIII CEexegesisfall