al-Makin ?ir?is Ibn al-?Amid: Universal History

When the 13th-century Coptic official al-Makin Ibn al-?Amid was thrown into prison by Sultan Baybars, he set out to compile a summary of Biblical, Graeco-Roman, and Islamic history for his own consolation. His work, which drew from a vast array of sources, enjoyed enduring success among various readerships: Oriental Christians, in Arabic-speaking communities but also in Ethiopia; Mamluk historians, including Ibn ?aldun and al-Maqrizi; and early modern Europe. A major instance of Christian-Muslim interaction in the pre-modern era, Ibn al-?Amid's chronography is still unpublished in its pre-Islamic part. This volume edits, analyzes, and translates the section from Adam to the Achaemenids.