The Druze, who can be traced back to eleventh-century Levant, have long intrigued scholars of the Middle East. Their obscure origins and blending of beliefs from Ismali Shi‘ism, animism, Greek philosophy, Jewish and Christian mysticism, Iranian Gnosticism, and Buddhism have set them apart from their neighbors.
The author reveals the remarkable Druze pantheon of semi-deities and investigates their dogmas and rituals. The book also includes rarely seen extracts from the sacred writings of the Druze.
Philip Khuri Hitti (1886–1978) was born in Lebanon and taught at Princeton University from 1926 to 1954.