Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum Palaestinae (Handbook of Oriental Studies, Middle East , Vol 2)

Western Palestine is rich in Arabic inscriptions, whose dates range from as early as AD 150 until modern times. Most of the inscriptions date from the Islamic period, for under Islam the country gained a particular religious and strategic importance, even though it made up only part of the larger province of Syria. This historical importance is clearly reflected in the hundreds of inscriptions, the texts of which cover a variety ot topics: construction, dedication, religious endowments, epitaphs, Qur'anic texts and prayer and invocations. These are all now assembled in the Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum Palaestinae (CIAP). The CIAP follows the method established at the end of the 19th century by Max van Berchem, of studying the Arabic inscriptions "in context". This volume documents some the inscriptions which are arranged according to site and are studied in their respective topographical, historical and cultural contexts.