Squeezes in the Max Van Berchem Collection (Palestine, Trans-Jordan, Northern Syria): Squeezes 1 - 84Western Palestine is extremely rich in Arabic inscriptions, whose dates range from as early as CE 150 until modern times. Most of the inscriptions date from the Islamic period, for under Islam the country gained 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 of topics: construction, dedication, religious endowments, epitaphs, Qur'anic texts, prayers and invocations, 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, namely, the studying of the Arabic inscriptions 'in context'. Van Berchem managed to publish two volumes of the inscriptions from Jerusalem: the CIAP covers the entire country. The inscriptions are arranged according to site, and are studied in their respective topographical, historical and cultural context. In this way the CIAP offers more than a survey of inscriptions: it represents the epigraphical angle of the geographical history of the Holy Land. |
Common terms and phrases
Abbasid Abū Acre Haifa ad-DÊn ad-Dīn Addendum to CIAP AÈmad Akko al-Malik Alī Allah amir angular script Aqabah Ascalon Ashqelon Basmalah Baybars blessed Brünnow Busra Caesarea Caesarea Epitaph Construction text Crusaders Damascus Dar'ah Epitaph Declaration of Faith decorated with barbs Disc Eilat Eilat Aqabah Aylah Epitaph flipped fortress fragment Gaza Haifa Hebron Hūnīn ibid imām incised Islamic Jaffa Jerusalem Karak letters lines Mamlūk Max van Berchem monumental mosque MuÈammad Muḥammad Muslim MvB files MvB squeeze naskhī nisbah Palestine Pedersen points Qur'an Qur'ānic text Ramlah RCEA reading Şafad Salamiyyah Sultan Syria tomb Umayyads Unidentified Unreadable Ustinow collection vowels waqf word إلى ابن الأمير الدين السلطان الصمد العبد الله الرحمن الرحيم المبارك الملك اله الا الله امر ان بسم الله الرحمن بن توفي خان رحمه الله سنة شهر صلى عبد على علي قبر لا اله الا له محمد وحده ولم يشهد