The Sabians of the Qur’an
The community the Qur’an names beside the Jews and the Christians, and how Muslim scholars answered the question of who they were.
Journal
Explainers and essays on the history, scripture and thought of the Abrahamic traditions. Browse every topic.
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Masbuta: baptism in running water
How the Mandaeans baptise: the running water, the priest, the myrtle wreath and the sacraments on the bank.
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John the Baptist in four traditions
The prophet of the Jordan in the Gospels, in Jewish memory, in the Qur’an and in Mandaean tradition.
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Interfaith dialogue in the modern era
How Jews, Christians and Muslims have sought understanding across religious lines since the nineteenth century.
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Faith and reason in medieval Jewish, Christian and Muslim thought
How medieval thinkers in all three traditions used Greek philosophy to reason about God.
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What archaeology tells us about the ancient Near East
Inscriptions, excavations and the limits of the evidence for the world of the Bible and early Islam.
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Prayer across the Abrahamic traditions
Daily prayer in Judaism, Mandaeism, Christianity and Islam: times, forms and meanings.
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Kedar, the Arabs and the prophets
Kedar in the Hebrew Bible, the Arab tribes of the north, and the figure the oracles point to.
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Jerusalem in three traditions
Why one city holds a central place in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
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Understanding the Bible and the Qur’an in historical context
How scholars approach the historical and literary settings of these sacred texts.
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The path of Abraham in the Qur’an
How the Qur’an defines the millat Ibrahim, the path of Abraham, and what it asks of its hearers.
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How the Abrahamic religions understand monotheism
A comparative look at the concept of one God in Judaism, Mandaeism, Christianity and Islam.