The Throne of Adulis: Red Sea Wars on the Eve of Islam

Red Sea Wars on the Eve of Islam

Nonfiction, History, Africa, Middle East
Cover of the book The Throne of Adulis: Red Sea Wars on the Eve of Islam by G.W. Bowersock, Oxford University Press, USA
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: G.W. Bowersock ISBN: 9780199333844
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA Publication: March 4, 2013
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: G.W. Bowersock
ISBN: 9780199333844
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Publication: March 4, 2013
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

Just prior to the rise of Islam in the sixth century AD, southern Arabia was embroiled in a violent conflict between Christian Ethiopians and Jewish Arabs. Though little known today, this was an international war that involved both the Byzantine Empire, which had established Christian churches in Ethiopia, and the Sasanian Empire in Persia, which supported the Jews in what became a proxy war against its longtime foe Byzantium. Our knowledge of these events derives largely from an inscribed marble throne at the Ethiopian port of Adulis, meticulously described by a sixth-century Christian merchant known as Cosmas Indicopleustes. Using the writings of Cosmas and a wealth of other historical and archaeological evidence from the period, eminent historian G. W. Bowersock carefully reconstructs this fascinating but overlooked chapter in pre-Islamic Arabian history. The flashpoint of the war, Bowersock tells us, occurred when Yusuf, the Jewish king of Himyar, massacred hundreds of Christians living in Najran. The Christian ruler of Ethiopia, Kaleb, urged on by the Byzantine emperor Justin, led a force of 120,000 men across the Red Sea to defeat Yusuf. But when the victorious Kaleb--said to have retired to a monastery-left behind weak leaders in both Ethiopia and Himyar, the Byzantine and Persian empires expanded their activity in the Arabian territory. In the midst of this conflict, a new religion was born, destined to bring a wholly unanticipated resolution to the power struggle in Arabia. The Throne of Adulis vividly recreates the Red Sea world of Late Antiquity, transporting readers back to a remote but pivotal epoch in ancient history, one that sheds light on the collapse of the Persian Empire as well as the rise of Islam.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Just prior to the rise of Islam in the sixth century AD, southern Arabia was embroiled in a violent conflict between Christian Ethiopians and Jewish Arabs. Though little known today, this was an international war that involved both the Byzantine Empire, which had established Christian churches in Ethiopia, and the Sasanian Empire in Persia, which supported the Jews in what became a proxy war against its longtime foe Byzantium. Our knowledge of these events derives largely from an inscribed marble throne at the Ethiopian port of Adulis, meticulously described by a sixth-century Christian merchant known as Cosmas Indicopleustes. Using the writings of Cosmas and a wealth of other historical and archaeological evidence from the period, eminent historian G. W. Bowersock carefully reconstructs this fascinating but overlooked chapter in pre-Islamic Arabian history. The flashpoint of the war, Bowersock tells us, occurred when Yusuf, the Jewish king of Himyar, massacred hundreds of Christians living in Najran. The Christian ruler of Ethiopia, Kaleb, urged on by the Byzantine emperor Justin, led a force of 120,000 men across the Red Sea to defeat Yusuf. But when the victorious Kaleb--said to have retired to a monastery-left behind weak leaders in both Ethiopia and Himyar, the Byzantine and Persian empires expanded their activity in the Arabian territory. In the midst of this conflict, a new religion was born, destined to bring a wholly unanticipated resolution to the power struggle in Arabia. The Throne of Adulis vividly recreates the Red Sea world of Late Antiquity, transporting readers back to a remote but pivotal epoch in ancient history, one that sheds light on the collapse of the Persian Empire as well as the rise of Islam.

More books from Oxford University Press, USA

Cover of the book Strategy: A History by G.W. Bowersock
Cover of the book The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri: Volume 2: Purgatorio by G.W. Bowersock
Cover of the book Better PowerPoint (R) : Quick Fixes Based On How Your Audience Thinks by G.W. Bowersock
Cover of the book Guardians of the Revolution:Iran and the World in the Age of the Ayatollahs by G.W. Bowersock
Cover of the book Washington's Crossing by G.W. Bowersock
Cover of the book European Integration and Supranational Governance by G.W. Bowersock
Cover of the book Spain: What Everyone Needs to Know by G.W. Bowersock
Cover of the book Music in the Nineteenth Century : The Oxford History of Western Music by G.W. Bowersock
Cover of the book The Bible in History : How the Texts Have Shaped the Times by G.W. Bowersock
Cover of the book Colonial America:A Very Short Introduction by G.W. Bowersock
Cover of the book Mormon Christianity: What Other Christians Can Learn From the Latter-day Saints by G.W. Bowersock
Cover of the book The Naked Voice:A Wholistic Approach to Singing by G.W. Bowersock
Cover of the book George Washington's Mount Vernon : At Home in Revolutionary America by G.W. Bowersock
Cover of the book The Complete Euripides:Volume I: Trojan Women and Other Plays by G.W. Bowersock
Cover of the book Away Down South : A History of Southern Identity by G.W. Bowersock
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy