Posted on 07/26/2021 6:55:56 AM PDT by SJackson
Available on Amazon.
It’s as if one would naturally seek a religion or world view that makes bold, unfalsifyable claims like, “G-d revealed Himself to ALL of us,” and “Ask the nations, has an event like this [mass revelation] ever happened again?”
You mean it wasn't handed to him on golden plates?..............
There is no archaeological evidence that Mecca even existed in the 7th cen. Mecca is described in later Arab historical accounts as an oasis and trade center. In reality, it was a waterless, barren place in the 7th century. The well Zamzam is a feeble source of water that could not have possibly supplied the needs of caravans and today is a dry hole that must be continually and artificially re-filled during the hajj.
kwanzaa
The Muslim establishment is furiously against both historical research of the “founding era” of Islam, and textual analysis of the Koran.
Sort of like Democrats and RINOs opposing election audits.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591026342/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This book argues that the Arab armies were primarily eastern non-orthodox Christians with a nontrinatarian Christology. Over time the distinction between these Christianities increased due to competition in power & religion until this non-orthodox eastern version of Christianity became Islam.
Interesting. Never underestimate the ability of the Arabs to wipe out history and overexploit a resource.
I’ve read previously that muhammad was a Nabataean. That mosques first pointed to petra—which was an ancient pilgramage destination for other religions and perhaps that place that St. Paul went to briefly—that played a part in his conversion. (that is at petra—which was outside of roman control— all the political and religious conventions/meanings would have been different from roman controlled jerusalem)
I’ve read to that mosques did not go immediately to point to Mecca. After mecca, for awhile they pointed to Jerusalem. Then they went on to Mecca. During times of dispute—the mosques would split the point —either between petra and jerusalem or between jerusalem and mecca.
I think the article was posted here at free republic. a guy did a fascinating article in which he showed all the points of the ancient mosques around the middle east.
Muhammed is a composite figure loosely based on Arab king Abd al-Malik who originally came from Petra. He ruled over a kingdom that today would be northern Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq. The Mecca described in the Quran and other Arab sources is actually describing Petra.
LOL, I was just thinking, "well, somebody had to start this lunatic cult" and so why wouldn't there be a Joseph Smith of Former Days Saints culpable for inventing iz-slime out of whole cloth. Mad Mo' is as good a candidate as anybody.
Islam has yet to undergo rigorous scholastic investigation as to its origins.
There are rumors that such studies are under way, but none have yet been published.
Spencer performs a great service by collecting existing scholarship in one book, but the definitive study has yet to be published.
I’ve read for example that the arab armies that invaded egypt were actually mostly iranian.
Go to Amazon and look at books by Ibn Waraq.
He if it is a he (the name is a pseudonym!) is doing that.
I always found it curious that Mo and Joseph Smith, both of whom apparently liked their wives in quantity, each just happened to be picked to start up a cult that allowed polygamy.
“I’ve read for example that the Arab armies that invaded Egypt were actually mostly Iranian.”
If I recall correctly from the first edition, the Arab Satraps of the Persian Empire, kind of rose to prominence, to become dominant, due to a few historical occurrences.
Plagues (like the Plague of Justinian) crashed the economies of the Eastern Roman Empire and the Persian Empire, leaving a big power vacuum. Then there was a big gold discovery in Arabia.
The civilization was pretty much continuous, but the ruling elites swapped out, as new rich families took over.
Ibn Warraq is a valuable voice in the discussion, but his credentials have been questioned.
There needs to be a multi-author, peer-reviewed published study.
I have read the such is under way - perhaps more than one - but have no details on participants, sources or status.
Aren’t his credentials difficult to verify one way or the other since he writes pseudonymously?
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