Linked by a common geography and claim to the true religion, Christians and Muslims had a long history of interreligious discourse up to the Crusades. These faith communities composed texts in the form of dialogues in light of their encounters with one another. This book surveys the development of the genre and how dialogues determined he patterns of conversation. Each chapter highlights a thematic feature of the literary form, demonstrating that Christian and Muslim authors did not part ways in the first century of Islamic rule, but rather continued a dialogue commending God’s faithful believers.

An examination of the centres, patterns and elements of Jewish worship and the transition from Jewish worship to Christian. The study also considers the origin of several aspects of Christian worship.

A comparative chronology of the Patriarchs of the Church of the East based on twenty-two sources, five of which are previously unpublished. Benjamin reveals a great number of differences between the sources. Benjamin also highlights inconsistencies, omissions, errors and dates of succession of some patriarchs that appear to have been based on assumption.

One of the most enduring of the saints, Saint George has seldom failed to capture the imagination of Christian readers, both ancient and modern. The Acts of Saint George, originally written in Greek, quickly spread to many linguistic traditions in the church of late antiquity. Presented here in vocalized Syriac and Arabic, the original text of the Acts is made easily accessible to readers of these languages. A detailed introduction in English summarizes the hagiography for those unacquainted with the Semitic languages. The account follows the hagiographic practice of describing the trials, steadfast faith, and martyrdom of the saint. Also included is the story of the father of Saint George, recorded in Syriac.