Collation of an ancient document from a single manuscript is a precarious business. To do it successfully, as Nicholas Koenig did with al-Kindi’s The History of the Governors of Egypt, requires a refined ability. At the suggestion of Richard Gottheil of Columbia University, Koenig made this unique document available to scholars for the first time. Al-Kindi’s manuscript, owned by the British Museum, had never been fully published prior to this effort. The original text was written by Abu Umar Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Kindi (d. 870), who also composed a history of the Cadis of Egypt. Included in this volume is the Arabic of the original text, along with a substantial introduction; it approaches as near as possible a critical edition when only one manuscript survives. Since its publication, Koenig’s edition of this text has become the usual reference for those researching this ancient document.

Nicholas August Koenig (1882-1956) was a researcher at Columbia University.