History of the Patriarchs of Alexandria : The Copts of Egypt Before and After the Islamic Conquests

"A History of the Patriarchs of Alexandria" presents a series of biographies of the Coptic patriarchs from the beginning (St Mark) to 849 AD. Ascribed to Sawirus b. Al-Muqaffa (died 987), Bishop of Hermopolis Magna in Upper Egypt, many are in fact older Coptic works translated into Arabic and edited by Sawirus. The events recorded, which include the Muslim conquest of Egypt, the overthrow of the last Umayad ruler Marwan II, Arab-Christian relations, histories of the various countries, are often based upon eyewitness accounts by contemporary authors. As such they provide an essential source for the religious, economic and social life of Egypt in the early Islamic period. This important text remains unavailable even in many libraries. This edition contains both the Arabic text and the English translation of B. Evetts, together with an Introduction by leading contemporary scholar Hugh Kennedy.