ANALYZING: ACCOUNTS OF THE ARAB CONQUEST OF EGYPT, 642

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This remarkable source document was reviewed in English through an internet based medieval source book. I selected this particular document because of our extensive study regarding the rise of Islam and, its movements throughout the Arab and Western worlds. The author of the original Coptic (hieroglyphic form of writing) piece entitled, The Accounts of The Arab Conquest of Egypt, 642, was a Bishop of al-Ashmunein in upper Egypt, between al-Minya and Assiut, around the tenth century” named, Sawirus ibn al-Muqaffa. Ibn al-Muqaffa has been noted as being “the earliest of the great Coptic writers in the Arabic language.”1(MacMillan)
In society, Ibn al-Muqaffa began his writing career at an early age working for the Arab Administration as a scribe and has been long revered as one of the greatest historians for his work entitled the History of the Patriarchs of Alexandria.2 (MacMillan) The purpose for the patriarchs of the Coptic Church to compile transcripts of occurrences was for the historical recounting of key events, figures; and, biographies from battles, wars and the transformations in Egypt. The compilations derive from historical documentation and eyewitness accounts of events that detail the conquests of Egypt. The original text, which was written in the tenth century, contained a series of biographies. By the sixth century – the time of Ibn al-Muqaffa – subsequent significant events occurred and the record grew longer, was expanded upon and derived “from documents written by eyewitnesses of the events recorded.”3 (Orthodox Wiki) Falling in line with the piece by Ibn al-Maqaffa was a piece we studied recently by Pavlidis stating that: “Arab rulers did not require their subjects to be Muslim.”4 This statement coincides with ...

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...g), May 31, 2011. http://plbirnamwood.blogspot.com/2011/05/value-of- eyewitness-accounts-for.html (accessed November 9, 2013).

Halsall, Paul, ed. Internet Medieval Source Book. 1998. s.v. "Accounts of The Arab Conquest of Egypt, 642." http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/642Egypt-conq2.asp
(accessed November 8, 2013).

MacMillan. New York, NY: MacMillan, 2013. s.v. "Sawirus al-Muqaffa." http://us.macmillan.com/author/sawirusalmuqaffa (accessed November 7, 2013).

Orthodox Wiki. 2009. s.v. "History of the Patriarchs of the Coptic Church of Alexandria." http://orthodoxwiki.org/History_of_the_Patriarchs_of_the_Coptic_Church_of_Alexandria (accessed November 9, 2013).

Pavlidis, Theo. Islam City, "Chapter 6: The Rise of Islam and the Arab Conquests." Last modified October 16, 2011. Accessed November 9, 2013. http://www.theopavlidis.com/MidEast/part25.htm.

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