The Role of the Syrians in the Arab Sciences

This book begins with a discussion of the contribution of the areas of al-Raqqa (Kallinikos) and Diyar Mudar to translation into the Arabic language; the importance of Christian monasteries in the region of the Jazira for the history of translation of Greek receives special emphasis. Al-Hamad also discusses some of the most important Syriac translators: Peter of Kallinikos, Sergios of Resh ayna, Severos Sebokht and Jacob of Edessa, in addition to the translational activities which took place in the Umayyad period as well as during the Caliphates of al-Mansur, al-Rashid, al-Ma mun. Each of the book s remaining three sections is devoted to profiling an important figure in Arabic science: Muhammad b. Musa al-Khawarizmi, Thabit b. Qurra and Muhammad b. Jabir al-Batani al-Raqqi. In the case of each scholar, the significance of their connection to the region of the Jazira and their connection to Syriac scholarship in their intellectual formation and production is highlighted.