The Intricacies of Mediaeval Arabic Gospel Quotations: A Case Study of the Kitāb al-Maǧdal

This article examines the Mediaeval Christian Arabic compendium Kitāb al-Maǧdal from a new perspective. While its theology and language have previously been studied, its hundreds of biblical quotations have not yet been analysed. Scholars working on Mediaeval Christian Arabic texts are aware that these often quote the Bible freely, however, no study has yet undertaken a thorough linguistic examination of Arabic biblical quotations or compared them systematically with the various versions of the Bible (though a few comparable studies will be referenced in the Conclusions). One difficulty in pursuing such an endeavour lies in the fact that numerous Arabic Bible translations circulated in the Mediaeval Middle East, and not all have yet been mapped. This article seeks to identify the possible source(s) of the quotations found in one chapter of the Maǧdal, while also shedding further light on the complexity of Mediaeval Arabic Bible translations.