An Eleventh-century Egyptian Guide to the Universe The Book of Curiosities, Edited with an Annotated Translation (Islamic Philosophy, Theology and Science)

798 Pages·2013·50.39 MB·English

by  Yossef Rapoport

An Eleventh-Century Egyptian Guide
to the Universe
The Book of Curiosities
Edited and Translated by
Yossef Rapoport and
Emilie Savage-Smith
LEIDEN (cid:116) BOSTON
2014
Cover illustration: Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab. c. 90, fols. 23b–24a; reproduced with
permission of the Bodleian Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ghara’ib al-funun wa-mulah al-ʾuyun.
 An eleventh-century Egyptian guide to the universe : the Book of curiosities / edited and
translated by Yossef Rapoport and Emilie Savage-Smith.
  pages cm. — (Islamic philosophy, theology and science ; v. 87)
 Includes bibliographical references and index.
 ISBN 978-90-04-25564-7 (hardback : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-90-04-25699-6 (e-book)
 1. Cosmography—Early works to 1800. 2. Geography—Early works to 1800. 3. Cartography—
Early works to 1800. 4. Earth—Early works to 1800. 5. Astronomy, Medieval. I. Rapoport, Yossef,
1968– II. Savage-Smith, Emilie. III. Ghara’ib al-funun wa-mulah al-ʾuyun. English. IV. Title.
 GA5.G5313 2014
 523.1089’92762—dc23
2013030065
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covering Latin, IPA, Greek, and Cyrillic, this typeface is especially suitable for use in the
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ISSN 0169-8729
ISBN 978-90-04-25564-7 (hardback)
ISBN 978-90-04-25699-6 (e-book)
Copyright 2014 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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CONTENTS
List of Figures  ............................................................................................................... vii
Acknowledgements  .................................................................................................... xi
Introduction  ................................................................................................................. 1
Sigla  ................................................................................................................................. 36
Facsimile of Oxford, Bodleian MS Arab. c. 90
ARABIC EDITION
Book One: On the Heavens ...................................................................................... 322
Book Two: On the Earth  ........................................................................................... 190
TRANSLATION WITH COMMENTARY
Book One: On the Heavens ...................................................................................... 323
Book Two: On the Earth  ........................................................................................... 415
Glossary of Star-Names  ............................................................................................. 529
Bibliography  ................................................................................................................. 663
Index of Animals and Plants  ................................................................................... 679
Index of Astronomical and Astrological Terms  ................................................. 683
Index of Peoples and Tribes  .................................................................................... 684
Index of Place Names  ................................................................................................ 685
General Index  ............................................................................................................... 693

LIST OF FIGURES
Introduction
0.1. The colophon of MS B, transcribed by al-faqīr Manṣūr bi-ism
Shammās (the ordained deacon) in the month of Tishrīn II 1882
(November AD 1571). Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Bodl. Or. 68,
fol. 144a  ..................................................................................................................... 6
0.2. The opening of MS B. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Bodl. Or. 68,
fol. 109b; copied AD 1571. 7
0.3. The opening of MS G. Forschungsbibliothek Gotha, MS. orient.
A 2066, fols. 147b–148a; copied 1154/1741  ...................................................... 10
0.4. Stemma showing the probable relationships between preserved
copies. 13
0.5. Diagram in MS M illustrating retrograde motion of the five ‘erratic’
planets, at the end of Chapter One, Book One. Milan, Biblioteca
Ambrosiana, MS & 76 sup., fol. 14b; copied c.1500s. 16
0.6. Diagram in MS D illustrating retrograde motion of the five ‘erratic’
planets at the end of Chapter One, Book One. Damascus, Maktabat
al-Assad al-Waṭanīyah, MS 16501, fol. 12a, copied 972/1564  .................... 16
0.7. Two diagrams in MS B illustrating retrograde motion, one labelled
in Arabic script and the other in Syriac script, from the end of
Chapter One, Book One. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Bodl. Or. 68,
fols. 115b–116a, copied 1571  ................................................................................. 17
0.8. The constellations of Boötes, Corona Borealis, Hercules, Lyra,
Cygnus, and Cassiopeia, from Chapter Three of Book One in MS D.
Damascus, Maktabat al-Assad al-Waṭanīyah MS 16501, fols. 28b–29a,
copied in 972/1564  ................................................................................................ 18
0.9. The constellations Ursa Minor, Ursa Major, and Draco (with start of
text for Cepheus) from Chapter Three of Book One in MS B. Bodleian
Library, MS. Bodl. Or. 68, fol. 124b, copied 1571. 19
0.10. The constellations Ursa Minor and Ursa Major (with start of
text for Draco) from Chapter Three of Book One in MS M. Milan,
Biblioteca Ambrosiana, MS. & 76 sup., fol. 30b, copied c.1500s  ............. 20
0.11. Eleven comets said to have been described by Ptolemy in Chapter
Six of Book One, as illustrated in the earliest copy (MS A) compared
with the three later ones (D, B, and M). Bodleian, MS Arab. c. 90,
fols. 13b–14b, undated c. 1200; Damascus, Maktabat al-Assad
al-Waṭanīyah, MS 16501, fols. 36a–39a, copied 972/1564; Oxford,
Bodleian Library, MS Bodl. Or. 68, fols. 129b–131a, copied 1571; Milan,
Biblioteca Ambrosiana, MS. & 76 sup., fols. 40b–44a, copied c.1500s  . 21
0.12. The seven illustrated ‘stars with faint lances’ attributed to Hermes
in Chapter Seven of Book One, as illustrated in the earliest copy
(MS A) compared with the three later ones (D, B, and M). Bodleian,
MS Arab. c. 90, fols. 15b–16a, undated c. 1200; Damascus, Maktabat
al-Assad al-Waṭanīyah, MS 16501, fols. 43a–43b, copied 972/1564;
Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Bodl. Or. 68, fols. 133b–134a, copied
1571; Milan, Biblioteca Ambrosiana, MS. & 76 sup., fols. 48b–49b,
copied c.1500s  ......................................................................................................... 22
viii list of figures
0.13. The opening of Chapter Nine, Book One, in MS M. Milan,
Biblioteca Ambrosiana, MS. & 76 sup., fols. 59b–60a, copied c.1500s  . 23
0.14. Part of Chapter Nine, Book One, in MS D in which the text for
the first three lunar mansions as given in MS A is transcribed in the
margins as a commentary (sharḥ) on the discussion of lunar mansions
taken from Kitāb al-Anwāʾ of Ibn Qutaybah (d. c. 276/889) and placed
in the body of the text. Damascus, Maktabat al-Assad al-Waṭanīyah,
MS 16501, fols. 53b–54a, copied 972/1564  ..................................................... 24
0.15. Rectilinear frames on consecutive pages in Chapter Ten of Book
Two in MS D. They indicate space for a map of the Mediterranean,
left blank except for the title written at the bottom of the first frame
and continued at the top or the next: ‘The tenth chapter on the
Western Sea—i.e., the Syrian Sea—and its harbours and islands and
anchorages’. Damascus, Maktabat al-Assad al-Waṭanīyah, MS 16501,
fols. 92a and 92b, copied 972/1564  .................................................................. 25
0.16. Sketch map of al-Mahdīyah in Chapter Thirteen of Book Two
in MS D. Damascus, Maktabat al-Assad al-Waṭanīyah, MS 16501,
fols. 98b–99a, copied 972/1564  ......................................................................... 26
0.17. Sketch map of Cyprus in Chapter Fifteen of Book Two in MS D.
Damascus, Maktabat al-Assad al-Waṭanīyah, MS 16501, fol. 105b,
copied 972/1564  ..................................................................................................... 27
0.18. Sketch for map of the River Nile, Chapter Eighteen of Book Two in
MS D. Damascus, Maktabat al-Assad al-Waṭanīyah, MS 16501, fol. 119b,
copied 972/1564  ..................................................................................................... 27
0.19. Sketches for the River Tigris [or Euphrates] (right) and the River
Oxus (left) from Chapter Eighteen of Book Two in MS D. Damascus,
Maktabat al-Assad al-Waṭanīyah, MS 16501, fols. 120b–121a, copied
972/1564  .................................................................................................................... 28
Book One
1.1. Opening diagram of Book One, a circular diagram of the skies.
Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab. c. 90, fols. 2b–3a  ............................... 316
1.2. Closing diagram of Chapter One, Book One: “Depiction of the arcs
of the ‘erratic’ planets and their associations with the twelve signs of
the zodiac”. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab. c. 90, fol. 5b  ................ 301
1.3. Table in Chapter Four, Book One: ‘On thirty stars with occult
influences’. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab. c. 90, fol. 11b  ................ 267
1.4. Table in Chapter Five, Book One: ‘On the forms of the northern and
southern stars’. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab. c. 90, fol. 12a  ........ 264
1.5. Continuation of the table in Chapter Five, Book One. Oxford,
Bodleian Library, MS Arab. c. 90, fol. 12b  ...................................................... 261
1.6. Comets illustrated in Chapter Six, Book One. Oxford, Bodleian
Library, MS Arab. c. 90, fols. 13b–14b  ..................................................... 246–252
1.7. Comets illustrated in Chapter Seven, Book One. Oxford,
Bodleian Library, MS Arab. c. 90, fols. 15b–16a  ................................... 236–237
1.8. Maps of Lunar Mansions I through VII, Chapter Nine, Book One.
Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab. c. 90, fols. 18a–19a  .................... 214–220
1.9. Maps of Lunar Mansions VIII through XIV, Chapter Nine,
Book One. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab. c. 90,
fols. 19a–20a  ................................................................................................... 209–213
list of figures ix
1.10. Maps of Lunar Mansions XV through XXI, Chapter Nine,
Book One. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab. c. 90,
fols. 20a–20b  .................................................................................................. 204–209
1.11. Maps of Lunar Mansions XXII through XXVIII, Chapter Nine,
Book One. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab. c. 90,
fols. 20b–21a  ................................................................................................... 200–204
1.12. Diagram in Chapter Ten, Book One: ‘On the blowing of winds,
earthquakes, and tremors’. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab.
c. 90, fol. 21b  ............................................................................................................ 197
Book Two
2.1. Rectangular World Map—Europe. Oxford, Bodleian Library,
MS Arab. c. 90, fols. 23b–24a  ............................................................................. 184
2.2. Rectangular World Map—Africa. Oxford, Bodleian Library,
MS Arab. c. 90, fols. 23b–24a  ............................................................................. 182
2.3. Rectangular World Map—Asia. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab.
c. 90, fols. 23b–24a  ................................................................................................ 179
2.4. Circular World Map. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab. c. 90,
fols. 27b–28a ............................................................................................................ 161
2.5. Map of the Indian Ocean. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab. c. 90,
fols. 29b–30a  ........................................................................................................... 156
2.6. Map of the Mediterranean. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab.
c. 90, fols. 30b–31a  ................................................................................................ 152
2.7. Map of the Caspian Sea. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab. c. 90,
fol. 31b  ....................................................................................................................... 146
2.8. Map of Sicily. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab. c. 90,
fols. 32b–33a  ........................................................................................................... 138
2.9. Map of al-Mahdīyah. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab. c. 90,
fol. 34a  ....................................................................................................................... 130
2.10. Map of Tinnīs. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab. c. 90,
fols. 35b–36a  ........................................................................................................... 117
2.11. Map of Cyprus. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab. c. 90, fol. 36b  .. 115
2.12. Diagram of the Bays of Byzantium. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS
Arab. c. 90, fol. 38a  ................................................................................................ 104
2.13. Map of the Sources of the Nile. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab.
c. 90, fol. 40a  ........................................................................................................... 96
2.14. Diagrams of Lakes. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab. c. 90,
fol. 40b  ...................................................................................................................... 95
2.15. Diagrams of Lakes, continued. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab.
c. 90, fol. 41a  ............................................................................................................ 94
2.16. Map of the Nile. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab. c. 90,
fol. 42a  ....................................................................................................................... 88
2.17. Map of the Euphrates. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab. c. 90,
fol. 42b  ....................................................................................................................... 85
2.18. Map of the Tigris. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab. c. 90,
fol. 43a  ....................................................................................................................... 83
2.19. Map of the Indus. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab. c. 90,
fol. 43b  ....................................................................................................................... 81
2.20. Map of the Oxus. Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Arab. c. 90,
fol. 44a  ....................................................................................................................... 79

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A project extending over a decade, and encompass- interpretation of the chapter concerned with Sicily.
ing the heavens as well as the Earth, requires the The Khalili Research Centre, part of the Orien-
assistance of countless people who gave generously tal Faculty of the University of Oxford, provided a
of their time, their knowledge and, on occasion, home for the execution of the project.
their money. We take this opportunity to express Many other colleagues and scholars gave gener-
our gratitude to all of them. ously of their time and expertise to answer numer-
The acquisition of The Book of Curiosities by the ous queries—none more so than Professor Paul
Bodleian Library was made possible by a grant from Kunitzsch, who patiently and meticulously read
the Heritage Lottery Fund and generous donations through early drafts of chapters concerned with
from the National Arts Collections Fund, the Friends star-names. His assistance has been invaluable in
of the Bodleian, Saudi Aramco, nine Oxford col- interpreting the material. Because he was unable
leges (All Souls College, Merton College, New Col- to scrutinise the final version of the translation
lege, Nuffield College, St Antony’s College, St Cross and edition, he modestly refused to have his name
College, St John’s College, Wadham College, and appear as a co-author. There are no doubt errors
Wolfson College), and private individuals. These that remain in the readings and interpretations of
grants and donations also provided funds for the the star-names which would have been corrected
conservation, pigment analysis, and digitisation of had he been able to examine the final text.
the manuscript; the exhibition of the manuscript for Here in Oxford we benefited from the unique
the general public; and the preparation of a school wide-ranging expertise of our colleagues at the
teacher’s pack based on portions of the manuscript. Oriental Institute and beyond. Professors Geert
They also supported the creation in 2007 of a web- Jan van Gelder and Clive Holes helped with some
site presenting an electronic high-quality repro- finer points of Arabic poetry and syntax. Dr Robert
duction of the original text and its illustrations, Simpson gave invaluable help regarding the Cop-
linked by mouse-overs to a modern Arabic edition tic vocabulary in the manuscript. Nicholas Purcell
(without full use of other copies) and a preliminary and Peregrine Horden helped us develop our ideas
English translation (www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/bookof regarding the representation of the Mediterranean.
curiosities). Moreover, the monies (supplemented Dr James Howard-Johnston and Professor Elizabeth
by a grant from the Arts & Humanities Research Jeffreys provided a platform in which to test inter-
Council) supported the preparation of a full study pretations during two Byzantine Studies seminars
of the treatise, of which the present volume is the here in Oxford, and members of the seminar pro-
major result. vided very useful suggestions, particularly Peter Tho-
In the early stages of work on the Book of Curi- nemann, Dimitri Korobeinikov, Teresa Shawcross,
osities, the project manager was Lesley Forbes, and Mary Whitby. Dr Afifi al-Akiti, Dr Adam Silver-
then Keeper of Oriental Collections in the Bodleian stein, and Professor David Blackmann of the Centre
Library. Conservation of the manuscript was carried for the Study of Ancient Documents, amongst many
out by Alison McKay and Sabina Pugh in the con- others, gave readily of their time and advice.
servation laboratories of the Bodleian Library. This For identification of place-names in the Medi-
project would have been impossible without their terranean, we acknowledge the generous advice of
expertise and support. At the Bodleian we received Professor Johannes Koder and his colleagues Klaus
support and encouragement from many members Belke, Friedrich Hild, Andreas Külzer, and Peter
of staff, not least Colin Wakefield, Gillian Evison, Soustal at the Tabula Imperii Byzantini project
and Samuel Fanous. based in Vienna, who have been remarkably gen-
Jeremy Johns, Professor of the Art and Archae- erous with their time and knowledge. On the Ana-
ology of the Islamic Mediterranean and Director tolian coasts, we also consulted Raymond Descat,
of the Khalili Research Centre for the Art & Mate- Ausonius Université de Bordeaux. Dr Tassos Papa-
rial Culture of the Middle East, served as project costas, working on Prosopography of the Byzan-
research manager and worked extensively on the tine World at King’s College London, assisted with
xii acknowledgements
our examination of Cyprus. Dr Haris Koutelakis of of an edition of the text based on the Bodleian copy
Athens kindly provided us with a copy of his study (then available through the website) and a later copy
of maps of the Aegean islands which included an now in Damascus; the thesis was subsequently pub-
interpretation of the relevant chapter in the Book lished in Beirut in 2011 and has proved useful to us
of Curiosities. Dr Alex Metcalfe, University of Lan- at many points which will be noted. Mr al-Rawadieh
caster, contributed invaluable final comments has generously shared his research with us at vari-
on the Sicilian toponyms. Dr Yaacov Lev, Depart- ous stages, and we would like to acknowledge his
ment of Middle Eastern History, Bar Ilan Univer- scholarship and dedication, which in many ways
sity, shared with us his knowledge of the Fatimid complemented our efforts here. Dr Lutfallah Gari
Mediterranean. first drew our attention to the Damascus manu-
For identification of place-names in the East- script, and subsequently to his own publication
ern Islamic world, East Africa, India and East Asia, regarding the dating of the Book of Curiosities.
we would like to thank the generous advice of Dr Amongst the scores of others who have advised
Michal Biran of the Hebrew University; Dr Emeri us on aspects of this complex manuscript, we would
van Donzel, Oegstgeest, the Netherlands; Dr Roxani like to make special mention of Charles Burnett of
Margariti, Emory University; Professor David W. the Warburg Institute; our colleagues at Queen Mary
Phillipson, Director of the Museum of Archaeology University of London, in particular Professors Miri
and Anthropology at the University of Cambridge; Rubin and Jerry Brotton and Dr Alfred Hiatt; Pro-
Professor Tansen Sen of Baruch College, the City fessor Benjamin Kedar, The Institute for Advanced
University of New York; Professor Andre Wink of Study, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; the
the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Drs Ronit late Professor William Brice, of the University of
Yoeli-Tlalim and Anna Akasoy, then with AHRC Manchester; Dr Bill Leadbetter of Edith Cowan
Islam-Tibet Project at the Warburg Institute. University, Joondalup, Western Australia; Jonathan
Professor Len Berggren, of Simon Fraser Uni- M. Bloom, Norma Jean Calderwood University Pro-
versity, provided guidance on mathematical mat- fessor of Islamic and Asian Art, Boston College; Dr
ters. Professor Julio Samsó, University of Barcelona, Moya Carey, curator in the Asian Department of
similarly offered advice on mathematical aspects of the V&A Museum; and Dr Boris Rankov and Dr
astrology and astronomy. Judith McKenzie, both of the Department of Clas-
Professor Dr Andreas Kaplony, of the Orien- sics, Royal Holloway, University of London. Others
talisches Seminar, and Institut für den Nahen und who assisted on very specific points are gratefully
Mittleren Osten, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität acknowledged within the commentary itself.
München, and Tarek Kahlaoui, of the University of At Brill, we would like to thank our editors,
Pennsylvania, helped us develop our ideas regarding Renee Otto, Ingrid Heijckers-Velt, Nienke Brienen-
Islamic cartography. Jean-Charles Ducène, Senior Moolenaar and Kathy van Vliet, for their patience
Lector, Université Libre de Bruxelles, has shared and support in seeing this volume through pro-
with us his unique knowledge of the development duction. We also thank the Bodleian Library at
of geographical literature in medieval Islam. the University of Oxford, the Maktabat al-Assad
On the history of cartography in general, and al-Waṭanīyah in Damascus, the Biblioteca Ambro-
maritime cartography in particular, we have ben- siana in Milan, the Dār al-Kutub in Cairo, and the
efited from the enthusiastic support of Professor Forschungsbibliothek in Gotha for supplying copies
Richard Unger, Department of History, University of manuscripts for study purposes and for granting
of British Columbia; and the long-standing collabo- permission for the publication of select images.
ration of Evelyn Edson, Professor Emeritus at Pied- Finally, for over a decade our families have
mont Virginia Community College. heard far more than they probably wished of puz-
Dr Remke Kruk, University of Leiden, and Dr zling place-names, unidentifiable star-names, maps
Thomas Reimer, Wiesbaden, have read and com- of unusual shapes, comets that portend doom, and
mented on the sections that deal with mirabilia, curious stories of exotic lands. Without their sup-
monsters and wondrous animals. Dr Gerald Wick- port we could not have brought this project to its
ens, formerly of Kew Gardens, has assisted with the conclusion.
identification of some of the wondrous plants.
In 2008 al-Mahdi Eid al-Rawadieh submitted to Yossef Rapoport, London
the University of Jordan a master’s thesis consisting Emilie Savage-Smith, Oxford