The Throne of Adulis: Red Sea Wars on the Eve of Islam

— —

G.W. Bowersock (Professor Emeritus of Ancient History, Professor Emeritus of Ancient History, Institute for Advanced Study)

The Throne of Adulis

Name: The Throne of Adulis
Price: 95.95 AUD
Availability: OutOfStock
ISBN: 9780199739325

Red Sea Wars on the Eve of Islam

G.W. Bowersock (Professor Emeritus of Ancient History, Professor Emeritus of Ancient History, Institute for Advanced Study)

$95.95

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We will update you on expected arrival time to us. If this delay is too long, please let us know within 2 business days and we can give you options regarding cancelling or adjusting your order. More details on cancelling your order can be found in our Terms of Trade.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Oxford University Press
20 March 2013

History; Middle Eastern history; Early history: c 500 to c 1450&1500; History of religion

Series: Emblems of Antiquity

Just prior to the rise of Islam in the sixth century AD, southern Arabia was embroiled in a violent conflict between Christian Ethiopians and Jewish Arabs. Though little known today, this was an international war that involved both the Byzantine Empire, which had established Christian churches in Ethiopia, and the Sasanian Empire in Persia, which supported the Jews in what became a proxy war against its longtime foe Byzantium. Our knowledge of these events derives largely from an inscribed marble throne at the Ethiopian port of Adulis, meticulously described by a sixth-century Christian merchant known as Cosmas Indicopleustes. Using the writings of Cosmas and a wealth of other historical and archaeological evidence from the period, eminent historian G. W. Bowersock carefully reconstructs this fascinating but overlooked chapter in pre-Islamic Arabian history. The flashpoint of the war, Bowersock tells us, occurred when Yusuf, the Jewish king of Himyar, massacred hundreds of Christians living in Najran. The Christian ruler of Ethiopia, Kaleb, urged on by the Byzantine emperor Justin, led a force of 120,000 men across the Red Sea to defeat Yusuf. But when the victorious Kaleb--said to have retired to a monastery-left behind weak leaders in both Ethiopia and Himyar, the Byzantine and Persian empires expanded their activity in the Arabian territory. In the midst of this conflict, a new religion was born, destined to bring a wholly unanticipated resolution to the power struggle in Arabia. The Throne of Adulis vividly recreates the Red Sea world of Late Antiquity, transporting readers back to a remote but pivotal epoch in ancient history, one that sheds light on the collapse of the Persian Empire as well as the rise of Islam.

By: G.W. Bowersock (Professor Emeritus of Ancient History Professor Emeritus of Ancient History Institute for Advanced Study)
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 218mm, Width: 140mm, Spine: 19mm
Weight: 327g
ISBN: 9780199739325
ISBN 10: 0199739323
Series: Emblems of Antiquity
Pages: 208
Publication Date: 20 March 2013
Audience: College/higher education , A / AS level , Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Preface Abbreviations List of Maps and Illustrations Maps I. The Throne II. A Christian Traveller in the Red Sea III. Ptolemy's Elephants IV. The Kingdom of Axum V. Christianity Comes to Axum VI. Judaism Comes to Himyar VII. The Ethiopian Invasion of 525 VIII. Entry of the Great Powers IX. Reckoning Appendix: Nonnosus Bibliography Index

<br>G. W. Bowersock is Professor Emeritus of Ancient History at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey. Among his many previous books are From Gibbon to Auden: Essays on the Classical Tradition, Mosaics as History: The Near East from Late Antiquity to Islam, and Roman Arabia.<br>

Reviews for The Throne of Adulis: Red Sea Wars on the Eve of Islam

Closely argued on scarce evidence, [The Throne of Adulis] draws attention to the enduring geopolitical significance of this poorly understood region. Recommended. * CHOICE *