Acknowledgments
The gratitude I feel overflows, and it is not easy to put it all down on paper. This book is the revised version of my dissertation which I submitted and defended at Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, in June 2019. It has been more than seven years since I started to work on this study, first as a dissertation, then as book. I have enjoyed every moment of the process, mostly because of the friends and colleagues who accompanied me along the way and made it not only possible, but also a joyful experience.
I am particularly indebted to my advisor Prof. Ronny Vollandt for his tireless efforts to guide and advise me, for his open door and readiness to comment on and discuss whatever I wrote, word by word. My gratitude is also extended to Prof. Andreas Kaplony, for his constant support, generous advice, and wisdom. I appreciate the help of Prof. Loren Stuckenbruck and the fruitful discussions I had with him about the New Testament. I would also like to thank Prof. Sabine Schmidtke, who supervised me for a period.
This work would never have been accomplished without the generous funds from the DFG for the project “Biblia Arabica.” This project arrived just in time with its aim of filling a long-existing gap in research and open the road to establish a new field. I am grateful to the leaders of the project, who inaugurated it or have maintained it through the years. In addition to those already mentioned, I stand in debt to Prof. Camilla Adang and Prof. Meira Polliack. I also owe a lot to the DAAD-funded project “Global Cultures – Connecting Worlds (GCCW),” which provided me with funds for travel, proofreading, and workshops.
Through my years of study, I had the pleasure of learning new biblical languages and developing my skills in the field of manuscript cultures through scholarships from Dumbarton Oaks, the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library (HMML), the Department of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University, and the Nida School of Translation Studies. My research required research trips to libraries in Egypt, England, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Russia, and the USA, and I am grateful to all the curators and librarians who helped me in person or via email, leading me to sources or guiding me through the process of digging deep into the catalogs and the history of manuscripts. Special thanks to Fr. Justin who warmly welcomed me every year in St. Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai, Egypt, to study the most precious manuscript collection by far.
To my colleagues in “Biblia Arabica,” Miriam L. Hjälm, Nathan P. Gibson, and Peter Tarras: you know how much I appreciated your critical notes on my chapters. You helped me to improve my work, and to come to see new aspects of it. My colleagues in the departments of Arabic Studies and Judaic Studies in the Institut für den Nahen und Mittleren Osten, LMU, were a family who, while sharing lunch and coffee breaks, discussed the topics I opened and responded to the questions I raised. They also corrected my language and style, and helped me with translating languages I do not master. Rocio Daga, Bettina Gräf, Daniel Potthast, Sabrina Sohbi … yes, I am speaking about you.
During the several stages of research and writing, I resorted to other colleagues and professors, asking for advice or specific help. I wish to express in particular my appreciation to Dr. Tim Curnow for proofreading the whole work, to Dr. Daniel Galadza for our discussions on liturgy, to Dr. Kristian Heal for sharing some precious digitized manuscripts with me, to Rosie Maxton for revising parts of my translation, to Prof. Juan Pedro Monferrer-Sala for his invaluable advice, to Noha Shawry for revising parts of the edition, to Fr. Columba Stewart for informing me about different manuscript collections, to Dr. Jack Tannous for sharing some of his notes with me, to Dr. Alexander Treiger for reading and commenting on a part of this work, and to Robert Turnbull for allowing me to use his software.
My family and friends believed in me even when they did not understand what I was working on or writing about. Their supporting love continues to strengthen me: Tiffany and little Jamey, who brightens my day every time I see him; my friend Tracy; my spiritual parents Hanaa Shoukry and Emad Onsy; and most importantly, Hany and my lovely sisters Randa and Rasha. I have been blessed by all of you.