polytheism and, 27
tribes and, 37
Mandaeans: The Last Gnostics, The (Lupieri), 270
Mani, xix, 14–15
on antagonistic masses, 15–16
Christian asceticism and, 18
followers of, 16–17
Jesus and, 15
representation of, 15 (fig.)
statue of, 17
theory of, 16
Manichees, xix, xxii, xxix, 16, 18
Manicheism, 16–17, 18
Mansur, Caliph al-, 6
Marcionites, 13
Marduk, 5, 26
Maronites, 135, 264, 265
Marriage
Chaldeans and, 261
Christians and, 214
Copts and, 214
Druze and, 269
Mandaeans and, 26–27
mixed, 110
Muslims and, 214
Samaritans and, 167–169
Yazidis and, 274
Mary Magdalene, 275
McNair, Lieutenant (Sahib Gul McNair Shah), 222, 223, 233
Mecca, 19, 46, 102, 128, 152
Mehr, Farhang, 100
Melek Taoos, 59–60, 64, 67, 277
Yazidis and, 60–61, 63
Merak, Torag, 224
Messiah, 52, 192
Christian, 91
Jewish, 91
Samaritan, 155
Zoroastrian, 92
Mills, John, 154, 175
on Messiah, 155
Samaritans and, 169, 172, 180
Minorities, 279
crushing, xxiv–xxv
Islam and, xxiii
racial/religious, xxv
Minya, 187, 214
visiting, 204, 205, 206, 208, 210–211
Missionaries, 131, 254, 258
Mithraists, 2, 47, 64
Mithras, xix, 12, 53
depiction of, 48 (fig.)
handshake and, 73
worship of, 47
Mohammed, Prophet, xxi–xxii, 43, 46, 76, 91, 92, 126, 128
Ali and, 52
Islam and, 127
Jesus and, 52
Mohammed Reza Shah, 82, 86
Monastery, Egyptian, 207 (photo)
Monasticism, 17, 18, 207–208
Mongols, xix, xxiii, 50, 128, 196
Monotheism, xxi, 7, 8, 62, 65, 124, 154
Montanus, 61
Morsi, Mohammed, 205, 211
Morton, H. V.: on Samaritans/Arabs, 155
Moses, 127, 149, 172
Aaron and, 180
Jesus and, 140
Mougheeth, Kamal, 202
Moukhtara, 138, 140, 145
carnival of, 135
castle at, 134
Mount Ararat, 149
Mount Ebal, 148
Mount Gerizim, 169, 171
altar on, 165
Samaritans and, 148, 149, 150, 151, 155, 158, 162, 178
Mount Hermon, Druze and, 131
Mount Moriah, 149
Mount Sinai, 149, 171
Mousa, Father, 216, 217
Mubarak, Hosni, 184, 202, 205, 212
Copts and, 203–204
Muslim Brotherhood and, 204
resignation of, 188
Mughtasila, 14, 15, 18
Music, 274
funeral, 183
Muslim Brotherhood, 192, 194, 199–200, 205
Christians and, 217
Copts and, 204
fall of, xxvii
Muslims, xxvii–xxviii, 20, 185, 186, 266, 277
Arab, 152
Christians and, 8, 118, 127, 129, 188, 198, 198, 204, 205, 213, 214, 217, 263, 279
Copts and, 200, 203, 215, 217
Harranians and, 49–50
Iranian, 86
Iraqi, 35
Jews and, 8, 34, 152
Kalasha and, 238, 249, 253–254
Samaritans and, 174, 175
tolerance by, 9
Yazidis and, 39, 60
See also Islam
My Uncle Napoleon, 83
Mysteries of the Peacock Angel, 275
Nabatean Agriculture, 7, 27, 28–29, 63
Nabateans, 27, 28
Nablus, 158, 161, 162, 164, 177
economy of, 178
Palestinians in, 174
Samaritans in, 153, 154, 156, 163, 167, 173, 174, 175
visiting, 148–149, 163
Nabonidus, 48–49
Naoroji, Dadabhai, 106, 107, 110
Nasrallah, Hassan, 130
Nasser, Gamal Abdel, 184, 200
Copts and, 201
land reforms and, 212
Nationalism, xxv, xxvi
Arab, 33, 201
Iranian, 82
Kurdish, 68
radical, xxvii
Nebu, 26, 30
Nebuchadnezzar, 5, 30
Nefertiti, 185
Neguib, Mohammad, 200
Neoplatonism, 123, 124, 125, 127
Nergal, 64
Nestorians, 52, 258
Nestorius, 258
Netanyahu, Binyamin, 178
New Year
Mandaean, 21–22
Zoroastrian, 90, 96, 105
Newby, Eric, 226
Nicene Creed, 127
Nietzsche, Friedrich, 77, 80
Nile River, 183, 184, 188, 189
Nimrod, 44, 45
Nineveh, 45, 56, 62
Noah, 3–4, 10, 149, 169
Nowruz, 90, 96, 105
Nuristan, 30, 229, 230, 231, 248, 251
described, 226–227
Nuristanis, 248, 251–252
village of, 252 (photo)
Odyssey (Homer), 4
Old Testament, 13, 165, 170
Omar, Caliph, 7, 84
Orfalea, Paul, 263
Osiris, 191, 192
Ottoman Empire, 32, 54
Armenians and, xxiv
non-Muslim subjects and, xxiii
Ottomans, 41, 134, 196–197
oppression by, 261
Pagans, ix, xi, xii, 22, 44, 50, 78, 95, 99, 195, 227
monotheists and, 7
polytheist, 32
tolerance for, xxii
Pahlavi shahs, 82, 100, 101
Palestinian intifada, 156, 174, 176
Palestinian Telecommunications Company, 180
Palestinians, 163, 174, 262, 264
Druze and, 120
houses of, 164
Israelis and, 147, 160, 162, 176–177
Jews and, 161
racist exploitation and, 160
relations with, 162
restrictions on, 159, 177–178
Samaritans and, 174, 175, 176, 178
state for, 161, 162
Parsees, 77, 100, 103, 106, 107
identity of, 110
Iranians and, 110
Parthian Empire, 16, 46
Parthians, 16, 46
Pasha, Nubar, 197
Pashtuns, 237, 255
Passion of the Christ, The (movie), 257
Passover
celebrating, 156, 157, 176–177
sacrifice of, 150, 165–166, 179, 180
Samaritan, 157, 158–159, 163–166, 170–174, 175, 176–177, 178 (photo), 179 (photo), 180
Paul, Father, 185, 218
Peacock Angel, 44, 60, 67
representation of, 60 (photo)
Peacocks, 275
image/feathers of, 277 (photo)
“Pek Ethronos” (chant), 183, 195
Pentateuch, 80, 16
5
People of the book, xxii, 8, 49–50
Mandaeans and, 32
Samaritans and, 152–153
Persepolis
Persian Empire and, 81
Zoroastrians and, 80–81, 82, 101
Persian Empire, 81, 89, 117
Byzantium and, 7
Hinduism/Buddhism in, 12
Roman hostilities with, 46
Persian language, 92, 232–233
Persians, 45, 84, 85, 88, 194
Greeks and, 80
Pharaoh (journal), 198
Pharaohs, 190–191, 194, 196
Pinkham, Amaru Mark, 275
Plato, 52, 80, 117, 124, 127, 140, 141
Academy of, 95, 116
Aristotle and, 123
Khomeini and, 95
philosophy of, 94, 95
St. Augustine and, 116
vision of, 95
Plotinus, 117, 123, 125
Plutarch, 64, 104
Polo, Marco, 56, 220, 221, 225
Polytheism, 27, 32, 50, 182, 191, 197
Prayer, 43, 54, 171–173, 237
communal, 66
kaddish, 257
Priesthood
Jewish, 165
Mandaean, 22, 23, 24
Samaritan, 165
Prometheus, 229
Ptolemy, 14, 95, 214
Purim, 166
Pythagoras, 50, 124, 127, 128, 131, 140, 143–144
Druze and, 114, 115, 117, 122, 143, 145–146
Harranians and, 117
Ibn Taymiyyah and, 117
pentagram and, 119
Socrates and, 116
theory of, 117, 119
Pythagorean Brotherhood, 114, 115
Pythagoreans, 115, 119–120, 122, 129
Qahtaniyah, 40, 41, 70
Qassem, Abdul-Karim, 32
Qom, 92–93, 95–96
Rabba, Baba, 152
Rabi’a of Basra, 62
Ramadan, xxvii, 3, 96, 128, 131, 186
Ramses, 184, 185, 196
Raphael, painting by, 123
Rashid, Haroun al-, 6
Rassam, Suha, xxvi
Red Cross, bombing of, 36
Red Kafirs, 248
Reincarnation, 44, 49
Druze and, 123, 140, 141–142, 142–143
Religions, xxix
Celtic, xx
cultures and, 7
Egyptian, 194
as magnet, 266
in Middle East, xvi–xvii (map)
minority, xxi, xxiii
Norse, xxi
origins/evolution of, ix
pervasiveness of, 186
pre-Christian, xxi
state-backed, xxvii
understanding of, 217
Republic (Plato), 95
Revolutionary Command Council, 201
Reza Shah, 101
Rihanna, 241
Riley, Naomi Schaefer, 261
Rituals, 2, 52, 94, 99, 101
Babylonian, 27, 49
doctrines and, xii
Druze, 269
Jewish, 257
Kalasha, 243
Mandaean, 27
Zoroastrian, 109
River Tigris, photo of, 2
Robertson, George Scott, 223, 230, 233–234, 250, 252
Gish and, 225
Kafirs and, 225, 236, 251
Kam and, 224, 225, 242, 248
on Merak, 224
Roman Empire, xix, 194, 195
Romans, 40, 45, 148, 194
defeat of, 46
Jewish revolt and, 151
Rothschild, Baron Edmond de: Samaritans and, 175
Royal Geographical Society, Schomberg and, 234
Ruha, 1, 21, 69
Rumbur valley, 235, 243, 244, 247, 250
photo of, 252
Russian Orthodox, 265
Rustam, 89
Sabbath, 191
Jewish, 26
Mandaean, 34
Passover and, 176–177
Samaritan, 166, 167, 169, 175
Sabians, 8, 32, 50, 196, 197
Sacrifice
animal, 40, 165
bull, 40, 42–43
Sadat, Anwar, 184, 201, 217
Copts and, 202, 203
sectarianism and, 202
Sa’eed, 205, 213
Sahak, Sultan, 57
St. Augustine, 2, 15, 17, 116
St. Bernard of Clairvaux, 145
St. George, 102, 207
St. Mark the Evangelist, 207, 209
St. Mark’s Church, 181, 182, 183, 195, 202
St. Pachomius, 208
St. Paul’s Cathedral, 5
St. Simeon Stylites, 265
Sainte Thérèse of Liseux, 184, 185, 187, 218
Salafis, 194, 203, 216–217
Salisbury, Lord, 106–107
Samanids, 92
Samaritan priests, 169, 179
photo of, 165, 173, 179
Samaritans, xxiv, xxix, 158, 161, 163, 164
accusations against, 129
Arabs and, 155
conversion of, 153
documentary on, 168
endurance of, 179–180
flourishing of, 151–152
genealogy and, 167–168
Greek islands and, 166
history of, 170
Israelis and, 177–178
Jews and, 149–150, 151, 153, 154, 165, 175, 178 (photo), 176
memento of, 156
Muslims and, 174, 175
Palestinians and, 174, 175, 176, 177
predictions about, 179–180
rebellions by, 152
traditions/customs of, 165, 168–169, 170–171, 172–173, 176–177, 177, 180
visiting, 154, 156–157
Sanjaks, 59, 64, 67
Sanliurfa, 44–45, 47, 54
Sanoo’a, Yacoub, 198
Sargious, Father: on Copts, 199
Sarton, George: on Biruni, 8–9
Satan, 60, 62. See also Devil, Sheitan.
Angra Mainyu and, 79–80
cursing, 60
Sheitan, Arabic word for, 60
Sattar, Sheikh, 9–10, 22, 37
Mandaeans and, 10–11
Scaliger, Joseph, 153, 166
Scher, Mar Addai, 259
Schomberg, Reginald, 234, 237, 248
Kalasha and, 238–239
Schoolbook, Hebrew, 33 (photo)
Schur, Nathan, 153, 156
Sebastianus, 17
Secularism, 85, 109, 261
Seth, 2, 10, 191, 207
Shabak, 57
Shafiq, Ahmad, 205
Shahnamah, 78, 89, 92
Shahristani, on Harranians, 49
Shahrvini, Laal, 99, 100, 106, 108
memorial service for, 110–111
as midwife, 101
purity and, 75–76
Zoroastrianism and, 77, 80, 107
Shahrvini, Shahin, 108, 278
Shahrvini, Shahriar, 101, 108
memorial service for, 110–111
wounding of, 106
Zoroastrians and, 107
Shakira, 262
Shalala, Donna, 263
Shalhoub, Father, 265, 278
Shamash, xxii, 4, 42, 43
Shamm al-Nessim, 191, 194
Shams, Sheikh, 42, 43, 53
Shapur, 78
Shatt al-Arab, 83, 84
Shavuot, 169
Shechem, 148, 161
Sheikhs
Alawite,
51, 52, 53
Druze, 121, 131, 132, 135, 139–140, 143, 144, 269
Edizi, 42, 43
Sheitan, 60. See also Devil, Satan.
Shenouda III, Patriarch, 182, 202, 203, 204, 214
Shi’a, xxiv, xxv, 3, 19, 51, 58, 91, 92, 93, 99
Ashura and, 21–22
disillusionment with, 95
Druze and, 129, 132–133
government and, 95
massacres of, xxiii
processions of, 22
Shihab, Farhan, 272
Shihab, Naalin, 273, 275
Shiraz, described, 95–96, 96–97
Shirazi, Ali, 95–96
Shouf Mountains
Druze and, 129–130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 142–144
photo of, 133
Sidhom, Youssef, 202
Sizdah Bedar, 90
Smith, Haskett, 135, 136
Socrates, 114
Pythagoras and, 116
Solomon, King, 88
Spells, casting, 29, 30–31, 32, 205
Sphinx, 124, 196
Strauss, Richard: Zarathustra, 80
Sufis, 7, 62, 97, 99, 186
conversion by, 58
Sphinx and, 196
Sukkot, 170, 176
Sun, 26
as god, 65
Sunnis, xxiii, xxv, 3, 51, 91, 99, 126, 261
Druze and, 129, 140, 142
Syriac, 45, 258
Syrian Orthodox Church, 195
Tahrir Square, 187–188, 189, 191, 197, 198, 204
Tahtawi, 197
Taliban, 226
Talmud, 12, 150
Tamerlane, xix, 220, 225
Taqammus, 122, 123
Tawheed, 127
Tel Aviv, 148, 151, 157, 158, 159, 161, 163
Temple Mount, 160
Ten Commandments, 153, 165
Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. See Lost Tribes
Thabit ibn Qurra, 50
Thermopylae, 82, 84
Thesiger, Wilfrid, 20–21
photo by, 20 (fig.), 21 (fig.)
Thor, xix, 26
Thoth, 182
Three Wise Men, 77, 106
Tirghan, 108, 278
Tolerance, ix, xxii, 90, 152, 255
spirit of, xxiii, 8, 9
Torah, 80
photo of, 172
rules of, 166
Samaritan, 165, 169, 170, 173
Trajan, Emperor, 85
Tsadka, Sophie, 168
Tsedaka, Benyamim, 157, 158, 164–165, 179
marriage of, 167
Passover and, 170, 176–177
sabbath and, 167
Samaritan history and, 166–167
Samaritan tradition and, 169–170
Samaritans and, 167, 178
Tsedaka, Miriam, 167
Tsedaka, Yefet, 167
Turkmen, 57
Turks, 40, 45, 56
blue and, 69
Kurds and, 54
Tutankhamun, 4, 134, 192
Twelfth imam, 91
Typewriters, photo of, 33 (fig.)
ul-Haq, Zia, 233
ul-Mulk, Ghazala, 234
ul-Mulk, Shahzada Siraj, 234, 237
Unani-tibb (Galen), 94
Uniate “Chaldean” Church, 259
Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms: Journeys Into the Disappearing Religions of the Middle East Page 39