Here be dragons…

April 23rd is celebrated as the Feast of St. George here at Oxford!

It is often that St. George was proclaimed as the patron saint of England at the Synod of Oxford in 1222, and though historians cast doubt on this claim, St George’s feast day has, in the minds of many, a special relationship with our city.

As it turns out, the patron “saint” of our library, the 12th c. CE poet نظامی گنجوی Niẓāmī Ganjavī, was also a huge fan of dragons, and featured them prominently in his story of the هفت پیکر Haft Paykar or “Seven Forms”.

In honour of our library’s doubly special relationship with dragons, we here at the NGL have decked our display table with a selection of literature on dragon myths from across our region of expertise.

Of course, given our namesake’s fondness for these scaly beasts, it’s no surprise that the centrepiece of our display is حسن وحید دستگردی Ḥasan Vaḥīd Dastgirdī’s 1936 CE Persian edition of نظامی گنجوی Niẓāmī Ganjavī’s Haft Paykar — one of only a number of original language editions held int he NGL’s collections.

Niẓāmī Ganjavī, and Vaḥīd Dastgirdī, Ḥasan. Haft Paykar. Tihrān, 1936. Print.

When is a dragon not a dragon?

Carving from the 10th c. Georgian ხახული Khakhuli monastery (now in Bağbaşı village, Erzurum, Turkey) which depict the swallowing of Jonah by the “whale”. (picture courtesy of Niko Kontovas)

Various traditions within our region acknowledge numerous types of fantastic creatures which, though distinct from one another according to those traditions, are all sufficiently recognisable as dragons according to our modern conception of the term.

Across much of Eurasia, for example, there is ambiguity – both in language and, often, in form – between dragons and snakes.

In Abrahamic religions, there are numerous creatures which are variously conceived of as both snake-like and dragon-like. In Hebrew, the word תנין tannīn can refer to many such creatures – snakes, sea snakes, crocodiles, dragons, and even whales – often associated with the sea and almost always associated with evil.

Translations of the Old Testament into various languages throughout history have reflect differing interpretations of the same word in different contexts, sometimes translating תנין tannīn the same way as נחש‎ nāḥāš “serpent”. This further reinforced the association between serpents, dragons, and the Devil.

Eventually, in some eastern Christian traditions, giant sea monsters began appearing where none existed in the Hebrew. This carving from the 10th c. Georgian ხახული Khakhuli monastery (now in Bağbaşı village, Erzurum, Turkey) is thought to depict the swallowing of Jonah by the “whale” – here nearly unrecognizable as such – though the original Hebrew refers only to a דג גדול dāg gādōl “big fish”.

Hāṇḍā, Omacanda. Naga Cults and Traditions in the Western Himalaya. New Delhi: Indus Pub., 2004. Print.

Similarly snake-like are the nāga of the Indic tradition. Though the exact characteristics of nāga vary widely across South Asia, like the Hebrew תנין tannīn, the Sanskrit नाग nāga is usually supernaturally powerful and associated with water. In contrast to Canaanite serpent-dragons, however, nāga are often portrayed as part human and can be either neutral or benevolent in their interactions with the human world.

Handa’s Naga cults and traditions int he western Himalaya (2004) details the worship of nāga deities in the Western Himalaya, where they are particularly associated with the weather, agriculture, and – curiously – bees. Like snakes, nāga deities in this region spend much of their time underground or underwater, and they occasionally claim a sacrifice – probably reflecting the occasional loss of life to snakebites in the fields.

 

In his classic tome on Tree and serpent worship (1873) in India, also on our display, Scottish Orientalist James Fergusson theorised, in part on the basis of the absence of any mention of nāga worship in the Vedas, that the veneration of nāga in these regions of India is a remnant of indigenous traditions dating back to before the Indo-European invasion of the Subcontinent – even, perhaps, before the spread of Dravidian-speaking peoples.

Connected at different points in pre- and early history to both the Biblical תנין tannīn and the Sanskrit नाग nāga is the Avestan Aži Dahāka, the most evil demon serpent of Zoroastrianism.

The word aži is cognate to Sanskrit अहि ahi “snake”, but Aži Dahāka much more closely resembles the Biblical sea monsters than the Indian objects of worship. Where nāga can control wind and rivers, Aži Dahāka merely entreats the Zoroastrian angels of the winds and rivers to lend their power so that he may pervert it to destroy humanity.

Photo: © Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford.
MS. Ouseley Add. 176, f. 30a.
ضحاک Żaḥḥāk is nailed to Mount Damāvand as punishment.

In later Iranian myths, preserved most famously in Firdawsī’s epic poem شاهنامه Šāhnāma, Aži Dahāka is anthropomorphised in the form of the immortal tyrannical ruler ضحاک Żaḥḥāk who, after permitting the evil deity اهرمن Ahriman to kiss his shoulders, sprouts from them two serpents who demand to feast on human brains.

You can see this in folio 30a of Ouseley Add. 176, a beautifully illustrated Persian manuscript of the شاهنامه Šāhnāma held at the Weston Library. Some of you may also remember from our post back in March for Nowruz that the NGL hosts a number of editions of the شاهنامه Šāhnāma, so you can come read the gruesome tale of ضحاک Żaḥḥāk yourself in at least four different languages!

Incidentally, the modern Persian word for “dragon” اژدها aždahā is derived from the name of Aži Dahāka, whence also the word for “dragon” in many other languages, like Turkish ejderha and Kurmanji Kurdish ejdeha/ejdîha.

Fantastic beasts and where to find them… in a Mediaeval Turkish manuscript at the Weston!

By the Islamic Middle Ages, dragons in much of the Middle East had become, much as they had in contemporary Christian Europe, fantastic beasts of various shapes and sizes.

In an illuminated manuscript of مصلح الدین سروری Muṣliḥuddīn Sürūrī’s 17th c. CE Turkish translation of زکریا ابن محمد قزوینی   Zakariyyā ibn Muḥammad Qazwīnī’s 13th c. CE عجاٸب المخلوقات Ajā’ibu l-maḥlūqāt, housed here in the Weston Library (shelfmarked MS Turk. d. 2), we can see two depictions of dragons, accompanied by an explanation of their form, nature, and purported habitat.

The first (folio 140a) demonstrates how dragons in this period are depicted as largely malevolent and associated with the destructive forces of nature. Here we see repeated the common trope, whereby dragons are associated with the end of the world – here as the food for Gog and Magog, the monstrous lords who will wreak havoc upon the Earth before the Day of Judgment. The notion that Gog and Magog feast on a dragon flesh is first attested in Firdawsī’s Šāhnāma.

Photo: © Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford.
MS Turk d 2, folio 140a.

“And (another) one is the dragon in the sea, which harms sea creatures. God on high sends a cloud to lift it from the bottom of the sea. It has a body like a big black fish and the colour of it sends out lightning, such that if its tail as big as a tree should touch a building it would ruin it. Whatever its breath reaches burns, and that cloud raises it up to the region where Gog and Magog are and drops it there, so that it might be their food, such that each of them brings a knife and cuts it and feeds upon it […]”

In a second (folios 144b-145a) depiction, we see another dragon fulfilling roles as both an object of conquest and a bearer of magic. Any man brave enough to slay it can employ its oil and meat to a variety of magical ends, further enhancing his valour and virility. In the interest of space we’ll leave them off this blog post, but you can come see these and read a translation of these folios in the NGL!

A case of mistaken identity (Part 1)

The northern half of the Armenian Highlands (composing parts of what is now Armenia, north-eastern Turkey, and southern Georgia) is littered with megaliths known in the Armenian scientific literature վիշապաքարեր višapak‘arer (singular վիշապաքար višapak‘ar) in Armenian – literally “dragon stones”.

While the dating of these stones – and, therefore, the ethno-linguistic characteristics of those who constructed them – is uncertain, they have become associated in local cultures for centuries with “dragons”, with which they share a name in local languages: Armenian վիշապ višap and Kurmanji Kurdish ejdeha.

Early research, such as Marr & Smirnov’s Les vichaps (1931), relied heavily on this association in their analysis of these stones. They note that an early Georgian translation of the Bible employs the word ვეშაპი vešap’i for the sea creature which swallows Jonah, often confused with a whale. They further suggest that the location of the dragon stones near high-altitude lakes and rivers seems to suggest an affiliation with water, which is also a characteristic of dragons in pre-Christian Armenian folklore. If the dragon stones were sites of veneration of dragon-like water deities for ancient Armenians, they argue, the veneration of the fire god Վահագն Վիշապաքաղ Vahagn Višapak‘ał “Vahagn Dragon-culler” and the vilification of dragons by later Armenians may suggest successive inversions of older beliefs by Zoroastrian and Christian authors.

Later research, such as Капанцян Kapant͡si͡an‘s О каменных стелах на горах Армении O kamennykh stelakh na gorakh Armenii (1952), has preferred to analyse the stones outside the context of their later mythical association with dragons. They identify the two figures which frequently appear on these stones as a “fish” and a “sacrificial animal” – probably a bull – but the popular association with dragons and the name višapak‘ar has remained.

Հայերեն: Վիշապաքար ցուլի պատկերով, Ք.ա. 3-2 հազ. Կառավարական երրորդ շենքի գլխավոր ճակատի մոտ.

A case of mistaken identity (Part 2)

With a name like “Georgia”, you might expect the largely Orthodox Christian Caucasian nation to celebrate St. George’s feast day – and indeed it does, though not when you might expect.

The festival of გიორგობა Giorgoba in Georgia is celebrated differently and at different times in different parts of Georgia, with common dates being 6 May, 23 November, and 14 August. Even the name of the holiday differs from place to place, though the association with St. George remains. Veneration of St. George in general is common across the country – so much so that, upon its independence from the Russian Empire, the short-lived Democratic Republic of Georgia made St. George its patron saint, as he remains to this day. You can read all about the various folk incarnations of St. George in Charachidzé (1968)’s Le système religieux de la Géorgie paienne.

Charachidzé, Georges. Le Système Religieux De La Géorgie Païenne : Analyse Structurale D’une Civilisation. Paris: F. Maspero, 1968. Print. Textes à L’appui.

You may be surprised to learn, then, that the country was not named after the saint – at least not originally. While the country bears the name Georgia (or names like it) in English and many European languages, the name for the country in Georgian is საქართველო Sakartvelo, ultimately related to a geographical term and ethnonym from a certain part of the country. The common European name seems to stem from the Persian ethnonym گرچی gurjī, ultimately probably related to the word گرگ gurg “wolf”, transformed by European pilgrims to the Holy Land some time during the Middle Ages – perhaps noting Georgian pilgrims’ veneration of St. George.

Funnily enough, while the story of St. George and the Dragon is known in Georgia, it does not seem to have played a major role in his traditional veneration. Instead, Charachidzé argues, many of the St. George myths from Georgia are ported over from pagan myths, usually of an old lunar deity.

Pre-Christian Georgian mythology does, however, feature dragons – usually known as გველისფერები gvelisperebi (singular გველისფერი gvelisperi), literally ‘serpent-coloured’ or ‘serpent-like’. In some legends, the გველისფერები gvelisperebi are servants or guards of certain gods or demigods. In others, they specifically guard the entrance to the underworld and are at war with the birds – sometimes eagles or the phoenix-like ფასკუნჯი Pask’unji – perhaps betraying an older association with the earth and water in opposition to the sky and fire.

Coat of arms of the Democratic Republic of Georgia depicting St. George with the sun and moon – but no dragon!

October News

A much busier library…

Having had a successful turnout for our Library Inductions this year, which were kept to a more pared-down approach than previous years, we have been enjoying the livelier atmosphere which always descends on the Oriental Institute once Term proper has begun.

It has been great to see many familiar faces back again for another year, and to welcome our new intake. We hope that everyone is having a good term so far and urge anyone who needs help to please let us know. There will be someone at the library desk at all times during opening hours, and if we are not immediately visible we will be somewhere close by!

Oriental Collections Displays

Readers may have noticed a display of Georgian books from the Wardrop Collection which have been placed just inside the door for the last few weeks. These were to accompany a talk about Georgian Manuscripts which took place last month.

We will be featuring other displays of materials from the Oriental Collections over the next few months; Lydia is currently finalising the next one and we will post details on the Facebook Page soon!

Readers may be interested in a talk on the Hunt in Mughal India which is taking place on November 9th; details can be found on the Bodleian’s What’s On pages: http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/whatson/whats-on/upcoming-events/2016/nov/the-hunt-in-mughal-india

 

PCAS teething problems

The new version of PCAS has been for the most part running well since it went live in September, however, we are aware of particular problems for which the team are seeking support from the suppliers, in particular the fact that printing from pdf.s does not appear to work very well. There are also occasional problems with scanning and printing, as well as a known issue with reducing or enlarging copies, all of which are being looked into and which we hope will be sorted out or at least included in documentation soon. In the meantime we would ask readers to let staff know when they do encounter problems and to contact pcas@bodleian.ox.ac.uk to let the support team know as well. The more people report things, the more we can get them fixed!

 

Housekeeping

Since the start of Term we have noticed a number of readers with drinks in the library; may we please remind everyone again that ONLY water in sealable bottles is permitted? This is to protect the books and furniture from accidental spillages which may cause damage and encourage vermin. We have spoken to individuals when we have seen them with drinks other than water but would appreciate everybody’s cooperation.

 

July News

 

As usual, once the vacation gets into full-swing, we have been busy in the library.

Firstly, in collaboration with Professor Sebastian Brock, we have now moved books on Syriac and Armenian subjects which were housed in the Library of Congress section into a new Eastern Christianity Library (ECL) collection in the basement, round the back of the staircase where the Minor Collections materials are still kept. The labels are slightly different – they now have a prefix [ECL] – but otherwise those books which could be borrowed before still will be. If you have problems finding anything do ask the library staff.

Secondly, as part of the ongoing reclassification into Library of Congress of the general collection on the ground floor, the Short Loan “Apply Staff” books which are held in the front office have now been reclassified. This will mean that items which were once in a particular place on a shelf will have moved, but please rest assured that we have not removed anything from the shelf (with the exception of a box containing three audio cassettes which nobody remembered being there in the first place). We think they look much better with their smart new labels! Please check SOLO for updated shelf marks for the Short Loan collection.

DSCF0372

Over the next few weeks staff from OIL will be undertaking more reclassification work, this time for the Oriental materials which are going into the Weston Library. We will post more about this later in the summer.

Finally, on Tuesday 29th July we said a fond goodbye to Andrew Blades, who has been covering Friday afternoons and Saturdays at OIL since 2010, and who worked in various other parts of the Bodleian for a number of years before joining us. Andrew is leaving for an exciting teaching post at the University of Bristol, and we wish him all the best and thank him for his dedicated service.

Announcements for August

The Library will be open as normal over the next month, apart from the August Bank Holiday – we will be CLOSED on Saturday 23rd and Monday 25th. There will be further closures in September for St Giles’ Fair, but we will remind everyone of that nearer the time. Notices will be posted accordingly.

Lecture Friday 25th May 2012: The Times of the Blood Rains – Georgia in Shakespearian Times

At 4pm this Friday, 25th May 2o12, our lectures on the history of Georgia in Shakespearian times by Giorgi Akhvlediani continue!

The Times of the Blood Rains

Georgia in Shakespearian Times

by

Giorgi Akhvlediani

 The dramatic lives of two Royal families, rulers of the partitioned Georgian kingdoms of Kartli and Kakheti include all the elements of a tragic drama. Having become the battlefield of two great empires long ago, the Georgian kingdoms applied their traditional policy of balancing between war and peace, satisfying both Ottoman and Persian interests. The Kakhetian king Alexandre was successful in this policy for two decades by accepting Ottoman suzerainty. But the policy came under increasing tension as each time the Ottoman-Persian wars would have a different outcome. Fate lured king Alexandre and three of his sons into a bloody family conflict followed by Persian intervention, which turned the rich and peaceful small kingdom into a dead land with two thirds of population killed or deported.

As opposed to the Kakhetian kingdom, Kartli was at war and largely survived owing to the personal bravery of king Luarsab and his elder son Simon “the Mad” who replaced his father after Luarsab’s strange death foreshadowed by his own dream. A number of great historical characters, the morals and manners of the century placed in an extraordinary political situation, all mixed up with destiny and meanness make the picture of The Times of the Blood Rains unforgettable for its spirit and the tragic reality of survival.

Giorgi Akhvlediani (also known as Aka Morchiladze) is the bestselling Georgian novelist with a background in history. Some of his novels, which include the Travel to Karabakh, The Others, the Madatov Trilogy, Santa Esperanza, Maid in Tiflis and Mamluk earned him the name of the most widely-read and celebrated Georgian author alive. Currently he resides and writes in London. In three lectures he will be presenting probably the most dramatic and tragic century of Georgian history.

Venue: Faculty Room (3d floor), Oriental Institute, Pusey Lane OX1 2LE, Oxford.

Friday, 25 May, 16:00.

Lecture 17th May 2012: The Times of the Blood Rains – Georgia in Shakespearian Times

The Times of the Blood Rains

Georgia in Shakespearian Times

by

Giorgi Akhvlediani

 Lecture Room 1, Oriental Institute, Thursday, 17 May, 16:00.

The dramatic lives of two Royal families, rulers of the partitioned Georgian kingdoms of Kartli and Kakheti include all the elements of a tragic drama. Having become the battlefield of two great empires long ago, the Georgian kingdoms applied their traditional policy of balancing between war and peace, satisfying both Ottoman and Persian interests. The Kakhetian king Alexandre was successful in this policy for two decades by accepting Ottoman suzerainty. But the policy came under increasing tension as each time the Ottoman-Persian wars would have a different outcome. Fate lured king Alexandre and three of his sons into a bloody family conflict followed by Persian intervention, which turned the rich and peaceful small kingdom into a dead land with two thirds of population killed or deported.

As opposed to the Kakhetian kingdom, Kartli was at war and largely survived owing to the personal bravery of king Luarsab and his elder son Simon “the Mad” who replaced his father after Luarsab’s strange death foreshadowed by his own dream. A number of great historical characters, the morals and manners of the century placed in an extraordinary political situation, all mixed up with destiny and meanness make the picture of The Times of the Blood Rains unforgettable for its spirit and the tragic reality of survival.

Giorgi Akhvlediani (also known as Aka Morchiladze) is the bestselling Georgian novelist with a background in history. Some of his novels, which include the Travel to Karabakh, The Others, the Madatov Trilogy, Santa Esperanza, Maid in Tiflis and Mamluk earned him the name of the most widely-read and celebrated Georgian author alive. Currently he resides and writes in London. In three lectures he will be presenting probably the most dramatic and tragic century of Georgian history.

Venue: Lecture Room 1, Oriental Institute, Pusey Lane OX1 2LE, Oxford.

Thursday, 17 May, 16:00.

Convenors: Nikoloz Aleksidze & Theo M. van Lint Calouste Gulbenkian Professor of Armenian Studies

New Books Easter Vacation 2011

We got more books for the library in March and April, including lots of Turkish literature. All these books should either be on the New Books Display or in the new Library of Congress section:

BM500.5.A77 ASS 2010
Assis, Moshe
Otsar leshonot Yerushalmiyim : munahim, bituyim u-leshonot be-fihem shel ha-Amoraim ba-Talmud ha-Yerushalmi
Bet ha-midrash le-rabanim ba-Amerikah, 2009

BM500.5.A77 ASS 2010
Assis, Moshe
Otsar leshonot Yerushalmiyim : munahim, bituyim u-leshonot be-fihem shel ha-Amoraim ba-Talmud ha-Yerushalmi
Bet ha-midrash le-rabanim ba-Amerikah, 2009

BM500.5.A77 ASS 2010
Assis, Moshe
Otsar leshonot Yerushalmiyim : munahim, bituyim u-leshonot be-fihem shel ha-Amoraim ba-Talmud ha-Yerushalmi
Bet ha-midrash le-rabanim ba-Amerikah, 2009

BM510.W4 WER 1988
Wertheimer, Solomon Aaron, 1866-1935
Bate midrashot : esrim va-hamishah midreshe HazaL al pi kitve yad mi-genizat Yerushalayim u-Mitsrayim, Mahad 5. im hosafot mi-kitve yad, miluim ve-tikunimme-et Avraham Yosef Verthaimer.
Hotsaat Ketav-yad ve-sefer, 1988

BM510.W4 WER 1988
Wertheimer, Solomon Aaron, 1866-1935
Bate midrashot : esrim va-hamishah midreshe HazaL al pi kitve yad mi-genizat Yerushalayim u-Mitsrayim, Mahad 5. im hosafot mi-kitve yad, miluim ve-tikunimme-et Avraham Yosef Verthaimer.
Hotsaat Ketav-yad ve-sefer, 1988

BM655.T45 TEM 2011
Fine, Steven
The Temple of Jerusalem : from Moses to the Messiah : in honor of Professor Louis H. Feldman
Brill, 2011

BP80.N385 M84 MUH 2007
Muhammadi Vayaqani, Kazim
Najm-i Kubra pir-i valitarash, Chap-i 1.
Najm-i Kubra, 2007

BR163.S87 SUR 2010
Desreumaux, Alain
Sur les pas des Arameens chretiens : melanges offerts a Alain Desreumaux
Geuthner, 2010

BR65.E633 C3714 EPH 2009
Ephraem, Syrus, Saint, 303-373. Carmina Nisibena. French
La descente aux enfers : Carmina Nisibena
Editions de Bellefontaine, 2009

BR65.I652 F7 ISA 2009
Isaac, Bishop of Nineveh, 7th cent. Selections. French. 2009
OEuvres spirituelles. III : d’apres un manuscrit recemment decouvert
Abbaye de Bellefontaine, 2009

BV807.M4 MEK 2007
Mekkattukulam, Jiphy Francis
L’initiation chretienne selon les Actes de Thomas : l’unite liturgique et theologique du don de l’onction-bapteme-eucharistie : etude historique, liturgique et theologique des cinq recits d’initiation chretienne selon les versions syriaque et grecque des Actes de Thomas
ANRT. Atelier national de reproduction des theses, 2009

BV807.M4 MEK 2007
Mekkattukulam, Jiphy Francis
L’initiation chretienne selon les Actes de Thomas : l’unite liturgique et theologique du don de l’onction-bapteme-eucharistie : etude historique, liturgique et theologique des cinq recits d’initiation chretienne selon les versions syriaque et grecque des Actes de Thomas
ANRT. Atelier national de reproduction des theses, 2009

DS247.9.N36 JUI 2010
Beaucamp, Joelle
Juifs et chretiens en Arabie aux Ve et VIe siecles : regards croises sur les sources : [actes du colloque de novembre 2008]
Association des amis du Centre d’histoire et civilisation de Byzance, 2010

DS27 HUS 2011 Ref.
Husayni, Sadr al-Din Ali ibn Nasir, fl. 1180-1225 Akhbar al-dawlah al-Saljuqiyah. English
The history of the Seljuq state : a translation with commentary of the ‘Akhbar al-dawla al-saljuqiyya
Routledge, 2011

DS70.8.A89 W45 WEI 2007
Weibel Yacoub, Claire
Surma l’Assyro-chaldeenne (1883-1975) dans la tourmente de Mesopotamie
Harmattan, 2007

PJ4833 OXF 1994 Ref.
Levi, Yaakov
Oxford English-Hebrew, Hebrew-English dictionary
Kernerman-Lonnie Kahn, 1994

PJ7541.W33 WAD 2009
Wadarni, Ahmad
Clefs de la theorie poetique des Arabes
Maison Arabe du Livre, 2009

PJ7542.W65 A44 ALF 2005
Al-Furaih, Siham A.
Creativity & exuberance in Arab women’s poetry : (from the sixth to the twentieth centuries)
Ministry of Information, Government Printing Press, 2005

PJ7846.A46 Q25 MAH 1962
Mahfuz, Najib, 1911-2006
al-Qahirah al-jadidah, [Al-tabah 4]
Maktabat Misr, 1962

PJ7846.A69 A2 MAR 2010
Marar, Mustafa, 1930- Short stories. English. Selections
Mustafa Murrar : “The internal pages” and other stories
Peter Lang, 2010

PJ8006.6.N33 NAB 2011
Holes, Clive, 1948-
The Nabati poetry of the United Arab Emirates : selected poems annotated and translated into English, 1st ed.
Ithaca Press, 2011

PK2098.B22 M2713 MAD 1950
Baccana, 1907-2003. Madhusala. English
The house of wine (Madhushala)
Fortune Press, 1950

PK6239.5.E5 R34 RAF 2010 Ref.
Rafiee, Abdi, 1947-
Colloquial Persian : the complete course for beginners, 3rd ed.
Routledge, 2010

PL234.A3629 C67 AKI 2010 Ref.
Akin, Sunay
Corap kacigi : siir, 1. baski.
Turkiye is Bankasi Kultur Yayinlari, 2010

PL234.K874 U58 KUT 2010 Ref.
Kutlar, Onat
Unutulmus kent : siirler, 1. baski.
YKY, 2010

PL248.A3289 K37 AKA 2010 Ref.
Akay, Gonca Elmas
Kara Fatma : kurtulus savasi’nin Ilk Turk kadin subayi fatma seher’in kahramanlik oykusu, 1. basim.
Alfa, 2010

PL248.A77 V37 ARS 2010 Ref.
Arslan, C. Hakan
Varlik damitan : roman, 1. baski.
Yapi Kredi Yayinlari, 2010

PL248.A9376 S26 AYD 2010 Ref.
Aydinoglu, Numan, 1953-
Sam’da bir mardinli, 1. basim.
Oda Yayinlari, 2010

PL248.B348 H37 BAR 2010 Ref.
Bardakci, Vehbi, 1956-
Hasretim derin uykularda : Mahir Cayan, roman
Ozan Yayincilik, 2010

PL248.B4839 K37 BIC 2010 Ref.
Bicakci, Hakan, 1978-
Karanlik oda, 1. baski.
Iletisim, 2010

PL248.D3358 Y56 DAV 2010 Ref.
David, Isil Ertoren, 1965-
Yine de guzel sey yasamak, 1. baski.
Cinius yayinlari, 2010

PL248.E6878 Z68 AKB 2010 Ref.
Akbayir, Siddik
Siir adimli bir yolcu Haydar Ergulen, Ege basim.
Ferfir, 2010

PL248.F345 O111 FER 2010 Ref.
Ferahli, Birsen
O yaz… : oyku, 1. bs.
YKY Yapi Kredi Yayinlari, 2010

PL248.K2596 H67 KAR 2010 Ref.
Karabulut, Turgut
Hosgoru : roman
Cinius Yayinlari, 2010

PL248.K5955 D56 KIZ 2010 Ref.
Kizildag, Selcuk
Dimitri’nin kizlari : kal’a-i sultaniye, roman
CNK Canakkale Kitapligi, 2010

PL248.K765 F48 KUC 2010 Ref.
Kucuk Iskender, 1964-
Flu’es : roman
Sel Yayincilik, 2010

PL248.S3465 K37 SAV 2010 Ref.
Savas, Metin
Kargalar dernegi : roman
Otuken, 2010

PL248.S593 S26 SIY 2010 Ref.
Siyahhan, Kemal
Sanri ve gercek : roman, 1. baski.
Sel yayincilik, 2010

PL248.T65 I45 TOY 2010 Ref.
Toy, Erol
Ilk kirilma : kirilmalara agit, 1. baski.
Cumhuriyet Kitaplari, 2010

PL248.U246 D86 UCA 2010 Ref.
Ucar, Ertug
Dunyayi seyretmek icin bir yer : oyku, 1. baski.
Yapi Kredi Yayinlari, 2010

PL248.Y373 B84 YAS 2010 Ref.
Yasar Kemal, 1922-
Bugunlerde bahar indi, 1. baski.
Yapi Kredi Yayinlari, 2010

PQ3989.2.D57 Z45 HID 2006 Ref.
Hiddleston, Jane
Assia Djebar : out of Algeria
Liverpool University Press, 2006

New Books Hilary Term 2011

In all the bustle of term, I forgot to publish the list of new books for January 2011. So here are the lists from both January and February 2011. As always, the ones I could find on LibraryThing have also been added there: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/oiloxford

BM545.D3312 MAI 2002
Maimonides, Moses, 1135-1204. Dalalat al-hairin. Hebrew
Moreh nevukhim, Mahad. 1.
Universitat Tel-Aviv, 2002

BM545.D3312 MAI 2002
Maimonides, Moses, 1135-1204. Dalalat al-hairin. Hebrew
Moreh nevukhim, Mahad. 1.
Universitat Tel-Aviv, 2002

BP75.A764 ARM 2006
Armstrong, Karen, 1944-
Muhammad : a prophet for our time, 1st ed.
Atlas Books/HarperCollins, 2006

BP161.2.E85 ESP 2010
Esposito, John L.
Islam : the straight path, Rev. 3rd ed., updated with new epilogue.
International Islamic Publishing House, 2010

BP163.H643 HOF 2001
Hofmann, Murad Wilfried. Islam im 3. Jahrtausend. English
Religion on the rise : Islam in the third millennium, 1st ed.
Amana Publications, 2001 

BP192.S565 SHI 2008 Ref.
Luft, Paul
Shi’ism : critical concepts in Islamic studies
Routledge, 2008

BP192.S565 SHI 2008 Ref.
Luft, Paul
Shi’ism : critical concepts in Islamic studies
Routledge, 2008

BP192.S565 SHI 2008 Ref.
Luft, Paul
Shi’ism : critical concepts in Islamic studies
Routledge, 2008

BS580.E4 J3313 JAC 2009
Jacob, of Serug, 451-521. Homilies on Elijah. English & Syriac
Jacob of Sarug’s Homilies on Elijah, 1st Gorgias Press ed.
Gorgias Press, 2009

BS1225.52.C47 LIS 2011
Liss, Hanna
Creating fictional worlds : peshat-exegesis and narrativity in Rashbam’s commentary on the Torah
Brill, 2011

BS1334.S94 P4778 WAL 2008
Walter, Donald M.
Studies in the Peshitta of Kings : the transmission and revision of the text, relations with other texts, and translation features
Gorgias Press, 2008

BS1430.53.J37 JAP 2010
Japheth ben Ali, ha-Levi, 10th cent.
Old Jewish commentaries on the Song of Songs I : the commentary of Yefet ben Eli, 1st ed.
Peter Lang, 2010

BX106.2 G37 KAR 1970
Karekin I, Catholicos of Armenia, 1932-1999
The witness of the Oriental Orthodox churches : recovery, rediscovery, renewal, 2d ed.
[Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia], 1970

BX179.Y79 A25 YUH 2009
Yuhannan, Bishop of Tella, 482 or 3-538. Selections. English. 2009
John of Tella’s Profession of faith : the legacy of a sixth-century Syrian Orthodox bishop
Gorgias Press, 2009

BX377.J33 JAC 2009
Jacob, of Serug, 451-521. Homily on the partaking of the Holy Mysteries. English & Syriac
Jacob of Sarug’s Homily on the partaking of the Holy Mysteries, 1st Gorgias Press ed.
Gorgias Press, 2009

BX384.5.G688 GOT 2010
Tamcke, Martin, 1955-
Gotteserlebnis und Gotteslehre : christliche und islamische Mystik im Orient
Harrassowitz, 2010

DT95.7 EGY 1995
Vermeulen, Urbain, 1940-
Egypt and Syria in the Fatimid, Ayyubid and Mamluk eras
Uitgeverij Peeters, 1995

KBP2000 FEL 2008
Feldman, Noah, 1970-
The fall and rise of the Islamic state
Princeton University Press, 2008

N6995.G4 A713 AMI 1968
Amiranashvili, Shalva IAsonovich, 1899- Gruzinskoe iskusstvo. English
Georgian art
Tbilisi University Press, 1968

PJ5802.O33 ODI 2009
Odisho, Edward Y.
Linguistic and cultural studies in Aramaic and Arabic
Gorgias Press, 2009

PJ7816.A678 M8613 BAR 2008 Ref.
Barghuthi, Murid
Midnight & other poems
Arc Publications, 2008

PJ7846.A46 A63 MAH 1966
Mahfuz, Najib, 1911-2006
Abath al-aqdar, [al-Tabah 5.]
Maktabat Misr, 1966

PJ7846.A46 K5 MAH 1958
Mahfuz, Najib, 1911-2006
Khan al-Khalili, [al-Tabah 3.]
Matbaat Misr, 1958

PJ7846.A46 R29 MAH 1982
Mahfuz, Najib, 1911-2006
Raaytu fi-ma yara al-naim, [al-Tabah 1.]
Maktabat Misr, 1982

PJ7846.A46 S2 MAH 1967
Mahfuz, Najib, 1911-2006
al-Sarab, al-Tabah 5.
Maktabat Misr, 1967

PJ7846.A46 T3 MAH 1965
Mahfuz, Najib, 1911-2006
al-Tariq, [al-Tabah 2.]
Maktabat Misr, 1965

PJ8005.8.Z99 H38 HAY 2008
Haydari, Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Rahman
al-Sirah al-dhatiyah fi al-Mamlakah al-Arabiyah al-Saudiyah : bibliyujirafiya, al-Tabah 1.
al-Nadi al-Adabi al-Thaqafi, 2008

PK9104.D913 ZIZ 1969
Ziziguri, Sota Gruzinskii iazyk. English
The Georgian language : short review
Tbilisi University Press, 1969

PL105.T87 TUR 2006
Menz, Astrid
Turkiye’de dil tartismalari, 2. baski
Istanbul Bilgi Universitesi Yayinlari, 2008

PL245.E231 L4331 EDG 2010 Ref.
Edgu, Ferit, 1936-
Les : toplu oykuler (1953 – 2002), 1 baski.
Sel yayincilik, 2010

PL248.I777 M85 ISI 2010 Ref.
Isik, Haydar, 1937-
Multeci munzur : ani roman
Peri Yayinlari, 201

PL248.O3215 Z6 KOL 2009
Kolcu, Ali Ihsan
Ismet Ozel’in poetikasi : siir Okuma Kilavuzu, 1. basim.
Salkimsogut Yayinlari, 2009

PL248.T44 Z5 SUS 2010 Ref.
Susam, Asuman, 1968-
Yangin Yillari’ndan Nida’ya Ahmet Telli siiri, 1. basim.
Everest Yayinlari, 2010

PL248.Y248 G4914 YAL 2010 Ref.
Yalsizucanlar, Sadik, 1962- Gezgin. English
The traveler, 2. ed.
Timas, 2010

Z6370 IND 2000 Ref.
Sacchi, Paolo
Indice concettuale del medio giudaismo
Edizioni Qiqajon, 2000

Z6370 IND 2000 Ref.
Sacchi, Paolo
Indice concettuale del medio giudaismo
Edizioni Qiqajon, 2000

Z6370 IND 2000 Ref.
Sacchi, Paolo
Indice concettuale del medio giudaismo
Edizioni Qiqajon, 2000

December’s New Books

Here’s the new accessions list. These books are all on our New Books Display in the library.

As always, the recently published ones are also up on our LibraryThing: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/oiloxford

BL1120.A3 H8 UPA 1921
Upanishads
The thirteen principal Upanishads : translated from the Sanskrit with an outline of the philosophy of the Upanishads and an annotated bibliography
H. Milford, Oxford University Press, 1921

BM506.A23 S475 MIS 2009
Mishnah. Avot
Pirke Avot : perush Yisreeli hadash
Yediot aharonot : Sifre Hemed, 2009

BM506.B33 G37 GAR 1988
Garmison, Samuel, 17th cent. Imre binah (Bava metsia)
Imre binah : shitat Bava metsia
Bet ha-hotsaah shel ‘Yad ha-Rav Nisim’ , 1988

BM525.A412 H39 SEF 2004
Sefer Yezirah. English & Hebrew
Sefer Yesira
Mohr Siebeck, 2004

BM535.I4856 INT 2009
Poorthuis, Marcel, 1955-
Interaction between Judaism and Christianity in history, religion, art and literature
Brill, 2009

BS1235.52.A27 ABR 2010
Goodman, Martin, 1953-
Abraham, the Nations, and the Hagarites : Jewish, Christian, and Islamic perspectives on kinship with Abraham
Brill, 2010

BS1235.52.E94 EXE 2009
Grypeou, Emmanouela
The exegetical encounter between Jews and Christians in late antiquity
Brill, 2009

BS1485.3.L63 LOA 2002
Loanz, Elijah ben Moses, 1564-1636. Rinat dodim
Sefer Rinat dodim : perush al Shir ha-shirim be-derekh ha-pardes
Mekhon Ohole Avraham Yaakov, 2002

BS580.N6 N6125 NOA 2010
Stone, Michael E., 1938-
Noah and his book(s)
Brill, 2010

DS109.925 SEF 2010
Bartal, Yisrael
Sefer Yerushalayim : be-shalhe ha-tekufah ha-Ot’manit, 1800-1917
Yad Yitshak Ben-Tsevi, 2010

DS97.3 USA 1987
Usamah ibn Munqidh, 1095-1188. Itibar. English
An Arab-Syrian gentleman and warrior in the period of the Crusades : memoirs of Usamah Ibn-Munqidh
Tauris, 1987

PJ4543.M434 MEH 1995
Rubinstein, Eliezer, 1926-1989
Mehkarim ba-lashon ha-Ivrit : sefer zikaron le-Eliezer Rubinshtain
Universitat Tel-Aviv, 1995

PJ7521.E87 ESS 2009
Allen, Roger M. A.
Essays in Arabic literary biography
Harrassowitz, 2009

PK2199.I65 A26 IQB 1947
Iqbal, Muhammad, Sir, 1877-1938
Poems from Iqbal
Kutub, 1947

PK225.L3 LAL 1920
Laldyada, 14th cent.
Lalla-vakyani, or, The wise sayings of Lal Ded, a mystic poetess of ancient Kashmir
Royal Asiatic Society, 1920

PK6482 IQB 1983
Iqbal, Afzal
The life and work of Jalal-ud-din Rumi
Octagon, 1983

November’s new books

Here’s the monthly list of our new books. The recently published ones are also up on our LibraryThing: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/oiloxford

B3318.J83 N58 GOL 2002
Golomb, Jacob
Nietzsche, Zionism and Hebrew culture
Magnes Press,

BM506.B43 H345 HAL 2007
Halivni, David
Sources and tradition : a source critical commentary on the Talmud Tractate Baba Batra
Magnes Press,

BM514.H54 HIG 2006
Frenkel, Yonah
Higayon le-Yonah : hebetim hadashim be-heker sifrut ha-midrash, ha-agadah, veha-piyut : kovets mehkarim li-khevodo shel Profesor Yonah Frenkel be-milot lo 75 shanim
Hotsaat sefarim a. sh. Y.L. Magnes, ha-Universitah ha-Ivrit, 2006

BM535.T64 TRA 2010
Signer, Michael Alan
Transforming relations : essays on Jews and Christians throughout history in honor of Michael A. Signer
University of Notre Dame Press, 2010

BP161.3.C65 COM 2009
Sajoo, Amyn B.
A companion to the Muslim world
I.B. Tauris ; Distributed in the United States and Canada by Palgrave Macmillan, 2009

BX159.T56 B47 BER 2009
Berti, Vittorio, 1975-
Vita e studi di Timoteo I, 823, patriarca cristiano di Baghdad : ricerche sull’epistolario e sulle fonti contigue
Association pour l’avancement des etudes iraniennes, 2009

DK511.G44 TIS 1986
Kldiasvili, Darejan
Tislisa da Xaxulis xelnacerebis minacerebi : masalebi XIII-XVI saukuneebis Samxret Sakartvelos istoriisatvis
“Mecniereba”, 1986

DK511.K7 MEN 1976
Mentesasvili, Albert
Agraruli urtiertobis sakitxebi tanamedrove Kurtistansi
Gamomcemloba “Mecniereba”, 1976

LG347.K88 UZU 1993
Furayh, Siham
Uzuf talabat Jamiat al-Kuwayt an al-takhassus fi al-lughah al-Arabiyah : asbabuh, wa-inikas dhalika ala ihtiyajat al-mujtama, al-Tabah 1.
[Muassasat al-Kuwayt lil-Taqaddum al-Ilmi], 1993

PJ5050.J8 Z88613 YAH 2009
Yahalom, Joseph. Shirat hayav shel R. Yehudah ha-Levi. English
Yehuda Halevi : poetry and pilgrimage
the Hebrew University Magnes press, 2009

PJ7696.A8 Z6 FUR 2001
Furayh, Siham
al-Asha wa-mujamuhu al-lughawi
Majlis al-Nashr al-Ilmi, Lajnat al-Talif wa-al-Tarib wa-al-Nashr, 2001

PJ7828.D52 B3 HAK 1966
Hakim, Tawfiq
Bank al-qalaq
Dar al-Maarif, 1966

PK9001.I228 IBE 1970
Akad. N. Maris saxelobis enis instituti
Iberiul-kavkasiuri enatmecniereba
“Mecniereba” 1946

New Books Sept & Oct 2010

Here’s a list of all the books we’ve added to the library in September and October 2010. The more recently published books have also been put in our LibraryThing catalogue: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/oiloxford

September’s Books:

B5800.O765 OPP 2009
Oppenheim, Michael D., 1946-
Encounters of consequence : Jewish philosophy in the twentieth century and beyond
Academic Studies Press, 2009

BS1198.P76 PRO 2003
Fischer, Irmtraud, 1957-
Prophetie in Israel : Beitrage des Symposium “Das Alte Testament und die Kultur der Moderne” anlasslich des 100. Geburtstags Gerhard von Rads (1901-1971), Heidelberg, 18.-21. Oktober
LIT, 2003

BS1199.T44 R65 ROM 2009
Rom-Shiloni, Dalit
Elohim be-idan shel hurban ve-galuyot : teologyah Tanakhit
Hotsaat sefarim a. sh. Y.L. Magnes, ha-Universitah ha-Ivrit, 2009

DK511.G44 VRA 1971
Muradyan, P. M. (Paruyr Mambrei)
Vrats zhamanakagrutyun, 1207-1318
Haykakan SSH GA Hratarakchutyun, 1971

DK651.T5 GUR 1975
Gurjizade
Tbilisis dakqrobis cigni
Gamomcemloba “Mecniereba,” 1975

KBP300 BIS 1986
Bisyawi, Ali ibn Muhammad
Kitab Mukhtasar al-Bisyawi
Wizarat al-Turath al-Qawmi wa-al-Thaqafah li-Saltanat Uman, 1986

PJ6696.Z5 I573 FAW 1975
Fawdah, Abd al-Alim al-Sayyid
Asalib al-istifham fi al-Quran
al-Majlis al-Ala li-Riayat al-Funun wa-al-Adab wa-al-Ulum al-Ijtimaiyah, 1975

PJ7505.4 I26 IBN 1971
Ibn al-Nadim, Muhammad ibn Ishaq, fl. 987. Fihrist
Kitab al-Fihrist lil-Nadim : Abu al-Faraj Muhammad ibn Abi Yaqub Ishaq al-maruf bi-al-Warraq ; tahqiq Rida Tajaddud
Matbaat Danishgah, 1971

PJ7701.7 K58 S55 AKH 1986
Akhtal, Ghiyath ibn Ghawth al-Taghlibi, ca. 640-ca. 710
Shir al-akhtal, al-Tabah 2.
Dar al-Mashriq (al-Matbaah al-Kathulikiyah), 1986

PJ7828.M76 A17 HAM 1974
Hamshari, Muhammad Abd al-Muti, 1908-1938. Poems
Diwan al-Hamshari
al-Hayah al-Misriyah al-Ammah lil-Kitab, 1974

PK6198.K313 KAR 1975
Karnamah-i Ardashir Papakan. Georgian
Ardasir Papakis zis sakmeta cigni
“Mecniereba”, 1975

PK9125.G95 GVA 1962
Gvarjalaze, I.
Dictionnaire francais-georgien
Edition d’Etat, 1962

PK9165.K45 KOR 1979
Kavilaze, R.
Korneli Kekelizis piradi arkivis agceriloba
Mecniereba, 1979

PK9169.C39 CAX 1957
Caxruxaze, 12th/13th cent.
Keba mepisa Tamarisi
Sakartvelos SSR mecnierebata akademiis gamomcemloba, 1957

PK9201.K45 M3 MAG 1971
Magomedbekova, Z. M. (Zagidat Magomedovna)
Karatinskii iazyk : grammaticheskii analiz, teksty, slovar
“Metsniereba,” 1971

PL223.S44 SEY 2008
Seyhan, Azade
Tales of crossed destinies : the modern Turkish novel in a comparative context
Modern Language Association of America, 2008

PL271.E3 E33 EDA 2004
Nemet-Nejat, Murat
Eda : an anthology of contemporary Turkish poetry
Talisman House, 2004

October’s Books:

BL1281.1545.A2333 BAN 2010
Bansat-Boudon, Lyne
An introduction to Tantric philosophy : the Paramarthasara of Abhinavagupta with the commentary of Yogaraja
Routledge, 2011

BL1284.892.K49 O63 OPE 2010
Openshaw, Jeanne
Writing the self : the life and philosophy of a dissenting Bengali Baul guru
Oxford University Press, 2010

BS1171.3.R44 REF 2007
Rezetko, Robert
Reflection and refraction : studies in biblical historiography in honour of A. Graeme Auld
Brill, 2007

BX375.M37 A52 CIL 1977
Sanize, Akaki, 1887-1987
Cil-etratis iadgari
Gamomcemloba “Mecniereba”, 1977

DK511.G3 KUC 1976
Kucia, Karlo
Agmosavlet Amierkavkasiis kalakebi XVI-XVIII saukuneebsi
“Mecniereba”, 1976

DR568 TUR 2008 Ref.
Fleet, Kate
The Cambridge history of Turkey
Cambridge University Press, 2006

DS113 RUD 2010
Ruderman, David B.
Early modern Jewry : a new cultural history
Princeton University Press, 2010

DS121 PRA 2010
Prato, Gian Luigi
Identita e memoria nell’Israele antico : storiografia e confronto culturale negli scritti biblici e giudaici
Paideia, 2010

DS38.6 ABB 2010
Nawas, John Abdallah, 1960-
‘Abbasid studies II : occasional papers of the School of ‘Abbasid Studies, Leuven, 28 June – 1 July 2004
Uitgeverij Peeters en Departement Oosterse Studies, 2010

DS63.1 MID 2011 Ref.
Lust, Ellen
The Middle East, 12th ed.
CQ Press, 2011

DS79.9.B25 CKI 1968
Ckitisvili, Otar
Kalak Bagdadis istoriisatvis : masalebi peodaluri kalakis carmosoba-ganvitarobis istoriisatvis maxlobel agmosavletsi
Gamomcemloba “Mecniereba”, 1968

PJ5008.G37 GAR 2010
Garbini, Giovanni
Letteratura e politica nell’Israele antico
Paideia, 2010

PJ7862.A53 T34 SAI 2008
Said, Makkawi, 1955-
Taghridat al-bajaah : riwayah, al-Tabah 7.
al-Dar lil-Nashr wa-al-Tawzi, 2008. 2008

PK2916.B72 BRO 2010
Bronner, Yigal
Extreme poetry : the South Asian movement of simultaneous narration
Columbia University Press, 2010

PK9103.G853 GUL 1989
Mamacasvili, M.
Gulani : pilologiur-istoriul ziebani : axalgazrda mecnier tanamsromelta sromebis krebuli, ezgvneba K. Kekelizis saxelobis xelnacerta institutis daarsebis 30 clistavs
Mecniereba, 1989

RS67.E32 CHI 2010
Chipman, Leigh
The world of pharmacy and pharmacists in Mamluk Cairo
Brill, 2010