“Oh, Those Who Worship the Accursed Calf!” — Four Apologetic Treatises by Ibrāhīm al–‘Ayya

Abstract

The article conducts a textual and historiographic analysis of a manuscript dating from the 18th century. The author of the manuscript is a Samaritan historian and theologian Ibrahim al–Danfi al–‘Ayya. The autographical part of the monument stores in the corpus of British Library (Or 2691), and it is presented in four apologetic treatises. From the perspective of studying the manuscript, the author of the article concludes about the dependence between al–‘Ayya's works as well as Samaritan theology in general, contemporary with him, — and Judaic, Muslim sources, both directly and indirectly quoted by representatives of Sikhem religious community. Separately, the article considers the alteration made to the translated text of Samaritan Pentateuch into Arabic. The author of the article claims that the nature of al–‘Ayya's work as an editor is due to symbolic and allegoric exegesis of Muslim Kalām.