Papyrus Stories

Everyday Stories from the Ancient Past

A Confirmed Bachelor Wishes to Marry

Sep 25, 2020

Guest post by Jelle Bruning (read his bio here) “My first words to you are those of a tradition on the authority the Prophet—God bless him and grant him peace—, which relates that …” With these quite unusual words begins P.Khalili I 18, an Arabic letter written on papyrus in the late ninth century CE. Arabic … More A Confirmed Bachelor Wishes to Marry

The Governor’s Orders

Jul 9, 2019

*Guest post by Eline Scheerlinck. This blog post was originally posted on the website of the European Research Council project, “Embedding Conquest”, and was reposted on the Leiden Islam Blog. With many thanks to the author and the original hosts for allowing the story to be reposted here. Have you ever wondered what the Arab … More The Governor’s Orders