The Bible : An Islamic Perspective : From Monarchy to Hellenism (Dr. Jay R. Crook)

ISBN: 9781567447446
Author: Dr. Jay R. Crook
Publisher: ABC International Group Inc. (2005)
Pages: 110 Binding: Paperback

Description from the publisher:

From Monarchy to Hellenism is a potpourri of stories common to both Biblical and Islamic tradition. This volume of The Bible: An Islamic Perspective series begins with the story of the strange prohet Elijah and his confrontations with Ahab and Jezebel. We then examine the Biblical and Quranic versions of the stroy of Jonah. Though Nebuchadnezzar is not mentioned in the Quran, his destruction of the Temple is. As a postscript to this story, we look at the story of Habakkuk. We next consider the Ezra controversy before turning to the Islamic story of Dhul- Qarnayn, though by many to be identified with Alecander the Great, thus brnging us up to Hellenism. this invovles discussions of God and Magog, Daris the Great, Cyrus the Great, and others. Finally, we turn to question of the identity of another sage well known in the Islamic worl, Luqman the Wise. Is he Balaam, Aesop, or someone else? A few words about the Old Testament in general conclude the volume.

About the Author --

Jay R. Crook (Md. Nur) was born in upstate New York, the second son of a clergman, but spent his formative years in the New York metropolitan area. A chance acquaitance awakened his interest in Islamic culture and civilization, and he soon embraced Islam. After completing his military service and saving some money, he traveled to East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to study for a few years. He wound up spending most of his working life in the Middle East, especially in Iran and Saudi Arabia. Hired by the Peace Corps as a field representative, he finished in 1971 as Deputy Director in the Iran program. He then enrolled in the Doctoral Program of Persian Literature for Foreigners at Tehran University and received his Ph.D. in 1978. His doctoral thesis was A Comparison of the Quranic Stories of Surabadi With the Bible. Much revised and expanded, it has become the core of The New Testament: an Islamic Perspective and its companion volume The Old Testament: an Islamic Perspective. Subsequent to leaving Iran in 1980, he worked as an English teacher in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia before retiring in 1997. He now resides in the American Southwest and has translated several books from Persian into English, including KashifiÂ’s The Royal Book of Spiritual Chivalry and GhazzaliÂ’s The Alchemy of Happiness.