Arabic Sibylline prophecy

Start of a 16th-century Garshuni copy on paper

The Arabic Sibylline prophecy is a set of Christian apocalyptic texts based on the tradition of the Tiburtine Sibyl. The original version of the prophecy was probably composed in the late 8th century by Melkites in ʿAbbāsid Syria.[1] It is an example of vaticinia ex eventu (prophecies after the fact) and was composed "to give encouragement and hope to Christians living under Islamic rule, especially during periods of political instability."[2] The prophecy is possibly the oldest apocalyptic text composed in Arabic.[3]

  1. ^ Swanson 2009, p. 492.
  2. ^ Swanson 2009, p. 494.
  3. ^ Swanson 2009, p. 495.