Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2021 May 25

= May 25 =

Did Muslims preserve other Abrahamic texts?
I feel like I read somewhere that Muslims are recommended to preserve other Abrahamic texts like the Torah and the Bible, even though they consider these only partially true and completely optional for reading. I can't think of any particular examples of these, though the oldest surviving Bible in Arabic might be one. --(((Romanophile))) N (contributions) 06:03, 25 May 2021 (UTC)
 * The Torah is just a name for the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, the contents of which are basically the same as that of the Christian Old Testament. It is not immediately clear how to interpret the term "Abrahamic text". If this means "a text that is holy to some Abrahamic religion", then the Qur'an also qualifies. Other than the Bible and the Qur'an, which believers hold to be Gods revelation, perhaps the only other holy "Abrahamic" text in a wide sense is the Book of Mormon, which has no holy status for Jews, Muslims and most Christians. --Lambiam 10:48, 25 May 2021 (UTC)
 * The article People of the Book may be useful here. -- Jayron 32 11:18, 25 May 2021 (UTC)


 * Arabic Translations of the Hebrew Bible
 * The Arabic Bible before Islam
 * Both these sources state that Bible translations in Arabic were translated by Jewish scholars "for scholarly interpretations or commentary" or by Arabic-speaking Christians, mostly dating from the 16th century. The second source speculates that there may have been an Arabic text of the Bible which predated the Qur'an. See also Bible translations into Arabic which records some surviving early manuscripts, but no suggestion that they were made by Muslims. Alansplodge (talk) 17:20, 25 May 2021 (UTC)


 * The Gospel of Barnabas is considered by some Muslims to preserve a more authentic account of Jesus' life and teachings than the New Testament, though it considered much more recent by scholars (post-medieval). There are also parallels between the Quran and certain apocryphal works, such as the Syriac Infancy Gospel. - Lindert (talk) 18:04, 25 May 2021 (UTC)


 * If you're asking whether Muslims preserved as a whole any pre-632-A.D. Jewish or Christian texts (in the same way that Christians preserved ancient Jewish texts that have been lost in Judaism, such as the book of Maccabees etc), then the short answer is "no", as far as I'm aware. Muslims have preserved various fragments of folklore, apocrypha, and midrash... AnonMoos (talk) 18:50, 25 May 2021 (UTC) 18:48, 25 May 2021 (UTC)

follow-up to house design in San Francisco
I suddenly remembered something. There's a house on Lake Street after Park Presidio Boulevard. It has a Mission Revival architecture on the front façade. Does that seem a little more helpful? What can anyone tell me about that house?142.255.72.126 (talk) 10:35, 25 May 2021 (UTC)
 * Do you mean 1400 Lake Street at Lake & 15th? Very little information about the house can be found, other than its size. If this is not it, then, by "after", do you mean when traveling towards the Ocean (to the east)? And do you know if the house is on the north or south side of the street, whether it is on a street corner, and approximately how many blocks this is from Park Presidio? This may help to identify the particular building. --Lambiam 11:14, 25 May 2021 (UTC)
 * Yes, traveling towards the Ocean (to the west). It's on the south side of Lake Street. But it's not on a street corner. It's approximately two or three blocks from Park Presidio Boulevard. There's a curve in the middle of the front façade. I hope those are more helpful.2603:7000:8106:C149:FDC5:1FFC:E670:AF90 (talk) 23:32, 27 May 2021 (UTC)
 * 1400 Lake street was built in 1925. Across the street is 1401, a more modest house, but perhaps more authentic stylewise, built in 1916. --T*U (talk) 11:20, 25 May 2021 (UTC)
 * Based on the additional details south side of Lake Street, not on a street corner, approximately two or three blocks from Park Presidio Boulevard, curve in the middle of the front façade, it looks as if you might think of 1533 Lake Street, built in 1907. --T*U (talk) 11:56, 28 May 2021 (UTC)
 * No, that's the wrong house. The curve is a a semi-circle in Mission Revival architecture at the top. I hope this is more helpful2603:7000:8106:C149:21E7:50E1:1F33:8177 (talk) 07:06, 30 May 2021 (UTC)