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Little is known about Arabia in the sixth century CE. Yet from this distant time and place emerged a faith and an empire that stretched from the Iberian peninsula to India. Today, Muslims account for nearly a quarter of the global population. G. W. Bowersock seeks to illuminate this most obscure and yet most dynamic period in the history of Islam from the mid-sixth to mid-seventh century exploring why arid Arabia proved to be such fertile ground for Muhammad s prophetic message, and why that message spread so quickly to the wider world. In Muhammad´s time Arabia stood at the crossroads of great empires, a place where Christianity, Judaism, and local polytheistic traditions vied for adherents.

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G. W. Bowersock is Professor Emeritus of Ancient History at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey. He is the author of more than 3 articles and books on Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern history, as well as the classical tradition in western literature.

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