Historian challenges narratives of conflict, revealing deep Jewish-Muslim coexistence

Contrary to narratives of deep-seated animosity, historical evidence suggests a complex tapestry of coexistence and cultural exchange between Jews and Muslims, according to historian Marc David Baer. His new book, "Children of Abraham," delves into this often-overlooked history, challenging prevailing notions of perpetual conflict.

Baer, a US historian of Jewish descent teaching at the London School of Economics, unearths surprising details from 1300 years of coexistence in the Mediterranean region. He notes that in the 1960s, Israel had to translate 90 percent of key Jewish thinkers' writings from Arabic into Hebrew. An 11th-century amulet from Cairo contained a parchment with the first chapter of the Quran written in Hebrew letters, a testament to shared monotheistic beliefs.

The book also recounts instances of Jewish synagogue chants in Andalusia set to secular Muslim folk melodies about love and wine. Rembrandt's painting of a "man in oriental dress" is revealed to be a Jewish diplomat managing assets for the Moroccan Sultan in Europe. Muslim merchants sent by the Sultan later lodged with this Jew in London, using "in the synagogue" as their address.

Baer navigates the sensitive terrain of Jewish-Muslim relations, cautioning against ideological narratives that either romanticize past coexistence or solely emphasize persecution. He acknowledges that while evidence exists for both harmonious periods and instances of conflict, his work aims to present a more nuanced understanding of their intertwined history, rooted in shared Abrahamic ancestry.