Jerusalem: The Biography

* In 1902, one of Abd al-Malik’s milestones was found east of Jerusalem with an inscription that defined the way the caliph saw his power in relation to that of God: ‘There is no God but God alone. Muhammad is the messenger of God… Abd al-Malik, the Commander of the Faithful and servant of God, had ordered the repair of this road and construction of this milestone. From Ilya [Jerusalem] to here is seven miles…’