O Jerusalem

Arabic Words and Phrases

abayya a robe worn over a long skirt or loose trousers and shirt

afreet a demon or troublesome imp

agahl a heavy ropelike wrap that holds the kuffiyah on the head

aleikum es-salaam a greeting (response to salaam aleikum)

bakshish a payment, tip, bribe, or donation

burkah a concealing woman’s garment

effendi an honorary address

fellah/fellahin peasant, countryman

firengi a foreigner, a “Frank”

Ghor the low-lying Jordan River valley

imam Muslim religious leader

insh’allah a saying: if it is God’s will

kuffiyah a loose headcloth

laban a drink of sour milk or diluted yogurt

maalesh a saying: oh, well…

muezzin the man who calls the faithful to prayer from a mosque

mukhtar headman of a village

mullah a Muslim religious leader

narghile a water pipe

saj curved sheet of steel used to cook flat bread over a fire

salaam aleikum a greeting: peace be with you

sitt Mrs, Madam

souk or suq bazaar

wadi water-cut valley, often dry but for sudden floods

wallah! an expression of surprise: by God!

ya walud an expression of greeting or to call attention

A Note About Chapter Headings

Baedeker’s guide to

Palestine and Syria, 1912 edition

The Muqaddimah

(Preface and Book One) of the sweeping History written by the brilliant fourteenth-century Islamic scholar Ibn Khaldûn. These quotations have been reworded slightly for the sake of brevity by the present editor.

Helen Waddell, The Desert Fathers

The Holy Qur’an