st. john of damascus (676-749 - Cristo Raul

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9P ST. JOHN OF DAMASCUS.
CHAPTER VIII.
ON THE MAHOMETAN CONTROVERSY.
THE writings which John
of Damascus has left on
this subject are not so much of importance from their
extent, as interesting
to us from the nearness of the
author to the time when Mahometanism arose.
On
this ground he is placed by Maracci l at the head of
controversial writers against Mahomet. Besides the
section ( 101) in the Haeresibus Liber" before
spoken of, on the Superstition of the Ishmaelites^ we
have two short dialogues or disputations between a
Christian and a Saracen 2 the term Saracen beingused
as synonymous with Ishmaelite and Agarene, to
denote a descendant of that Agar who was sent
empty away by Sarah. Hence the fanciful de
rivation of the name before noticed, as if it meant
Sarah s
empty ones
(Sarrhas kenoi.) 3
1 "
Prodromus ad refutationem Alcorani," Romse, 1691.
2 "
Disputatio Christian! et Saraceni," vol. i., pp. 1585-
1597, and another with the same title printed by Migne in
the "Addenda," vol. iii., pp. 1336-1348.
3
The most probable etymology of the word seems to be that
which makes it
simply denote Orientals," from the Arabic
word for rising , though Bochart prefers a root saraka, de
noting to plunder. The reference to Sarah is not, however,
entirely given up by modern authorities. See the article
"Saraceni" in Smith s
"Dictionary of Geography,"
and
Lequien s note on i., p. 763.