Middle East

The Fight for Oil: Britain in Persia, 1919

British-Russian rivalry over the control of Persia had, by the beginning of the twentieth century, a long history. Donald Ewalt shows how this conflict was greatly intensified by the discovery of oil and a growing realisation of its importance.

The Resurgence of Islam: The Return to the Source

In the second article of The Resurgence of Islam Dr. Leila Ahmed, an Egyptian scholar who has taught at the United Arab Emirates University, examines the Islamic past - that of the Prophet Muhammad and the first four 'right-guarded caliphs' - to which the leaders of the current resurgence in the Islamic world seek a return.

The Pharisees and Jesus

Robert Graves, working from Greek and Latin sources, and Joshua Podro, working from Hebrew, Aramaic and Syriac sources, completed a detailed restoration of the original Nazarene Gospel in 1952. Here is a sample of their findings.

Krak of the Knights

Robin Fedden pays a historical visit to the monumental Frankish fortress, symbol of Christian dominance in the Holy Land for over a century.