تاريخ النشر: 01/01/1981
الناشر: مكتبة لبنان ناشرون
نبذة نيل وفرات:The great trade in aromatics from South Arabia to the ancient Near East, Greece and Rome lasted for a thousand years.Some of the merchandise was transported by sea, but huge caravans trudged the length of Arabia along highly organised routes carrying these luxury commodities, especially frankincense and myrrh, to ...the Meditertanean and Arabian Gulf, and bringing back, along with "Western" goods, some significant cultrual influences.
This book describes the various uses of incense and other aromatics in ancient days. It explores the origins of the trade, looks at the Old Testament references, with a new conclusion about the origins of the Queen of Sheba, and comments on accounts of the tyrade by classical authors, including some which have not previously appeared in English translation.
Botanical descriptions and calssifications of the incense trees and their products are followed by a study of the harvesting and marketing arrangements and the seasonal nature of the trade.The incense routes to Petra, Gaza and Alexandria are examined and the important roles of the various peoples along the routes are discussed.
A final chapter raises the possibilities of climatic change in Arabia in historical times as factor in the decline of the trade.
This book, written with the assistance of some eminent experts, breaks new ground and fills a gap in our knowledge, not only of early Arabia but also of the ancient world as a whole. إقرأ المزيد