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Leiden’s oldest Koran fragments more than a century
older than previously believed
The very oldest Koranic fragments owned by the Leiden
University Libraries date back to the second half of the
seventh century, between 30 and 70 years after the death of
the Prophet Muhammad. This has been shown by newly
conducted radiocarbon analyses. This finding agrees with
official Islamic teachings.
The Koranic fragments, which are on papyrus and
parchment, do not themselves bear a date. ‘On the basis of
the elongated, slanted Arabic script known as Hijazi we did
know that the fragments in Leiden must be old,’ says Dr
Arnoud Vrolijk, curator of Oriental manuscripts in the
Special Collections department of the Leiden University
Libraries. The papyrus fragment had been cautiously dated
to about 770–830 A.D., but the recently completed analysis
has shown that it is older than that, dating from the period
between 650 and 715. ‘Well over a century older than we
thought,’ says Vrolijk. No one had ever ventured to estimate
the age of the parchment fragments. ‘Now we can say that
the oldest fragment on parchment probably dates from the
period 650–700.’
Committed to writing during Uthman’s caliphate
‘What’s interesting,’ says Vrolijk, ‘is that according to official
Islamic teaching the Koran was first committed to writing
during the caliphate of Uthman, who ruled from 645 to 656.
The results of the analysis are in very close agreement with
that, or at least don’t contradict it.’ Many Western Islamic
scholars are sceptical about such an early date for when the
Koran was set down in writing. They believe that the
canonical text of the Koran was only written down much
later, in the ninth century or even later.’ Patricia Crone and
Michael Cook, Arabists and historians at Princeton University
who received an honorary doctorate from Leiden University
in 2013 also joined in the discussion. They are among the
sceptics.
Extra investment in the fragments
In the wake of the carbon-14 analysis the University
Libraries decided to make an extra investment to improve
the physical condition of the old parchment. In the libraries’
own restoration workshop Karin Scheper stabilised the
material and reinforced the fragile edges with new
parchment
Major research on the early history of the Koranic text
Under the coordination of the Berlin-Brandenburgische
Akademi der Wissenschaften, two institutes – one German
(Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) and the other French
(Agence Nationale de Recherche) – began the international
Coranica project, aimed at research into the early history of
the Koranic text. The research deals not only with the text,
but also with the physical fragments. The researchers are
including in their research fragments located in places like
Berlin and Paris. Although more fragments are held
elsewhere, Leiden University is also being featured in the
research due to a number of fragments in its collections.
Leiden University was happy to co-operate
http://www.news.leiden.edu/news-2014/oldest-koran-
older than previously believed
The very oldest Koranic fragments owned by the Leiden
University Libraries date back to the second half of the
seventh century, between 30 and 70 years after the death of
the Prophet Muhammad. This has been shown by newly
conducted radiocarbon analyses. This finding agrees with
official Islamic teachings.
The Koranic fragments, which are on papyrus and
parchment, do not themselves bear a date. ‘On the basis of
the elongated, slanted Arabic script known as Hijazi we did
know that the fragments in Leiden must be old,’ says Dr
Arnoud Vrolijk, curator of Oriental manuscripts in the
Special Collections department of the Leiden University
Libraries. The papyrus fragment had been cautiously dated
to about 770–830 A.D., but the recently completed analysis
has shown that it is older than that, dating from the period
between 650 and 715. ‘Well over a century older than we
thought,’ says Vrolijk. No one had ever ventured to estimate
the age of the parchment fragments. ‘Now we can say that
the oldest fragment on parchment probably dates from the
period 650–700.’
Committed to writing during Uthman’s caliphate
‘What’s interesting,’ says Vrolijk, ‘is that according to official
Islamic teaching the Koran was first committed to writing
during the caliphate of Uthman, who ruled from 645 to 656.
The results of the analysis are in very close agreement with
that, or at least don’t contradict it.’ Many Western Islamic
scholars are sceptical about such an early date for when the
Koran was set down in writing. They believe that the
canonical text of the Koran was only written down much
later, in the ninth century or even later.’ Patricia Crone and
Michael Cook, Arabists and historians at Princeton University
who received an honorary doctorate from Leiden University
in 2013 also joined in the discussion. They are among the
sceptics.
Extra investment in the fragments
In the wake of the carbon-14 analysis the University
Libraries decided to make an extra investment to improve
the physical condition of the old parchment. In the libraries’
own restoration workshop Karin Scheper stabilised the
material and reinforced the fragile edges with new
parchment
Major research on the early history of the Koranic text
Under the coordination of the Berlin-Brandenburgische
Akademi der Wissenschaften, two institutes – one German
(Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) and the other French
(Agence Nationale de Recherche) – began the international
Coranica project, aimed at research into the early history of
the Koranic text. The research deals not only with the text,
but also with the physical fragments. The researchers are
including in their research fragments located in places like
Berlin and Paris. Although more fragments are held
elsewhere, Leiden University is also being featured in the
research due to a number of fragments in its collections.
Leiden University was happy to co-operate
http://www.news.leiden.edu/news-2014/oldest-koran-
