The Use of Islamic Materials by Non-Muslim Writers r 99traditional literary topos that Jewish writers employed to confront their
people’s complicated conditions under the caliphs.
The Christian Reaction
Christian narratives about similar events occasionally take a different
path, particularly when it comes to details, yet they share with the Jewish
narratives declared acceptance of the hegemony of Islam. These narratives
suggest that Christian leadership found a convenient strategy in publicly
admitting their inferiority under Islam, hoping thus to safeguard their
communities and clergymen.
In an epistle attributed to the bishop Mar (mor) Gabriel from the Tur
̔Abdin region (in southeast Turkey), we read that he met ̔Umar b. al-
Khattab, the caliph of the Muslims (kalifa de-hanfota). At the end of the
meeting, the bishop handed the caliph a letter, and the caliph marked
the document. It guaranteed the Christians’ freedom of belief and church
practices. The Christians were promised that they would be able to carry
on with religious processions and that the clergy would be not liable to
pay state taxation.^66
In some historical traditions, the Christian version of the episodes is
completely opposite to the plot offered by the Jewish writers. This is evi-
dent in the Christian sources that tell the story about ̔Umar b. al-Khattab,
his arrival in Jerusalem, and his negotiations with Sophronius, the last
Byzantine patriarch of the city.^67 The sequence of events described in these
accounts brings together the head of the local church and the head of the
Muslims. They negotiated the conditions of surrender before reaching
an agreement that stipulated the conditions of the local people. In return
for the patriarch’s capitulations and the willingness of his congregation to
reside under the shadow of the caliphate, ̔Umar issued an accord docu-
ment (sulh) that recorded his undertakings to protect the Christians and
to guard their churches.
The Christian version of the surrender covenant includes an additional
paragraph. It states that the Commander of the Faithful promised the
local Christian population that the caliphate would prevent Jews from
residing with them in Jerusalem. Following the endorsement of this cov-
enant, ̔Umar looked for a place to pray. Since he and the representative of
the church were at the Holy Sepulcher, Sophronius suggested that the ca-
liph pray in the church. But ̔Umar refused, claiming: “Would I pray here