Appendix D
thrown into the fiery furnace. Speyer, Erzählungen, pp. 140 f., maintains that
the Qur'anic narration, whereby Abraham demands that Nimrod make the
sun rise in the West, parallels Sanhedrin 91b, in which Antoninus asks the
prince Yahuda why the sun sets in the West. Speyer (Ibid.) shows Tanna d.
be Elijahu Zuta to be the nearest to the Qur'anic narration and holds that
although this midrash is not that old, it must have been based on earlier oral
tradition; cf. Ginzberg, Legends, vol. 5, p. 218, n. 50.
2:261 2:261 2:261 2:261 He who was made to die 100 years. He who was made to die 100 years. He who was made to die 100 years. He who was made to die 100 years.
Horovitz, in Untersuchungen, p. 40, following Schreiner, shows that this
narration is based upon Taanit 23a, in which Honi, who falls asleep for 70
years, wakes up to find, among other things, the corpse of his donkey. Cf.
Speyer, Erzählungen. p. 425; Rudolph, Koran, p. 68, n. 141. Margoliouth
("Additions," JRAS, (1939), p. 54) suspects a Hebraism in v. 261.
2:262 2:262 2:262 2:262 Abraham asks for a proof of the Abraham asks for a proof of the Abraham asks for a proof of the Abraham asks for a proof of the
Resurrection, and is told to cut up four Resurrection, and is told to cut up four Resurrection, and is told to cut up four Resurrection, and is told to cut up four
birds, which will brought to life when birds, which will brought to life when birds, which will brought to life when birds, which will brought to life when
he calls them. he calls them. he calls them. he calls them.
Geiger, WMJA, p. 125, thinks this to be reminiscent of Gen. 15:9f, but
shows the Qur'anic account to be alien to Judaism. This story was most
likely an innovation of Muhammad.
16:113f The city and the apostle from their 16:113f The city and the apostle from their 16:113f The city and the apostle from their 16:113f The city and the apostle from their
midst. midst. midst. midst.
Muhammad's own experiences with regard to the city of Mecca rather
clearly seem to have been meant in this parable.
3:30f 3:30f 3:30f 3:30f Mary is the daughter of `Imran and Mary is the daughter of `Imran and Mary is the daughter of `Imran and Mary is the daughter of `Imran and
came under the care of Zacharias. came under the care of Zacharias. came under the care of Zacharias. came under the care of Zacharias.
Muhammad obviously confused Mary the mother of Jesus with Miriam the
sister of Moses, and thus thought that Amram, the father of Miriam and
Moses, was the father of Mary; cf. SEI, pp. 328 f. The story about
Zacharias and Mary seems to have been based on the Protevangelium; cf.
Protevangelion 7:1f (Lost Books). The Qur'anic account in 3:32, where
Zacharias is always said to have found that Mary had food in her chamber,