Books by Jacob Lassner

In order to understand the transition between the revolutionary movement that propelled the Abbasids to power and the imperial government that later took root, Jacob Lassner studies those elements that served to shape the political attitudes and institutions of the emerging regime during its formative years.Originally published in 1980.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Examines an old question that has recently surfaced and given rise to spirited discussion among Islamic historians and archeologists: what role did a city revered for its holiness play in the unfolding politics of the early Islamic period? Medieval Jerusalem also emphasizes the city's evolution as a revered Islamic religious site comparable to the holy cities Mecca and Medina.

Looks at the debates occasioned by modern Western scholarship on Islam to throw new light on the social and political status of medieval Jews and Christians in various Islamic lands from the seventh to the thirteenth centuries. This title shows just what medieval Muslims meant when they spoke of tolerance.

Whether real or imagined, the past filtered through their collective memories has an influence on how Jews and Arabs perceive themselves. This work highlights the effects of historical memory on the Arab-Israel conflict, demonstrating that Jews and Arabs use stories of distant pasts to create their identities and shape their politics.