[9] These forms have to a certain extent survived to our own day, as the name of an Iranian people in Transirania and elsewhere, who accepted the Arab religion earlier than their neighbours and were consequently called “Arabs.” In the same way later Syrians often call all Moslems “Taits.” [10] _Acta Martyr._ ed. St. Ev. Assemani, 2, 345, 1. [11] Migne, _Patrol. græca_, 79, LXXIX, 611 _seqq._ [12] The proper translation of εὐδαὶμων in this connection. The usual _felix_ or the Horatian _beatus_ (_Carm._ 1, 29, 1) is like our “happy,” too strong. [13] The name was extended to the whole peninsula, a country extremely poor as a whole. Ἀραβία ἔρημος, _Arabia Deserta_, stood only for the Syrian desert, and the Arab country to the southwest, with Petra as its capital, is Ἀραβία Πετραία, _Arabia Petræa_, as in Ptolemy, and elsewhere. [14] Genesis xxxvii, 25. [15] _Reste arabischen Heidenthums_, II, 93. [16] For a lively description of it see Wellhausen, _Reste_, II, 89 _seqq._ [17] See, for example, Joshua xi, 20; 1 Samuel xv, 33. [18] S. Nilus in Migne, _Patrol. græca_, 79, lxxix, 611 _seqq._ [19] The translation of _salat_ by “prayer” gives rise to misunderstandings. It is a religious exercise performed according to strict rule, with set formulæ and ceremonies (bending of the body, prostration, etc.). Voluntary prayer is _du’a_. [20] The historical works of this admirable scholar deserve the strongest recommendation, particularly his _Culturgeschichte des Orients unter den Chalifen_, 2 vols. Vienna, 1875-1877. [21] Babylonia (Arab Irak) should not be included, as is often done, in the term Mesopotamia, which last should be restricted to the very different region to the north, known in Arabic as Jezira. [22] The portions of northern Africa west of Egypt and the Moslem parts of western Europe (Spain). [23] “All men are become Arabs” was said in the year 728 or 729, in reference to an Iranian stock converted to Islam. Those who thus spoke would have used the word _Tadjik_ for _Arab_ (_vide supra_, p. 4); the Arabic chronicle restores _Arab_. [24] Goldziher has rendered a most important service by proving how slight the importance of this form is on purely historic grounds, and how everything that passed as valid in certain circles was ascribed without more ado to the prophet himself. See particularly Part II of his _Muhammedanische Studien_ (Halle, 1890). [25] But “the most precious heritage in art, poetry, and history, which the Greek spirit has bequeathed to us was never accessible to Orientals.” (T. J. de Boer, _Geschichte der philosophie in Islam_, Stuttgart 1901, p. 26.) [26] The Arabs deserve great credit for the mere fact that they adopted that brilliant invention, the Hindu numerical system, and passed it on to the Europeans. It is singular that the latter continued so frequently to employ the extremely inconvenient Roman numerals. [27] Cf. Snoucke-Hurgronge, _Mekka_ (two parts, The Hague, 1888 and 1889).