The “Seal of the prophets”: the image of Muhammad in the Corpus Tholetanum

Abstract

The article studies several written works of the 12^th century (some not yet published) that form a part of the so-called Corpus Tholetanum , which is known to be the collection of the Latin translations of Arabic texts created on the initiative of the Cluniac abbot Peter the Venerable. It is widely believed that the aim of this intellectual project was to expand knowledge of the Christian world about Islam. Basing on the analysis of some works of Peter the Venerable, Herman of Dalmatia and others, the author tries to show that the real goal of the ambitious venture was to create the “arsenal” (armarium) of the Christian polemics. This conclusion is corroborated by the analysis of the 12^th-century text (Liber Generationis Mahumet et nutritura eius) dedicated to the early years of the Prophet’s life. By examining the story about Muhammad’s spiritual gift of prophecy as well as accompanying illustration, the author of the article shows how the medieval translator reinterpreted the original without adding anything to it but nevertheless convincing his readers that Muhamad was a false prophet.