Scribal and Commentary Traditions at the Dawn of Print: The Manuscripts of the Near Eastern School of Theology as an Archive of the Early Nahḍa

Abstract This article focuses on the Arabic manuscript collection of Near Eastern School Theology ( NEST ). The library contains several manuscripts that were donated, copied, or read by important Christian-born intellectuals nahḍa . Given these men’s role in emergence modern publishing Middle East, I examine intersections between their scribal and printing activities. also discuss works grammar, logic, rhetoric ’s collection. Most are late medieval early authors contain extensive commentaries glosses. commentary culture was a key site learning throughout Ottoman Empire endured among Christian as well Muslim movement. persistence intellectual traditions reveals longue durée Islamicate scholarly is only beginning to be understood historians Arab modernity.