The volume is the result of a Lecture Series on
The Levant, Cradle of Abrahamic Religions, which
engaged scholars on topics related to the cultural and
religious diversity of the historical Levant. Like a jigsaw,
the studies contained within showcase interlock fragments of
the historical encounters between faiths, religions and
societies in a rich Levantine and Oriental space, in an
attempt to render them more accessible to readers today by
focusing both on broader religious phenomena as well as on
the practical, liturgical and social interaction between
traditions and mentalities, features representative of both
faith and society at large. 
Catalin-Stefan Popa is Director of the
History Department within The Institute for Advanced Studies
in Levant Culture and Civilization (ISACCL), Bucharest,
Romania and Senior Researcher at the Romanian Academy.