Thread by @NaqadStudies

Only a few bilingual Arabic documents from the 7th century survive. Each of them are invaluable portals into history.

PERF 558 is from 25 April, 643 CE, or Jumādā I, 22 AH.

The document mentions ʿAbdullāh b. Jābir, who was commanding the Caliphate expeditionary force into Egypt. 
PERF 558 is interesting in part because of the use of the Greek term Magarites μαγαριταις for the Mujahirūn مهاجرون, or "Emigrants."

Before using the term 'Muslims,' these religious converts used the term Al-Mujahirūn to identify themselves as those who emigrated from Mecca to Medina.

Particularly fascinating is the use of diacritical dots on the letters ج، خ، ذ، ز، ش and ن. PERF 558 is one of several examples of written Arabic with vowelization in mid 7th century. Qur'ans would be produced without diacritics until the 8th century.

A little Christian cross marks the beginning of the Greek text, a Late Antique scribal convention. Both the document's writer (deacon Jean) and the receivers (Christophoros and Theodorakios) would have been Christian.

Maintaining this convention in 7th century Egypt, while writing at the behest of Umar's conquering army, would have been a poignant expression of Christian identity. Note that the Arabic in the text is not punctuated by a cross, and likely written by a second, Muslim scribe.