Ahmad Al-Jallad [II]: What Pre-Islamic Arabia was Like Based on the Epigraphic Evidence

In this interview, I sit down a second time with Professor Ahmad Al-Jallad of The Ohio State University. Professor Al-Jallad is the Sophia Chair in Arabic studies and his work focuses on epigraphy, philology, the history of language. Professor Al-Jallad has been on the cutting edge of many new studies and discoveries in the history of Arabic and the Arabian Peninsula. In this video we discuss what epigraphy tells us about the peoples of Pre-Islamic Arabia. We discuss the question of literacy raised by Professor Stephen Shoemaker as well as the nature of Pre-Islamic Arabian religion(s). Ahmad Al-Jallad guides us through the vast number of inscriptions which have been recently studied and will soon be published, shedding light on many important details which until now were left to speculation. I hope that you enjoyed this video, if you did, please remember to subscribe to the channel, like this video, and leave a comment with your thoughts! First interview with Professor Ahmad Al-Jallad: The article mentioned in the video (“A Paleo-Arabic inscription on a route north of Ṭāʾif“): Professor Ahmad Al-Jallad’s academia page: