Bible of Omar ibn Sayyid

Cover imageOmar Ibn Sayyid was a Muslim African slave who lived in the southern states in the early 1800s. He was likely the most educated slave in North Carolina, as well as the author of the only known slave autobiography written in a native language. Lastly, he is one of the best documented examples of a practicing-Muslim slave.

His Bible resides in the Davidson College Rare Book Room, with additional material in the Davidson College Archives. Donated by Mrs. Ellen Guion in 1871, this Bible is a 1811 Newcastle-upon-Tyne translation into Arabic. This particular volume has Arabic notations written by Omar.

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