Byzantine Period: another term for the Eastern Roman Empire, and based in Constantinople (present day Istanbul); it stretched from Late Antiquity to 1453 CE

caliph: the chief Muslim ruler/administrator, seen as Muhammed’s successor

caliphate: the public office held by a caliph

Dome of the Rock: Islamic shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem; it is believed that it was the site of Abraham’s sacrifice of his son, and of Muhammed’s ascension to heaven

Fertile Crescent: nicknamed “the cradle of civilization”; spans much of the upper Mideast

Sasanian Empire: [also known as Sassinid]; the last Iranian Empire prior to 7^th and 8^th century Muslim conquests

semi-divine: similar to a demi-god in Greek myth, a being that it more than mortal but less than wholly divine

Sharia law: religious law that is part of Islam tradition, derived from scripture in the Quran and Hadith