An Arab's Journey To Colonial Spanish America

Rediscovered in Syria in the late 19th century, this account relates the experiences of Reverend Elias al-Musili, a priest of the Chaldean Church and the first known visitor to the Americas from the Middle East. Supported by Spain and the pope, he offers a unique perspective on the New World.

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Reverend Antûn Rabbât, a respected Jesuit scholar of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, discovered these extraordinary writings in a Jacobite diocese in Aleppo, Syria. Rabbât immediately transcribed into Arabic those portions relating to the remarkable experiences of Reverend Elias-al-Mûsili, a priest of the Chaldean Church, the first person ever to come to the Americas from Baghdad. Surrounded by a world seemingly filled with exotic miracles, al-Mûsili shares his perceptions of native peoples, their customs, beliefs, and treatment by Spanish conquistadors. Because of the uniqueness and significance of his journey, al-Mûsili was supported by the pope himself and authorized by the queen regent of Spain. He provides insightful descriptions of high-level officials and clerics in the New World. And he tells of uncommon visits to royalty in Catholic Europe prior to embarking on a voyage that would turn into a twelve-year adventure (1668-1680). Also featured are rare notes culled from a manuscript in a monastery of the Chaldean Christian rite in Baghdad. Aesthetically appealing and historically important, this unique account remains an invaluable document for scholars of early modern history and of the church in Latin America.