Elias al-Musili: A Chaldean Priest's Journey to the New World in the 1600s - Paperback

by Weam Namou (Author)

This book tells the fascinating story of Elias al-Musili, a Chaldean priest from the seventeenth century who made an unprecedented journey from Baghdad to colonial Spanish America. Discovered in 1905 by Jesuit scholar Antun Rabbat, Elias' writings offer a unique perspective on the New World through the eyes of a Middle Eastern traveler.

With papal support and royal authorization, Elias' twelve-year adventure took him across vast landscapes, encountering diverse native peoples and their customs, the Spanish conquistadors, and the burgeoning colonial society. His detailed observations provide a rare glimpse into the lives of high-ranking officials and clergy in the New World, shedding light on a pivotal era in history.

This new edition, brought to life by acclaimed Iraqi American author Weam Namou, herself of Chaldean heritage, makes Elias' writings accessible to a wider audience, offering invaluable insights for scholars of Middle Eastern history, Latin American history, and the early Church.