What was the Corpus Cluniacense translation of the Quran?

The Corpus Cluniacense was a collection of Latin writings about Islam compiled between 1142 and 1143, commissioned by Abbot Peter the Venerable of Cluny during a trip to Spain. At its centre was the Lex Sarracenorum, the earliest translation of the Qur'an into a Western European language, which was led by Robert of Ketton. The collection served as the standard reference for Europeans studying or attempting to polemicize against Islam until the 18th century.

What we know

• The Corpus Cluniacense is a collection of Latin writings about Islam compiled in 1142–1143 and commissioned by Abbot Peter the Venerable. [1, 2]
• Robert of Ketton led the translation team and translated the Qur'an into Medieval Latin as the Lex Sarracenorum. [2, 4]
• The translation project involved a team consisting of Robert of Ketton, Herman of Carinthia, Peter of Toledo, and a Muslim named Muhammad, with Latin assistance from Peter of Poitiers. [2]
• The Corpus was later edited by Theodor Bibliander and published in Basel by Johannes Oporinus in 1543 with introductions by Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon. [2]

Where to go next

• whoWho was Peter the Venerable?
• how it workedHow did Robert of Ketton translate the Qur'an?
• a case in pointWhat texts are included in the Corpus Cluniacense?
• what followedHow was the Corpus published in the 16th century?
• the bigger pictureWhat were medieval European views on Islam?
• an unexpected connectionHow is the earliest Western translation of the Quran connected to Martin Luther?Martin Luther provided an introduction for the 1543 printed edition of the Corpus Cluniacense when it was finally published in Basel.

Sources

• [1]Corpus Cluniacense (Wikidata Q2997841) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Corpus Cluniacense · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Depictions of Muhammad · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Lex Mahumet pseudoprophete · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Peter of Poitiers (secretary) · CC BY-SA 4.0