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Truth Triumphant - Benjamin G. Wilkinson

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granting protection and freedom of worship on<br />

condition that the Christians paid certain tribute. Of<br />

this Sir E. A. Wallis Budge says:<br />

The patriarch Isho-yahbh II, who sat from 628-<br />

44, seeing that the downfall of the Persian Empire<br />

was imminent came to terms with Muhammad, or<br />

Abu Bakr. ... The patriarch stipulated that the<br />

Christians should be protected from the attacks of<br />

their foes; that the Arabs should not make them go<br />

to war with them; that they should not compel them<br />

to change their manners and laws; that they should<br />

help them to repair their old churches; that the tax<br />

on the poor should not exceed four zuze; that the<br />

tax on the merchants and wealthy men should be<br />

ten zuze per man; that a Christian woman servant<br />

should not be compelled to change her faith, nor to<br />

neglect fasting and prayer.[4]<br />

These immunities extended by abu-Bekr were<br />

not only confirmed by Omar, his successor, but<br />

even the taxes were remitted. It remained for the<br />

renowned warrior Caleb to confirm and extend the<br />

high rights and privileges which were allowed the<br />

661

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