1 00:00:00,00 --> 00:00:05,26 Interviewer: [Prakhaim 00:00:00] what sparked your curiosity for pre-Arabic languages? 2 00:00:05,26 --> 00:00:06,93 Prakhaim: You mean pre-Arabic? 3 00:00:06,93 --> 00:00:07,93 Interviewer: Yeah. 4 00:00:07,93 --> 00:00:20,09 Prakhaim: Well, when I attended the university in 1983, I started studying Arabistic, Arabic Studies. 5 00:00:23,02 --> 00:00:28,74 I attended courses in the Arabic morphology, syntax, 6 00:00:28,74 --> 00:00:40,2 and I found out that most of the linguistic phenomena couldn't be explained by the normal methodology which we follow 7 00:00:40,2 --> 00:00:43,28 in Arabic Studies usually, the traditional Arabic Studies. 8 00:00:45,16 --> 00:00:52,84 Which, in fact, in the future, after I got my BA in Arabistic at Yarmouk University in 1987, 9 00:00:52,84 --> 00:00:58,82 I attended a Master program in Epigraphy. 10 00:01:00,85 --> 00:01:11,59 Epigraphy is the study of ancient inscriptions in general, and whether they are incised on rock, or cast in metal 11 00:01:11,59 --> 00:01:18,29 or on wood, really, there are many surfaces. 12 00:01:18,29 --> 00:01:27,72 We can talk about many surfaces where ancient inscriptions are written. In fact, this study, I mean, 13 00:01:28,15 --> 00:01:34,05 studying epigraphy at Yarmouk University, the Institute of Archeology and Anthropology, 14 00:01:34,05 --> 00:01:43,22 paved my way to understand more about the prehistory of Arabic in general. 15 00:01:43,22 --> 00:01:51,37 Also, it gives me the opportunity to discover more about the cultural history of Arabian Peninsula before Islam, 16 00:01:51,37 --> 00:02:02,81 because through the inscriptions we discover usually facts related to the religious beliefs in Arabia, 17 00:02:03,68 --> 00:02:09,11 as well as historical facts that are not attested in the Arabic sources or in the Arabic tradition. 18 00:02:11,17 --> 00:02:13,24 What I mean, that studying Arabic 19 00:02:13,65 --> 00:02:26,66 and Arabic culture in general would not yield to useful conclusions without studying the ancient Arabian languages in 20 00:02:26,66 --> 00:02:27,47 general. 21 00:02:27,71 --> 00:02:32,96 I mean, every students who attends, who would like to study Arabic and Arabian culture, 22 00:02:33,83 --> 00:02:41,42 should start maybe from the 10th Century BC to have a wide understanding 23 00:02:41,42 --> 00:02:49,88 and a deep understanding about the Arabian Peninsula and its history, its religions, and languages. 24 00:02:49,88 --> 00:02:58,74 Interviewer: You started studying that? Was it a new study? Were you the first or were you one of the first to do that? 25 00:02:58,74 --> 00:02:59,85 Prakhaim: Well, yes. 26 00:03:03,63 --> 00:03:06,09 In fact, my group in fact, in 1987, 27 00:03:06,09 --> 00:03:16,64 were the second group which attended the MA in Epigraphy at the Institute of Archeology and Anthropology, 28 00:03:17,22 --> 00:03:28,01 and we are now more than 30 professors spread over Jordan and worldwide. 29 00:03:28,33 --> 00:03:42,03 This gave us, of course, an impulse to work on further to discover our cultural heritage, our linguistic 30 00:03:42,03 --> 00:03:46,96 and cultural heritage in general. In fact, I'm okay. 31 00:03:47,78 --> 00:03:55,03 I’m at Yarmouk University now, where I studied before, but my stay in Germany, in fact, 32 00:03:55,51 --> 00:04:05,45 I invested my stay in Germany to go in depth in this study. 33 00:04:06,82 --> 00:04:17,14 I tried my best, through German language, to discover more and more about the Arabian culture 34 00:04:17,14 --> 00:04:27,33 and the Arabian cultural history, in addition to Levantine, and also the Horn of Africa. 35 00:04:27,33 --> 00:04:34,8 I'm also interested in the relationship between the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa, 36 00:04:34,8 --> 00:04:49,99 in addition to a wide historical spectrum covered by my study, either during my MA period and PhD period in Germany. 37 00:04:49,99 --> 00:04:55,26 Interviewer: In the German period, you discovered, or you discovered probably before, 38 00:04:55,26 --> 00:04:59,63 but what I like in your German period, what you describe is how you somehow, through language, 39 00:05:00,14 --> 00:05:06,6 learning the German language, discovered more and more of the German soul, the German culture, the German- 40 00:05:06,6 --> 00:05:13,65 Prakhaim: Yeah, of course. I mean, learning German was of great importance for me. 41 00:05:13,65 --> 00:05:21,7 It paved the way to understand literature written in German in general, and, as you know, German, 42 00:05:21,7 --> 00:05:29,75 or any language you learn, is kind of a key. It's a key to the culture itself. 43 00:05:29,98 --> 00:05:33,83 Not only to literature, but also to the people. 44 00:05:33,83 --> 00:05:37,89 I mean, if you understand the language, if you can deal with the language, 45 00:05:38,76 --> 00:05:42,06 it means that you can discover the culture as well. 46 00:05:42,06 --> 00:05:45,19 Interviewer: German is of course a living language. 47 00:05:45,86 --> 00:05:49,05 It's a language that's been spoken by lots of people in Germany and abroad. 48 00:05:49,77 --> 00:05:54,43 You went on in studying languages that are pre-Islamic? 49 00:05:54,43 --> 00:05:58,25 Prakhaim: Yes. In fact … Well, yes. 50 00:06:00,03 --> 00:06:09,55 If you know the system of a certain language, then it will be easy for you to learn other languages. 51 00:06:10,12 --> 00:06:17,12 I talk now about the grammar of a language. I'm not talking about the script. 52 00:06:19,2 --> 00:06:23,8 Yes, I had the background how to deal with languages in German. 53 00:06:25,29 --> 00:06:35,96 That's why it was for me maybe easy to learn German, and also to deal with it and to write a lot of articles 54 00:06:36,16 --> 00:06:37,28 and publications in German. 55 00:06:37,28 --> 00:06:45,51 Interviewer: When you say once you know how the key, you have easy access to the keys of languages 56 00:06:45,61 --> 00:06:54,83 and of inscriptions so, by having those keys, your generation is one of the first maybe that really just … 57 00:06:54,83 --> 00:07:02,28 Prakhaim: If I say generation, I mean the generation in Jordan. 58 00:07:02,28 --> 00:07:07,57 Europeans took care about this 100, 200 years ago, since 200 years. 59 00:07:08,64 --> 00:07:20,35 We are not the first in this field, and studying the ancient Arabian culture, either in Arabia, the Arabian Peninsula, 60 00:07:20,35 --> 00:07:27,82 or in Levant, the Europeans were pioneers in this regard, I'll say. 61 00:07:30,67 --> 00:07:40,29 Of course, and also they contributed in deciphering the ancient inscriptions, and my generation, which studied abroad, 62 00:07:40,29 --> 00:07:51,76 got the same experience and the same information they gained, I mean, the Europeans has gained before. 63 00:07:53,12 --> 00:08:09,14 Of course, on a daily … Inscriptions are discovered constantly, and some of them are still undeciphered, 64 00:08:09,14 --> 00:08:17,32 but we have of course inscriptions and languages that we understand and we can deal with the text 65 00:08:17,32 --> 00:08:25,09 and draw conclusions from the text, either on the linguistic, cultural, or any other level. 66 00:08:25,09 --> 00:08:38,51 Interviewer: I can imagine that such a beautiful thing that you discover through inscriptions,. 67 00:08:30,74 --> 00:08:38,43 through understanding languages, that you're discovering former cultures and former .. 68 00:08:38,51 --> 00:08:43,54 Prakhaim: Yes. In fact, inscriptions are repositories of ancient history. 69 00:08:44,29 --> 00:08:51,35 Of course, if you discover an inscription, it means that you can understand a lot about the environment 70 00:08:53,07 --> 00:08:55,59 or the locality where the inscription is found. 71 00:08:56,2 --> 00:09:04,82 In certain cases, you can date the site, an archeological site, through the inscription. 72 00:09:04,82 --> 00:09:11,05 I mean, not only pottery, but also other inscriptional material can help us in dating archeological sites, 73 00:09:12,78 --> 00:09:20,19 and we have now, I mean, if the inscription is dated, for example, 74 00:09:20,61 --> 00:09:24,75 then now you have a fixed date of a certain site. Sometimes the paleography, paleography, 75 00:09:24,75 --> 00:09:31,87 I mean the way you write inscriptions, 76 00:09:31,87 --> 00:09:43,13 it also gives you indications about the … it gives you some information about dating, about dating the site, 77 00:09:43,82 --> 00:09:45,75 but not in exact details. 78 00:09:46,22 --> 00:09:54,97 I mean, also, if you discover an inscription which is new and you are the first one who read it and understand it, 79 00:09:54,97 --> 00:10:03,93 then you convey to the humanity and you experience a new information that are, in my opinion, 80 00:10:03,93 --> 00:10:19,25 of great importance to understand the human creativity.. 81 00:10:08,7 --> 00:10:18,96 Interviewer: When you decipher such an inscription, what does that do for .. 82 00:10:19,83 --> 00:10:25,7 It opens a window to a culture that was once here? 83 00:10:25,7 --> 00:10:27,00 Prakhaim: Yeah, of course. 84 00:10:27,00 --> 00:10:33,97 I mean, you understand, as soon as you discover and decipher an inscription and understand it, 85 00:10:34,91 --> 00:10:43,99 of course it opens a window to a lot of historical facts and cultural, 86 00:10:43,99 --> 00:10:47,94 historical facts about the region where it is discovered. 87 00:10:47,94 --> 00:10:54,86 Interviewer: When you say that you are, your generation, is one of the first from Jordan 88 00:10:54,86 --> 00:11:04,86 or from the Arabian Peninsula investigating or doing scientific research on these inscriptions, what does that mean, 89 00:11:05,1 --> 00:11:10,85 that you are the first from this region to do that? What does that say of …? 90 00:11:10,85 --> 00:11:13,57 Prakhaim: It means a lot. 91 00:11:13,57 --> 00:11:19,86 It means that we have now a generation from Jordan, from the area, 92 00:11:19,86 --> 00:11:32,52 from the region in general which can deal with its cultural heritage and understand it in the same historical 93 00:11:32,52 --> 00:11:34,85 and geographical context. 94 00:11:35,63 --> 00:11:43,14 If I talk about … I mean Europeans, they contributed in deciphering the inscriptions, 95 00:11:43,14 --> 00:11:50,29 they contributed in understanding the inscriptions, but sometimes, some of them of course, some of them, 96 00:11:50,29 --> 00:11:56,1 they lack the cultural background. I have to say that frankly. 97 00:11:56,1 --> 00:11:58,15 Some of them, they lack the cultural background, 98 00:11:58,16 --> 00:12:14,66 therefore their understanding of the entire story is a little bit vague. Now, in fact, we are not working alone here. 99 00:12:14,66 --> 00:12:20,51 We are working also with our European colleagues in Europe, mainly in Europe and the United States and other countries, 100 00:12:20,51 --> 00:12:29,68 and we exchange opinions about certain issues in this regard. After that, we reach a conclusion. 101 00:12:29,68 --> 00:12:36,79 Interviewer: But you bring in some extra layer, or a very important layer, because you are from this- 102 00:12:36,79 --> 00:12:39,47 Prakhaim: Yes, from the same region. Yeah. 103 00:12:40,13 --> 00:12:50,36 Yes, but I have to say my European colleagues also help in different regards, in different perspectives. 104 00:12:51,52 --> 00:12:58,32 We conduct joint surveys. We conduct also joint studies together. 105 00:12:58,51 --> 00:13:02,28 I think it’s important not from the scientific perspective, 106 00:13:02,29 --> 00:13:09,87 but also from the cultural perspective because it’s important to get in contact with our European colleagues. 107 00:13:11,6 --> 00:13:18,32 I mean, not only Europeans but outside Jordan, our colleagues from outside Jordan to have exchange, 108 00:13:19,48 --> 00:13:26,8 which means that we can do more for cultural understanding as well. 109 00:13:26,8 --> 00:13:32,36 Interviewer: Everybody say that as you’re born here, you’re raised here, you’re part of this culture, 110 00:13:32,36 --> 00:13:40,18 and you are one of the first working in this field and understanding those languages, 111 00:13:41,00 --> 00:13:47,23 that makes you a … that I can imagine that’s a very special role you have. 112 00:13:47,23 --> 00:13:49,27 A very important role, a very special role. 113 00:13:49,27 --> 00:13:57,74 Prakhaim: Yes, I personally can’t evaluate myself, whether I have a special role or not. 114 00:13:57,74 --> 00:14:06,86 It’s the academic world which would decide this.. 115 00:14:04,17 --> 00:14:06,68 I’m not the one who decides that because I can’t [crosstalk 00:14:07] 116 00:14:06,86 --> 00:14:16,42 Interviewer: No, but what you do is you shed light on times that people here seems before not know much about. 117 00:14:16,42 --> 00:14:19,13 At least, how do you see that? 118 00:14:19,13 --> 00:14:23,04 Prakhaim: Yeah, that is true. Yeah, this is true. 119 00:14:23,04 --> 00:14:32,86 Well, some generations … I mean, what I want to say, that to be broadminded 120 00:14:32,86 --> 00:14:46,13 and to accept the opinion of others is crucial to understand and to exchange ideas, 121 00:14:46,6 --> 00:14:50,69 and also to reach reliable conclusions. 122 00:14:51,47 --> 00:15:01,11 I think that who would like to study this, the culture in general, should have a broad knowledge about a lot of things, 123 00:15:01,62 --> 00:15:10,57 not only history, not only languages, but also ancient history and also modern history and ancient cultures 124 00:15:11,11 --> 00:15:13,11 and modern culture. 125 00:15:13,11 --> 00:15:17,76 They are not separateable. We cannot separate them because, I mean, [Batians 00:15:17] 126 00:15:20,53 --> 00:15:26,96 who lived in this area for a long time, they existed after that. 127 00:15:27,27 --> 00:15:33,02 What I’m talking about is the change of political entities while the people are the same. 128 00:15:33,21 --> 00:15:42,39 The people are the same, and they also continue to live in this area, in this region. 129 00:15:43,76 --> 00:15:55,09 I think we have to take into consideration a lot of perspectives towards studying a certain topic 130 00:15:55,09 --> 00:16:11,53 or a certain subject in our cultural history in general. Studying the past is connected with our living heritage. 131 00:16:12,17 --> 00:16:13,47 We cannot separate them. 132 00:16:13,47 --> 00:16:18,6 Interviewer: The fact that you shed light on the times that, before, 133 00:16:19,23 --> 00:16:23,98 people here wouldn’t know much about because it was not- 134 00:16:23,98 --> 00:16:24,98 Prakhaim: Yeah. 135 00:16:24,98 --> 00:16:34,62 Interviewer: Why is it? Why is it that you are one of the first to do just that? 136 00:16:34,62 --> 00:16:39,86 Prakhaim: No, I have some colleagues who are older than me and did that of course, 137 00:16:39,87 --> 00:16:53,08 but I think it’s important to have a generation here who is interested in its cultural heritage and cultural history. 138 00:16:53,08 --> 00:17:01,3 Interviewer: What I want to say is by being one of the first Jordanian, professor now 139 00:17:01,3 --> 00:17:07,25 but one of the scientists researching, investigating inscriptions and languages 140 00:17:07,25 --> 00:17:12,56 and shedding light on a time that somehow is not known about, 141 00:17:13,06 --> 00:17:23,33 why is it that those times … what makes those times were not seen or not accepted or not embraced before? 142 00:17:23,33 --> 00:17:37,39 Prakhaim: Yes, because if I take the Arabian Peninsula as an example, the Arabic sources, for example, 143 00:17:37,39 --> 00:17:45,88 that brought about the Arabian … that were concerned with the Arabian Peninsula and its history, they didn’t get, 144 00:17:46,43 --> 00:17:57,38 in fact, the access to ancient sources because at that time they hadn’t the instruments that give them the access, 145 00:17:57,65 --> 00:18:05,91 for example, to ancient South Arabian epigraphy or ancient North Arabian epigraphy or Novatian epigraphy. 146 00:18:06,00 --> 00:18:18,13 We are talking about a 200 years old discipline, not that ancient. It’s not that old. Yeah. 147 00:18:18,75 --> 00:18:31,35 We can expect that such Arabic sources do not cover the entire … I mean, they cover maybe 200 years before Islam, 148 00:18:31,35 --> 00:18:37,25 for example, but they don’t go deeper into history because the composer and the authors, 149 00:18:37,25 --> 00:18:43,76 they didn’t have the access into such an epigraphical source. 150 00:18:43,76 --> 00:18:45,3 Interviewer: That sort- 151 00:18:45,3 --> 00:18:52,91 Prakhaim: That’s why it’s important to take into consideration the archeological sources and epigraphical sources, 152 00:18:53,24 --> 00:19:00,03 as well maybe oral history as well. It’s also important. 153 00:19:00,03 --> 00:19:07,24 I mean, oral history is important to understand ancient cultures because the same people are still living. 154 00:19:07,24 --> 00:19:16,26 I mean, the same people who established the ancient cultures, their descendants are still there. Yeah. 155 00:19:16,26 --> 00:19:26,13 That’s why I feel it’s important to study the Arabian Peninsula in a holistic approach, 156 00:19:26,69 --> 00:19:35,04 where we can take into consideration the epigraphical sources, the archeology, in addition also to a living heritage. 157 00:19:35,04 --> 00:19:41,61 Interviewer: When you say like before, the ancient [inaudible 00:19:41] 158 00:19:41,61 --> 00:19:52,87 and cultures were not really part of the Arabic storytelling, of the Arabic history, that’s now changing then, 159 00:19:52,96 --> 00:19:57,02 I suspect, because you bring them the stories of those days? 160 00:19:57,02 --> 00:20:06,07 Prakhaim: Yes. Yeah, and now we have a new window to ancient history of the Arabian Peninsula. There is a new one. 161 00:20:06,28 --> 00:20:12,43 This new window was not possible to open without studying and deciphering the inscriptions, 162 00:20:12,43 --> 00:20:18,09 deciphering the ancient Arabian and Semitic inscriptions in general. Yeah. 163 00:20:18,09 --> 00:20:23,11 Interviewer: What does this window … Because I suppose much of the students you get, 164 00:20:23,54 --> 00:20:28,6 they are taught in a way that they don’t understand those times before. 165 00:20:28,6 --> 00:20:29,54 Prakhaim: Yes. 166 00:20:29,54 --> 00:20:37,95 Interviewer: How do they see that era when they come in your faculty? 167 00:20:37,95 --> 00:20:38,8 Prakhaim: Yeah, that’s a good question. 168 00:20:39,01 --> 00:20:49,18 In fact, students who come to our faculty, they have their own stereotype ideas about Arabia 169 00:20:49,18 --> 00:20:55,67 or about the Semitic cultures in general, but when they get deeply involved in this field, 170 00:20:55,67 --> 00:20:59,45 they start changing their understanding 171 00:20:59,45 --> 00:21:06,65 and also their methodology towards studying the cultural history of the Semitic world. 172 00:21:06,65 --> 00:21:09,57 Interviewer: What is their view when they come in? 173 00:21:09,57 --> 00:21:17,08 How do they see them when they don’t have this knowledge, the kind of ignorant times or-. 174 00:21:13,03 --> 00:21:16,81 Prakhaim: In fact, most of our students who are coming to the .. 175 00:21:17,08 --> 00:21:17,9 I mean, 176 00:21:17,9 --> 00:21:30,89 in fact they are selected because they know in pre-year what are they going to do because they have a little knowledge 177 00:21:30,89 --> 00:21:41,27 about this and about the cultural history of Arabia and the Semitic world in general. 178 00:21:41,27 --> 00:21:51,95 At the Institute, we train them and we conduct surveys so that they understand what we are doing in a better way. 179 00:21:51,95 --> 00:22:00,58 Interviewer: What is, I suppose, the view that they have … The people from Jordan or from the Arabian Peninsula, 180 00:22:00,58 --> 00:22:04,49 how do they see in general the times before Islam? 181 00:22:04,49 --> 00:22:17,56 Prakhaim: In fact, the Arabian Peninsula was a flourish … they had a flourishing civilization in Arabia before Islam, 182 00:22:18,01 --> 00:22:22,38 and the word “Jahiliyyah” or the ignorance period, 183 00:22:22,96 --> 00:22:30,02 I think it’s not the right word to use in this context because ignorance, 184 00:22:30,03 --> 00:22:38,22 it means that the people who were living there were ignorant and they were not in contact with the civilization, 185 00:22:38,22 --> 00:22:45,53 et cetera, but this is in fact a little bit … I mean, the idea should be modified a little bit. 186 00:22:45,53 --> 00:23:00,65 In fact, Arabia witnessed a flourishing culture economically and historically and culturally in general. 187 00:23:01,1 --> 00:23:07,96 It’s our rule now to present this culture, which was hidden in the inscriptions. 188 00:23:07,96 --> 00:23:11,08 Interviewer: That’s your role? 189 00:23:11,08 --> 00:23:11,27 Prakhaim: Yeah. 190 00:23:11,27 --> 00:23:11,71 Interviewer: Present? That’s your role? 191 00:23:11,71 --> 00:23:11,96 Prakhaim: I mean, 192 00:23:12,09 --> 00:23:21,29 to present the contents of this ancient heritage to be absorbed by the young generation because it’s part of their 193 00:23:21,29 --> 00:23:23,59 identity, it’s part of their history. 194 00:23:23,7 --> 00:23:37,48 I think it’s our role now to make them aware that Arabia is not … I mean maybe Jahiliyyah in terms of the religious 195 00:23:37,48 --> 00:23:56,69 perspective, but from the civilized perspective Arabia, I think, especially the southern parts and the central parts,. 196 00:23:46,26 --> 00:23:56,84 they are of a great importance and significance to understand the … Okay, I’m [inaudible 00:23:59]. 197 00:23:56,69 --> 00:23:56,8 Interviewer: [inaudible 00:23:59] 198 00:23:56,84 --> 00:24:04,11 Prakhaim: I think the sources give us a new glimpse. 199 00:24:04,11 --> 00:24:12,49 I mean, the ancient sources, the ancient inscriptions give us new glimpses on the hidden history 200 00:24:12,49 --> 00:24:17,64 and the hidden culture of Arabia before Islam. 201 00:24:18,41 --> 00:24:32,85 This is now evident through research and through archeological surveys, and through also studies published. 202 00:24:32,85 --> 00:24:44,71 You have thousands of publications in this regard, but most of them in fact are written in foreign languages. 203 00:24:44,72 --> 00:24:48,04 That’s why they are not accessible by Arab people. 204 00:24:48,75 --> 00:24:57,4 It’s our role now to, I mean, not to translate them, this is a huge literature, 205 00:24:57,43 --> 00:25:06,18 but to present the cultural history of Arabia in Arabic world. 206 00:25:07,1 --> 00:25:14,18 I think this is important now so that Arab people can have access to this source. 207 00:25:14,18 --> 00:25:25,59 Interviewer: When you studied several languages, you can lay connections so you create, I think, 208 00:25:25,59 --> 00:25:32,47 the worlds that had been here that before was not understood by people. 209 00:25:32,47 --> 00:25:36,43 Prakhaim: You mean the scholarly world or what? 210 00:25:36,43 --> 00:25:38,1 Interviewer: No, both. 211 00:25:38,93 --> 00:25:49,48 You’re putting a light on times that for most people was not known yet, so people understand now that, for example, 212 00:25:49,48 --> 00:25:56,16 here in Petra, that this is the culture of what it stands for. 213 00:25:56,16 --> 00:26:01,2 Prakhaim: Yes, of course. I have to say I’m not the first one in this regard, of course. 214 00:26:01,2 --> 00:26:02,37 Interviewer: Of course. I know. 215 00:26:02,37 --> 00:26:11,28 Prakhaim: But understanding … I mean, if you talk about epigraphy or the ancient languages, yes of course, 216 00:26:11,28 --> 00:26:16,51 as I said in the beginning, they are in fact the key to cultures. 217 00:26:16,51 --> 00:26:23,34 The Batian inscriptions are written in the Batian language, in the Batian script, 218 00:26:23,96 --> 00:26:26,96 and if you decipher the scripts then you understand the language 219 00:26:26,96 --> 00:26:33,36 and you understand after that the contents of a certain inscription. 220 00:26:34,2 --> 00:26:44,15 From this inscription, you can extract and draw conclusions regarding religious history, regarding commercial issues, 221 00:26:44,15 --> 00:26:48,43 regarding social relations among people at that time. 222 00:26:48,43 --> 00:27:01,49 I mean, through this knowledge, you can nurture the history of their region of course. Yeah. 223 00:27:01,49 --> 00:27:10,01 Interviewer: Do you see that also, that there are connections between the pre-Arabic worlds and the Arab world? 224 00:27:12,11 --> 00:27:15,49 That somehow, I mean, like … Yeah, do you see connections that before had not been seen? 225 00:27:15,49 --> 00:27:17,05 Prakhaim: Between the pre-Arab- 226 00:27:17,05 --> 00:27:20,02 Interviewer: Pre-Islamic worlds and the Islamic world. 227 00:27:20,02 --> 00:27:23,53 Prakhaim: Yeah. Yes, of course. Yes. 228 00:27:23,53 --> 00:27:28,02 Yes, of course, because people continue to exist in Arabia, 229 00:27:28,49 --> 00:27:37,08 and of course they got with them ancient traditions that continued until nowadays. 230 00:27:37,08 --> 00:27:40,25 Interviewer: Do you have examples of that? 231 00:27:40,25 --> 00:27:42,92 Prakhaim: Well, let us say something. 232 00:27:44,21 --> 00:27:49,76 Some ancient South Arabian inscriptions from Yemen, from present Yemen, 233 00:27:50,4 --> 00:28:01,05 in fact we rely on Yemeni dialects to understand the ancient inscriptions because some words that were there in ancient 234 00:28:01,05 --> 00:28:09,41 South Arabian inscriptions, they are still used in Yemen. This is a fact. 235 00:28:09,41 --> 00:28:20,32 Also, some rituals that existed, that we know from the inscriptions, are still existing until nowadays in Yemen, 236 00:28:21,59 --> 00:28:31,13 which means that this culture continue to exist apart of political changes, apart of economic changes, 237 00:28:31,14 --> 00:28:37,25 but people have preserved this cultural heritage and continued to transmit it. 238 00:28:37,25 --> 00:28:41,92 Interviewer: You said also the camel burial? Or is that another …? 239 00:28:41,92 --> 00:28:45,84 Prakhaim: No, it’s something different. 240 00:28:45,84 --> 00:28:49,92 Interviewer: That is something different? Okay, sorry for that. One … 241 00:28:49,92 --> 00:28:51,24 Prakhaim: That’s something different. 242 00:28:51,24 --> 00:28:55,17 I mean, the camel burial inscriptions, okay, it’s from Wadi Rum, 243 00:28:55,59 --> 00:29:09,37 but this is an evidence about resurrection that people in Arabia used to bury their camels with them so that they … 244 00:29:09,37 --> 00:29:12,71 Speaker 1: The camera has stopped. Maybe we should stop … 245 00:29:12,71 --> 00:29:19,52 Interviewer: Where did your passion for languages and inscription start? 246 00:29:19,52 --> 00:29:27,37 Prakhaim: Well, in fact this passion started after my … in fact, during my BA studies in Jordan, 247 00:29:27,6 --> 00:29:30,45 at Yarmouk University. At Yarmouk University. 248 00:29:31,24 --> 00:29:38,89 I tried my best to understand the Arabian culture in more deep and with more depth, 249 00:29:38,9 --> 00:29:50,61 but I didn’t find this during my BA studies because we were studying Arabic 250 00:29:50,61 --> 00:30:04,15 and Arabistic in general in a traditional way, studying the languages not in a diachronic way but in synchronic way. 251 00:30:05,4 --> 00:30:16,23 I started looking for programs that could help me in deciphering the ancient history of Arabic in general 252 00:30:16,46 --> 00:30:20,48 and the ancient history of the Arabian culture. 253 00:30:22,75 --> 00:30:33,32 That was after 1987, when I attended a Master program at the Institute of Archeology and Anthropology, 254 00:30:33,32 --> 00:30:34,65 where I studied Epigraphy 255 00:30:36,86 --> 00:30:47,87 and I finished my MA in Epigraphy. My Master thesis was concerned with the lexical relationship between Arabic 256 00:30:48,27 --> 00:30:58,65 and Ugaritic. Ugaritic is one of the Bronze Age, late Bronze Age languages that existed on the Mediterranean Sea. 257 00:31:01,1 --> 00:31:09,22 I tried to find the lexical affinities between Arabic … some scholars call the classical Arabic or standard Arabic. 258 00:31:09,22 --> 00:31:20,67 There are different terminology. I mean, here, the Arabic of Koran and the pre-Islamic Arabian poetry. 259 00:31:21,31 --> 00:31:35,31 I found out that there are a lot of aspects that constitute the kind of lexical similarity between Ugaritic and Arabic. 260 00:31:38,15 --> 00:31:45,12 Yes, because this could be of course explained because both languages, they have the same mother language, 261 00:31:45,12 --> 00:31:47,63 which we call it … It’s a hypothetical language. 262 00:31:47,63 --> 00:31:59,26 We call it Proto-Semitic. This lexical stuff could be from this genetic relationship, 263 00:31:59,27 --> 00:32:15,48 but this relationship could be also through historical factors, by migrations, by historical contacts, 264 00:32:16,59 --> 00:32:24,22 commercial contacts, et cetera, but we have a lot of historical models to explain this similarity. 265 00:32:25,21 --> 00:32:35,07 In general, most of the languages in Levant, the Levant and Arabia, and also in Mesopotamia, they are interconnected. 266 00:32:35,07 --> 00:32:43,03 We call them sister languages because they come from the same origin. The origin, we call it Proto-Semitic. 267 00:32:43,03 --> 00:32:50,59 Interviewer: To go back, what is your fascination for these old languages? 268 00:32:50,59 --> 00:32:57,62 Prakhaim: Yes, because in general I found the languages very … I mean, 269 00:32:57,87 --> 00:33:02,48 studying the language provide us with their right instruments to decipher cultures. 270 00:33:02,48 --> 00:33:15,74 I mean, for example, I did for five years the ancient Ethiopic, old Ethiopic language because my professor in Berlin,, 271 00:33:15,08 --> 00:33:16,66 Professor [Rhiner Folkt 00:33:12] he is a renowned professor in this field. 272 00:33:16,87 --> 00:33:21,61 I did with him five years studying ancient Ethiopic or old Ethiopic. Why? 273 00:33:24,68 --> 00:33:30,51 Because I wanted to understand the relationship between Arabia and the Horn of Africa. 274 00:33:30,51 --> 00:33:36,79 I mean, studying the language would explain a lot of historical facts 275 00:33:36,79 --> 00:33:46,02 and historical phenomena in terms of relationship between Arabia and the Horn of Africa. This is an example. 276 00:33:48,66 --> 00:33:54,48 As I said to you, because I was interested in exploring the history of Arabic language 277 00:33:57,7 --> 00:33:59,74 and the Arabic culture in general. 278 00:33:59,74 --> 00:34:04,81 Interviewer: Even before your studies, where did this fascination for languages 279 00:34:04,81 --> 00:34:07,95 and for these … where did it start and- 280 00:34:07,95 --> 00:34:13,9 Prakhaim: Yes. I was interested in languages even during my childhood. 281 00:34:15,52 --> 00:34:25,52 Also, my … That’s I was interested in English from the beginning, although I was studying Arabic, 282 00:34:27,53 --> 00:34:32,34 because I found out that studying a certain language would open 283 00:34:32,34 --> 00:34:43,00 and pave the way for me to get a deep information about certain aspects of our cultural history. 284 00:34:44,26 --> 00:34:55,72 From the beginning, I was interested in languages, but I can’t say how this evolved at the beginning.. 285 00:34:54,39 --> 00:34:55,39 Speaker 1: [inaudible 00:34:54] 286 00:34:55,72 --> 00:35:10,11 Interviewer: When you were really young, I mean when you were 10 or 11, how did it show? What was the fascination then? 287 00:35:10,11 --> 00:35:16,67 Prakhaim: The fascination in languages?. 288 00:35:15,64 --> 00:35:16,41 Interviewer: Mm-hmm (affirmative) 289 00:35:16,67 --> 00:35:29,27 Prakhaim: I can’t remember. I mean, I can’t make a sense of this in this regard.? 290 00:35:21,67 --> 00:35:28,93 Interviewer: Did you want to discover the world, understand the world? Did you want to be a [inaudible 00:35:26] 291 00:35:29,27 --> 00:35:38,17 Prakhaim: I don't know. I can say that we had no Internet at that time. 292 00:35:38,17 --> 00:35:46,77 The TV also was not accessible at that time because I was born in a village where electricity didn’t exist at that 293 00:35:46,77 --> 00:36:01,63 time until 1982, in fact. We had a radio and that was our window to the world. 294 00:36:03,94 --> 00:36:13,87 Of course I heard a lot of languages in the radio. I found out later that this is German, this is French. 295 00:36:13,87 --> 00:36:22,96 At that time, I couldn’t differentiate between German, French or Dutch or Swedish or Russian, but 296 00:36:24,93 --> 00:36:29,52 when I started to hear … I mean, there were voices, only voices for me, 297 00:36:29,52 --> 00:36:39,15 but there are certain points where the pronunciation is different from each other. 298 00:36:39,15 --> 00:36:50,34 Maybe this is one of the reasons why I was interested. I mean, I was interested in languages, because- 299 00:36:50,34 --> 00:36:55,29 Interviewer: How did you listen into the radio? Can you describe? This was in the living room? 300 00:36:55,29 --> 00:36:58,73 How did you know that you could find different languages? 301 00:36:58,73 --> 00:37:09,49 Prakhaim: Yeah, I can’t tell you. It was in the living room of course, yes. I don’t understand your question. 302 00:37:09,49 --> 00:37:11,26 Interviewer: How do you … It’s a radio. You hear those language. How did you do it? 303 00:37:11,26 --> 00:37:16,59 Were you scrolling through the channels? 304 00:37:16,59 --> 00:37:25,06 Prakhaim: Yes, yes, scrolling through the channels and trying to … Even within the Arabic sphere, 305 00:37:25,46 --> 00:37:31,45 and I try to … We have many dialects here in the Arab world and it was for me, at the beginning, 306 00:37:31,63 --> 00:37:36,42 difficult to understand, for example, the Algerian or the Moroccan dialect. 307 00:37:37,82 --> 00:37:49,4 This is one example why I tried to have the right instruments to study languages because the Arabic dialects, 308 00:37:49,4 --> 00:37:58,47 they could be considered as languages because sometimes they have different morphology and different syntax. 309 00:37:58,98 --> 00:38:05,1 This made me also enthusiastic to pursue studying languages. 310 00:38:05,1 --> 00:38:12,35 In fact, I can’t classify the factors why I was interested in language from the beginning. I don't know. 311 00:38:13,33 --> 00:38:17,49 I have no personal synthesis about this. Yeah. 312 00:38:17,49 --> 00:38:25,06 Interviewer: You were from a family that’s also scientific interested or …? 313 00:38:25,06 --> 00:38:26,5 Prakhaim: Yes. 314 00:38:26,51 --> 00:38:38,17 In fact, my family, they were interested in … I mean, my father is a businessman and my family in general, 315 00:38:38,17 --> 00:38:41,94 they used to earn money through business. 316 00:38:41,94 --> 00:38:47,17 It was my uncle, in fact, my elder uncle, who supported me 317 00:38:47,17 --> 00:38:58,12 and opened my eye to the academic world because he is considered one of the first graduates from the Jordan University. 318 00:39:00,14 --> 00:39:05,44 In fact, he supported my career, my studies, 319 00:39:05,67 --> 00:39:16,93 and also opened my eyes towards the world because he got in contact with the people in Amman, in the capital city, 320 00:39:16,93 --> 00:39:26,22 and also worldwide. That’s why he wanted me to deviate from the career of my family a little bit. 321 00:39:26,22 --> 00:39:37,73 Interviewer: When you [inaudible 00:39:28] described your … Well. What sparked your curiosity? 322 00:39:37,73 --> 00:39:46,59 Prakhaim: Well, regarding languages? Yeah. In fact, I am a patient guy. 323 00:39:46,6 --> 00:39:51,3 I have to say, I’m very patient, even from childhood. 324 00:39:52,05 --> 00:40:02,49 I used to help my father in his store and in his business since I was seven years old, in fact. I have to say that. 325 00:40:02,94 --> 00:40:13,19 This part of my life, this shaped my life to be a serious person because I didn’t … in fact, 326 00:40:13,2 --> 00:40:18,62 I didn’t enjoy most of the children my age enjoyed before. 327 00:40:22,03 --> 00:40:28,03 My father wanted me to be the best among the … in the village 328 00:40:28,03 --> 00:40:35,42 and he sent me first to a Roman Catholic school in Irbid. That was in 1970. 329 00:40:37,28 --> 00:40:39,11 The story of my academic life 330 00:40:39,11 --> 00:40:50,82 or my school life started there. Due to the problems that occurred in Jordan at that time, 331 00:40:50,82 --> 00:40:57,23 well my father preferred that I go back to the village and to study there and to continue studying there, 332 00:40:57,23 --> 00:41:06,67 doing my preparatory, my elementary preparatory and secondary schooling, I did it in the village, 333 00:41:07,14 --> 00:41:16,69 and even in a village nearby where … and I used to walk from my house to that village for three kilometers sometimes. 334 00:41:17,23 --> 00:41:30,25 Maybe this stimulated me to think about the world and about sometimes the creation, about a lot of things, 335 00:41:30,25 --> 00:41:35,31 where usually school boys think sometimes. 336 00:41:35,6 --> 00:41:40,1 Some of them, they don’t think about it because they have their other interests. 337 00:41:40,1 --> 00:41:52,86 In fact, even this influenced my life and my future life, the university, even in Germany, and also later, 338 00:41:53,81 --> 00:42:05,79 I can see. Well, during the preparatory and elementary period or phases, we used to study Arabic poetry, 339 00:42:06,08 --> 00:42:13,53 ancient Arabic poetry, and I was fascinated in fact with the contents of the Arabic poetry 340 00:42:13,53 --> 00:42:19,71 and how they can be recited in a rhythmic style. 341 00:42:21,64 --> 00:42:31,17 I was interested also to understand the words used in such passages, poetical passages. 342 00:42:32,52 --> 00:42:41,2 I can assure you that later I found out that our teachers, sometimes they explained in a traditional way, 343 00:42:41,2 --> 00:42:44,54 they explained some words in a traditional way, but I was not convinced. 344 00:42:45,51 --> 00:42:56,43 I was not convinced mostly in their explanations. I keep this until I went to the university in 1983 where I attended 345 00:42:56,43 --> 00:43:05,86 the Arabic Program at Yarmouk University, and we went, in fact with the assistance of professors of Arabic Studies, 346 00:43:05,86 --> 00:43:20,51 we went in depth in studying the ancient Arabic poetry, but the problem, I didn’t find a solution for my problem. 347 00:43:20,51 --> 00:43:23,59 I mean, how to understand the Arabic poetry in a proper way 348 00:43:23,59 --> 00:43:39,64 and what are the origins of certain words in this Arabic poetry,. 349 00:43:33,27 --> 00:43:39,31 and also to explain how a linguistic phenomena could be .. 350 00:43:40,61 --> 00:43:50,55 How could we explain a certain linguistic phenomena in Arabic in particular, and within this wide context, I mean, 351 00:43:51,17 --> 00:43:55,38 within this wide Arabic context, where Arabic is used. 352 00:43:55,78 --> 00:43:59,03 As you know, Arabic is used in different parts of the world, 353 00:43:59,48 --> 00:44:06,84 and in fact that was not enough for me because I started to excavate 354 00:44:06,84 --> 00:44:16,99 and to dig for the origins of Arabic. I found some of the answer during my MA studies. 355 00:44:16,99 --> 00:44:23,73 My MA studies where we’re exposed to, in fact, I have to say European experience. 356 00:44:23,74 --> 00:44:34,46 I was taught by different European professors and American professors at the Institute of Archeology. 357 00:44:30,66 --> 00:44:34,13 and Anthropology at that time. We were exposed to .. 358 00:44:35,79 --> 00:44:45,8 Also, we attended courses to study, for example, Canaanite, Ancient South Arabian, Old Ethiopic, Aramaic, et cetera, 359 00:44:46,37 --> 00:44:56,85 and all of these languages are sister languages and go back to one source or to one origin, 360 00:44:57,03 --> 00:44:58,56 which we called Proto-Semitic. 361 00:44:58,56 --> 00:45:16,04 Now, this in fact opened and paved the way for my future research, and since then I was interested in studying more 362 00:45:16,04 --> 00:45:27,22 and more, more ancient languages to understand Arabic and its context in a proper way. Well, as I- 363 00:45:27,22 --> 00:45:35,51 Interviewer: What makes now you unique in the world? It makes you unique. 364 00:45:35,51 --> 00:45:35,96 Prakhaim: Yes. 365 00:45:35,96 --> 00:45:36,88 Interviewer: Why? 366 00:45:36,88 --> 00:45:38,09 Prakhaim: I’m afraid of this word “unique.” 367 00:45:38,09 --> 00:45:39,8 Interviewer: It does? 368 00:45:39,8 --> 00:45:40,8 Prakhaim: Yeah. 369 00:45:41,65 --> 00:45:50,8 I’m trying to connect and to find the relationship between Arabic and its cultural and linguistic context. 370 00:45:51,38 --> 00:46:05,19 This is what I’m trying to show not only to my colleagues, also to my students, and also to make it known abroad. 371 00:46:08,95 --> 00:46:14,51 This methodology was not known in fact in the Arab world, 372 00:46:15,00 --> 00:46:25,7 how to connect Arabic with its surrounding languages through ages and also the culture where Arabic emerged. Yeah. 373 00:46:28,61 --> 00:46:37,25 This influenced, of course, my future studies and future research. I did my MA. 374 00:46:38,02 --> 00:46:42,82 I did my MA thesis on the relationship between Arabic and Ugaritic, 375 00:46:42,82 --> 00:46:51,97 because Arabic is an important source because it’s a language which existed and continue to exist in Arabia 376 00:46:52,31 --> 00:46:56,81 and the Levant also and of course in North Africa. 377 00:46:56,81 --> 00:47:07,11 Interviewer: One second, what do we have here?. 378 00:47:00,15 --> 00:47:07,1 Prakhaim: We hear the Adhan, Adhan [al Asr 00:47:01] 379 00:47:07,11 --> 00:47:07,2 Interviewer: What is that Adhan Asr? 380 00:47:07,2 --> 00:47:11,01 Prakhaim: Yeah. I mean, as you know, we have Islamic prayers, five prayers. 381 00:47:11,01 --> 00:47:18,48 This is the … We call it Adhan al Asr, which comes after afternoon. 382 00:47:18,48 --> 00:47:29,65 Interviewer: You said at a certain moment when you were young you listened to this Arabic poetry. 383 00:47:29,09 --> 00:47:30,2 and [inaudible 00:47:26] I'm sorry? 384 00:47:30,2 --> 00:47:34,78 Prakhaim: In fact, it was included in the curricula of the school. Yeah. 385 00:47:34,78 --> 00:47:40,07 Also, I hear that some people improvised it 386 00:47:40,07 --> 00:47:48,09 and I was interested in understanding the meaning of this poetry in a proper way. 387 00:47:48,09 --> 00:47:51,07 We usually … People recite this poetry, 388 00:47:51,29 --> 00:47:56,31 but they sometimes don’t understand the cultural backgrounds of this poetry. 389 00:47:56,84 --> 00:48:02,69 I was interested in the cultural background, not only on how to be recited. 390 00:48:02,69 --> 00:48:11,87 It’s beautiful to hear it, but I was interested in understanding the cultural dimensions of this poetry 391 00:48:13,04 --> 00:48:15,19 and its language. 392 00:48:15,19 --> 00:48:17,02 Interviewer: You missed that in the recital? 393 00:48:17,02 --> 00:48:18,16 Prakhaim: Yes. 394 00:48:18,17 --> 00:48:27,24 This is what I missed in fact during my school period, also I can say even during my BA period at the university, 395 00:48:27,8 --> 00:48:33,57 because they used to teach us in a traditional way, trying to explain. 396 00:48:33,57 --> 00:48:41,57 They couldn’t explain the cultural backgrounds of this poetry. 397 00:48:43,59 --> 00:48:46,65 Not only the cultural backgrounds, 398 00:48:46,65 --> 00:48:56,39 but also the contained lexical items that were for me very difficult to understand as a young guy, 399 00:48:57,07 --> 00:49:06,21 because the Arabian poetry represents, or the Arabic poetry, represents a very old stage of the Arabic literature 400 00:49:08,08 --> 00:49:14,91 and I can’t say that it was disconnected from the people, 401 00:49:14,92 --> 00:49:20,93 but it represented a certain cultural phase in the Arabian peninsula. 402 00:49:22,27 --> 00:49:30,97 In future stages of my life, I was interested to understand in depth the cultural background 403 00:49:30,97 --> 00:49:39,08 and the cultural context of this poetry. Also, the Koran, the beginning of Islam. 404 00:49:39,08 --> 00:49:44,59 I mean, the language of Koran was also for me a very difficult language to understand, 405 00:49:44,88 --> 00:49:54,86 and I think we can shed some light on the Koranic text from different languages that existed in Arabia before Islam, 406 00:49:54,86 --> 00:49:58,56 because some words continued to be used …. 407 00:49:57,67 --> 00:49:58,34 Interviewer: [inaudible 00:49:58] 408 00:49:58,56 --> 00:50:06,72 Prakhaim: … continued to be used at that time and also they were part of the Koranic Text, 409 00:50:07,37 --> 00:50:17,97 and I was interested in understanding such words in Koran and I have some research on this regard. 410 00:50:17,97 --> 00:50:22,47 I started a project on this regard. Yeah. 411 00:50:22,47 --> 00:50:27,42 Interviewer: To go back, do you remember the poem, the first poem that makes you …? 412 00:50:27,42 --> 00:50:29,65 Prakhaim: Well, in fact, 413 00:50:31,13 --> 00:50:37,14 I’m interested in the pre-Islamic Arabian poetry which goes back to the so-called Jahiliyyah poetry 414 00:50:37,14 --> 00:50:41,83 or the Jahiliyyah Age or the ignorance period. 415 00:50:42,37 --> 00:50:52,58 For example, the poems of Antar and Zuhayr bin Abi Sulma and other poets. 416 00:50:52,58 --> 00:50:57,25 Interviewer: Can you recite one?. 417 00:50:54,58 --> 00:51:02,82 Prakhaim: Well, no. Not .. No. Also, [inaudible 00:50:59] and other people. Other people. 418 00:51:02,82 --> 00:51:07,68 I wasn’t prepared to do this, because if you- 419 00:51:07,68 --> 00:51:11,94 Interviewer: Then I'd like to go back to the last thing which you said about Koranic. 420 00:51:11,94 --> 00:51:12,94 Prakhaim: Yeah. 421 00:51:12,94 --> 00:51:16,68 Interviewer: What are you doing with that? 422 00:51:18,95 --> 00:51:24,45 You see that it also notice disconnect from the people, but somehow it’s a language form that is not- 423 00:51:24,45 --> 00:51:28,41 Prakhaim: I mean, the poetry was definitely not connected. 424 00:51:29,7 --> 00:51:37,35 It emerged in a cultural context, of course, because this poetry describes the people, 425 00:51:37,35 --> 00:51:47,05 describes their relationship with the environment. It describes also their understanding of the world at that time. 426 00:51:47,05 --> 00:51:47,49 Interviewer: Sorry. 427 00:51:47,79 --> 00:51:53,56 I mean, when we go back to do Koran, the Koranic, you were saying that you now, with what you’re finding, 428 00:51:53,68 --> 00:52:00,15 you are finding new words also for the Koran or you find new lexical- 429 00:52:00,15 --> 00:52:01,55 Prakhaim: No. I’m not finding new words. No. 430 00:52:01,81 --> 00:52:14,32 I mean, well, there are certain Koranic words that could be interpreted in a different way., 431 00:52:12,94 --> 00:52:17,99 Okay, the Arab [inaudible 00:52:13] they contributed a lot to understanding the Koran, 432 00:52:18,43 --> 00:52:29,26 but in some cases we can do more to understand this text through the languages that existed in Arabia at that time. 433 00:52:29,26 --> 00:52:36,02 Interviewer: Because they have also their roots? 434 00:52:36,02 --> 00:52:43,68 Prakhaim: Yes, of course. I mean, such words, they have their roots in the languages of Arabia before Islam. Yeah. 435 00:52:43,68 --> 00:52:49,26 I mean, we have, for example, some words that were Arabized. They became Arabic. 436 00:52:50,16 --> 00:52:57,75 Although they are foreign words, but they became Arabic and they became part of the Arabian linguistic culture 437 00:52:58,9 --> 00:53:05,04 and you found them in different pre-Islamic Arabian texts. 438 00:53:05,86 --> 00:53:14,84 Also, some of them are known in the Koranic text, because they are not in fact … they were foreign words, 439 00:53:15,1 --> 00:53:17,86 but they were Arabized. They took the Arabic shape. 440 00:53:20,08 --> 00:53:24,76 As usual, in the interchange between languages, it’s known and have been- 441 00:53:24,76 --> 00:53:28,97 Interviewer: You are discovering that now from your …? 442 00:53:28,97 --> 00:53:42,35 Prakhaim: Well, I’m trying to deal with certain words and to understand them in a different lexical context. 443 00:53:42,35 --> 00:53:46,15 Interviewer: What do you mean by that? 444 00:53:46,15 --> 00:53:51,42 Prakhaim: I mean, to interpret them in the light of ancient Semitic languages that existed in Arabia before Islam. 445 00:53:51,42 --> 00:54:03,5 Interviewer: Can you give examples?, 446 00:53:55,52 --> 00:54:03,5 Prakhaim: Yes. There are some examples., 447 00:53:59,00 --> 00:54:12,3 I mean, for example, the verse [foreign language 00:54:03] which has been interpreted, “We opened your chest,” 448 00:54:13,17 --> 00:54:22,49 and there are different interpretations, but we go back, for example, to ancient South Arabian linguistic culture, 449 00:54:22,72 --> 00:54:28,01 we find that the root “ [sharha 00:54:24] ”, it means to protect, which means, in fact, 450 00:54:28,02 --> 00:54:35,68 if we reinterpret this word, it means that we … I mean, God has protected Muhammad’s heart. 451 00:54:40,39 --> 00:54:47,44 This helps us to understand the text in a better way and it’s for the benefit of Koran, in fact. 452 00:54:47,44 --> 00:54:59,92 It’s for the benefit of Koran to use the ancient languages and to shed light on Koran through other language, 453 00:55:00,15 --> 00:55:05,89 other Arabian languages.. 454 00:55:01,88 --> 00:55:06,56 Interviewer: Okay. Then we go back to when you .. We were with your students. 455 00:55:06,77 --> 00:55:13,75 You were with your students in the mountains, looking at the stones and this enormous terrain. 456 00:55:13,75 --> 00:55:24,44 When you look for them and for yourself, when you envision your future, the ideal dream of what they can do, 457 00:55:24,61 --> 00:55:32,85 what you can do here in this area, how do you envision that over 10, 15 years? 458 00:55:32,85 --> 00:55:38,86 Prakhaim: Well, how do I envision my students or the field in general?. 459 00:55:37,52 --> 00:55:40,86 Interviewer: [inaudible 00:55:36] I put the question wrong. 460 00:55:42,53 --> 00:55:51,52 When you look in your field of work with your students, you would walk into boundaries, as what you explained before. 461 00:55:51,53 --> 00:55:57,31 What do you envision for the coming 10 years or what do you want them to find out 462 00:55:57,31 --> 00:56:00,36 and what is it that you yourself want to find out? 463 00:56:00,36 --> 00:56:05,09 Prakhaim: I would like to continue in this field, 464 00:56:05,66 --> 00:56:17,24 and of course I hope that my students can continue as well because this is a message that we have to hand out to other 465 00:56:18,59 --> 00:56:28,52 future generations. I hope that we can establish a kind of school, I mean, a school, academic school, to understand ... 466 00:56:29,00 --> 00:56:37,86 Which aims at understanding our Arabian culture from the Arabian Peninsula and also in the Levant. Yeah. 467 00:56:38,41 --> 00:56:43,68 That’s what my aim, that they continue on the same discipline 468 00:56:43,68 --> 00:56:49,54 and also that they continue also in training the future generations. 469 00:56:49,54 --> 00:56:54,4 Interviewer: When you look, because you walk into limitations, 470 00:56:54,41 --> 00:57:01,58 you said you were the first one that shed a light in an era where much of the people, you didn’t see the light. 471 00:57:02,04 --> 00:57:11,36 What do you think that your students will … what kind of windows are they able to open?. 472 00:57:07,8 --> 00:57:15,49 Prakhaim: Well, I hope .. I mean, of course they can … I don’t know. 473 00:57:15,59 --> 00:57:20,45 I mean, it’s of course their decision to follow my discipline or not, 474 00:57:21,12 --> 00:57:31,89 but definitely they are going to contribute in understanding the Arabian culture in its widest context. 475 00:57:31,89 --> 00:57:40,16 I'd like them to work on the history of Arabic. 476 00:57:40,77 --> 00:57:48,95 I would advise them to work intensively on the history of Arabic as a language and culture. 477 00:57:51,03 --> 00:58:00,84 For the future, I think because they have now a wide knowledge, I mean, a wide knowledge in languages, 478 00:58:00,84 --> 00:58:03,18 modern languages and also ancient languages, 479 00:58:03,94 --> 00:58:12,55 and they have also the capability … they are capable to deal with other cultures. 480 00:58:12,55 --> 00:58:18,33 Not only ancient cultures, also more modern cultures in the world. 481 00:58:18,81 --> 00:58:24,27 I think they have more and better opportunity than I have, what I had before. Yeah. 482 00:58:24,27 --> 00:58:26,96 Interviewer: A lot of stones, too. 483 00:58:26,96 --> 00:58:27,6 Prakhaim: Yes. 484 00:58:27,6 --> 00:58:39,91 I mean, okay, we have to continue documenting the inscriptions spread all over the Jordanian terrain 485 00:58:39,91 --> 00:58:48,08 and this needs many generations in the future to be prepared for this task. 486 00:58:48,65 --> 00:58:52,32 It’s not a task of one generation or two generations. 487 00:58:52,4 --> 00:59:00,01 We have to train many generations so that they can continue documenting our cultural heritage. 488 00:59:00,01 --> 00:59:10,61 I mean, not only stones and inscriptions, but also archeology and tangible heritage and intangible heritage. 489 00:59:10,87 --> 00:59:18,75 I can’t divide culture into parts. They are all interconnected. 490 00:59:18,75 --> 00:59:27,61 There are a lot of aspects that are interconnected and can … after my studying these aspects, 491 00:59:27,89 --> 00:59:32,64 we can draw a clear picture about our culture. 492 00:59:32,64 --> 00:59:39,51 Interviewer: What are you doing now? What is your focus now? 493 00:59:39,51 --> 00:59:49,28 Prakhaim: Now, I am involved in different projects and research endeavors in general. 494 00:59:51,43 --> 00:59:53,71 I’m now conducting a field work. 495 00:59:53,71 --> 01:00:08,92 It’s a long … It’s a field work which I’m going to continue for the next few years in the so-called 496 01:00:08,92 --> 01:00:14,66 [Harra 01:00:08] Region, in the volcanic region we visited. 497 01:00:16,88 --> 01:00:24,72 I’m also trying to involve foreign institutions to work with me in this field work. 498 01:00:28,77 --> 01:00:36,52 We are trying to document as far as possible the ancient North Arabian inscriptions from Northern Jordan 499 01:00:36,52 --> 01:00:40,89 and from the so-called Northeastern Badia. 500 01:00:43,94 --> 01:00:54,38 It has a lot of … I mean, the surfaces of stones constituted an ideal [canva 01:00:51] for writing inscriptions. 501 01:00:54,97 --> 01:01:03,22 Those inscriptions were written by people who were in the area. 502 01:01:04,36 --> 01:01:07,74 Maybe they had a Bedouin character, but it is not definite, 503 01:01:09,01 --> 01:01:13,44 and there is a countless number of inscriptions in this area 504 01:01:13,44 --> 01:01:22,12 and they need to be documented for future studies so that we understand more and more about the people and the area 505 01:01:22,12 --> 01:01:23,72 and the history of the area. 506 01:01:23,72 --> 01:01:29,64 Interviewer: When you look around you, the whole Jordan, this was a land of milk and honey. 507 01:01:29,64 --> 01:01:29,71 Prakhaim: Yes. 508 01:01:29,71 --> 01:01:35,54 Interviewer: I mean, it’s one big archeological black hole you still have to discover. 509 01:01:35,54 --> 01:01:37,99 Prakhaim: Yes. I mean, I’m not the only person. 510 01:01:38,4 --> 01:01:44,76 In fact, in my institute at the Yarmouk University and the other institutes you saw today, 511 01:01:45,85 --> 01:01:53,88 you have found out that we are trying to train students and to train new generation to take the burden, 512 01:01:54,29 --> 01:01:58,91 to continue this responsibility in studying the cultural heritage of Jordan. 513 01:01:58,91 --> 01:02:05,21 Interviewer: What I want to say, all these rocks have a story. 514 01:02:05,21 --> 01:02:05,67 Prakhaim: Yes, of course. 515 01:02:05,67 --> 01:02:08,71 Interviewer: You are the one so far that found some of the stories, 516 01:02:08,71 --> 01:02:13,89 but I mean this is one big landscape of rocks wanting to speak. 517 01:02:13,89 --> 01:02:20,06 Prakhaim: Yes. In fact, this is true, but- 518 01:02:20,06 --> 01:02:20,8 Interviewer: What is true? Sorry? 519 01:02:20,8 --> 01:02:28,35 Prakhaim: I mean, everywhere you find inscriptions, everywhere you find aspects of cultural heritage here in Jordan. 520 01:02:28,35 --> 01:02:37,5 As I said, we need generations and generations that continue to document and study this cultural heritage. 521 01:02:37,5 --> 01:02:41,81 It is an evidence that this area contributed in the human history. 522 01:02:41,81 --> 01:02:49,82 It is an evidence … What we see here is an evidence that this area, this region contributed to the human creativity. 523 01:02:49,82 --> 01:02:52,62 It’s an evidence on human creativity. 524 01:02:56,71 --> 01:03:06,69 We are trying to widen the spectrum of this knowledge, not only among the academics 525 01:03:06,69 --> 01:03:12,44 but also among the local community so that they can feel that they have old history and they are proud of. 526 01:03:12,44 --> 01:03:17,28 Interviewer: So that they understand that old history and that they’re proud of it? 527 01:03:17,28 --> 01:03:20,31 Prakhaim: Yes. 528 01:03:20,32 --> 01:03:28,97 This is our intention, not only studying the cultural heritage in academic way, but also to let people know 529 01:03:28,97 --> 01:03:36,21 and to let the community know that they have ancient history which contributed in the development of humanity as part 530 01:03:36,21 --> 01:03:40,02 of the development of civilizations. Yeah. 531 01:03:40,02 --> 01:03:41,99 Interviewer: It’s quite a struggle. 532 01:03:41,99 --> 01:03:56,59 Prakhaim: Yeah. I mean, I don’t know. This is something … but this is evident. I mean, as you see, everywhere … 533 01:03:56,59 --> 01:03:57,43 Interviewer: For you, it is evident. 534 01:03:57,43 --> 01:03:57,87 Prakhaim: Huh? 535 01:03:57,87 --> 01:04:01,01 Interviewer: For you, it’s evident, but this is also for the people evident? 536 01:04:01,01 --> 01:04:03,54 Prakhaim: I mean, for the people, I don’t think so. 537 01:04:03,55 --> 01:04:11,97 I don’t think that old people in Jordan, it’s evident for them that Petra, for example, 538 01:04:13,4 --> 01:04:17,96 that it’s contributed in the human development and the human civilizations. 539 01:04:17,96 --> 01:04:22,07 For my father, for example, he never visited Petra. 540 01:04:23,34 --> 01:04:33,72 He’s from the local Jordanian community, but he didn’t visit Petra before. I’m speaking of myself. Yes. 541 01:04:33,72 --> 01:04:36,5 Interviewer: Why not? 542 01:04:36,5 --> 01:04:44,00 Prakhaim: Well, okay, he’s 72 years old. He has his own interests. 543 01:04:44,00 --> 01:04:49,96 He’s a businessman and he’s maybe not interested in this field, 544 01:04:50,71 --> 01:05:07,5 but I promised him to take home to Petra in maybe one or two years. I’m trying to convince him. My concern-. 545 01:05:00,79 --> 01:05:08,04 Interviewer: Is it difficult to convince him? You are the one that ... 546 01:05:07,5 --> 01:05:07,95 Prakhaim: Yes. That’s [crosstalk 01:05:07] 547 01:05:08,04 --> 01:05:08,84 Interviewer: … discovered its history, I mean. 548 01:05:08,84 --> 01:05:18,42 Prakhaim: This is the paradox because I'm the one who should make him aware about our ancient heritage, 549 01:05:18,43 --> 01:05:20,17 but I'm now concerned … 550 01:05:20,17 --> 01:05:26,56 Interviewer: What you’re saying is, it is strange, your father- 551 01:05:26,56 --> 01:05:26,85 Prakhaim: Yes. 552 01:05:26,85 --> 01:05:32,71 Interviewer: You want … you opened the window and your father has to be convinced to join you 553 01:05:32,71 --> 01:05:33,93 and look through the window? 554 01:05:33,93 --> 01:05:39,73 Prakhaim: Yes, through my window. Yeah. Yes, this is a kind of paradox. 555 01:05:40,16 --> 01:05:49,11 I can’t explain that, but he didn’t get the right education to be aware of the importance of our cultural heritage. 556 01:05:50,93 --> 01:05:53,41 We are trying this within the generation now. Yeah. 557 01:05:53,41 --> 01:05:56,67 Interviewer: When you look at this paradox, 558 01:05:56,67 --> 01:06:04,94 because your father stands for much more people than … he stands for the Jordan, for the general opinion about it. 559 01:06:04,94 --> 01:06:07,24 Prakhaim: No, not necessarily general opinion. No. 560 01:06:07,24 --> 01:06:13,73 I mean, in his age, there are people who are interested, who are interested in this heritage and- 561 01:06:13,73 --> 01:06:22,43 Interviewer: Is it sometimes, do you feel lonely … Is it sometimes difficult to know so much of that beautiful era 562 01:06:22,79 --> 01:06:29,34 and, as you see, so many people that you’re going to convince or try to convince, 563 01:06:29,34 --> 01:06:33,69 is it also a lonely feeling that you are one of the few that understands it? 564 01:06:33,69 --> 01:06:37,46 Prakhaim: Yes. Sometimes, yes. Yeah, this is true. 565 01:06:37,98 --> 01:06:44,00 I feel myself sometimes alone even among my colleagues at the university. 566 01:06:44,00 --> 01:06:45,03 Interviewer: Why? How come? Why? 567 01:06:45,03 --> 01:06:47,99 Prakhaim: I mean, not in my faculty, but in general. 568 01:06:47,99 --> 01:06:49,41 Interviewer: Yeah, but it was- 569 01:06:49,41 --> 01:06:58,32 Prakhaim: Young generation now is interested in different things, in IT and business administration, finance, 570 01:06:58,32 --> 01:06:59,32 et cetera. 571 01:07:00,3 --> 01:07:09,67 This field is not … Okay, it’s respected in Jordan, but students mostly are interested, 572 01:07:10,05 --> 01:07:18,6 or young generation is interested in majors through which they can earn money. 573 01:07:19,68 --> 01:07:28,29 I have to admit, through archeology and heritage, this is sometimes difficult. Yeah. 574 01:07:28,29 --> 01:07:31,18 Interviewer: That makes you lonely? 575 01:07:31,18 --> 01:07:35,05 Prakhaim: Well, yeah. Maybe yes. Yeah. 576 01:07:35,05 --> 01:07:43,03 Maybe, but I have some colleagues here in Jordan with whom I can communicate and exchange ideas. 577 01:07:43,18 --> 01:07:51,66 I have also colleagues from Europe and the States, in the United States, and we exchange ideas and opinions, 578 01:07:51,67 --> 01:08:03,4 but mostly we remain in the academic realm. That’s the problem.. 579 01:07:57,69 --> 01:08:03,34 The challenge now, how to raise awareness about the importance .. 580 01:08:03,4 --> 01:08:09,92 I mean, how to raise awareness among the community members about this important cultural heritage, 581 01:08:10,65 --> 01:08:18,04 which should be disseminated and get known to a wide range of people. This is a challenge. 582 01:08:18,04 --> 01:08:26,58 I mean, okay, as an academic, I do my part, but there are other parties that can work with us. 583 01:08:27,04 --> 01:08:32,18 For example, the media now, media can reach everybody in his room 584 01:08:32,18 --> 01:08:37,91 and I think we have to work on this now in the next stage. 585 01:08:37,91 --> 01:08:38,91 Interviewer: Yeah. 586 01:08:40,27 --> 01:08:49,57 Then you do your start with the rest of the history of Jordan because this also has to be discovered 587 01:08:49,57 --> 01:08:52,32 or has to be understood? 588 01:08:52,32 --> 01:08:57,74 Prakhaim: Yeah. It have to be studied, discovered, explored. Yeah, but I’m just one person. 589 01:08:58,17 --> 01:09:07,34 That’s why I said that we have to build a generation to get involved in studying this culture. 590 01:09:07,34 --> 01:09:21,07 Interviewer: Yeah. What is your dream? When you’re thinking 10, 15 years, what is your ideal Jordan look like? 591 01:09:21,07 --> 01:09:23,33 Prakhaim: Jordan- 592 01:09:23,33 --> 01:09:24,22 Interviewer: As in, in your- 593 01:09:24,22 --> 01:09:25,85 Prakhaim: In my field? 594 01:09:25,85 --> 01:09:27,89 Interviewer: In your field. 595 01:09:27,89 --> 01:09:28,89 Prakhaim: Yes. 596 01:09:28,89 --> 01:09:41,08 I expect or I hope and wish that we are going to establish an academic school here in Jordan, 597 01:09:41,08 --> 01:09:46,82 academic school not in terms of university or in the way of thinking in this field. 598 01:09:48,57 --> 01:09:55,7 I think I’m part of this generation now, because I was trained in Jordan for my BA and MA, 599 01:09:55,96 --> 01:10:03,96 and I’m very proud to get my first training in Jordan and it was consolidated by my study in Germany 600 01:10:03,96 --> 01:10:09,02 and my academic stays in Europe and the United States. 601 01:10:09,37 --> 01:10:22,00 I’m sure that we are going further and try with the future generation, of course, to build this academic school, 602 01:10:22,00 --> 01:10:30,5 this academic school of thought in the field of cultural heritage in general. Yeah. 603 01:10:30,5 --> 01:10:35,89 Interviewer: When you look at the field where you’re now researching, where we were before, 604 01:10:35,89 --> 01:10:44,15 is it like … that’s quite a lot of work also, all those stones. Are all those stones ready? 605 01:10:44,15 --> 01:10:45,95 Prakhaim: Yeah, not all the stones. 606 01:10:46,4 --> 01:10:53,84 As we have seen yesterday, we had to penetrate in the desert for 40 kilometers to find the place, 607 01:10:54,53 --> 01:10:58,24 to find the site where we worked before. 608 01:10:59,22 --> 01:10:59,8 Yes, 609 01:10:59,8 --> 01:11:07,91 there's a countless number of such inscriptions that’s spread over the stones in the desert right there in the north, 610 01:11:07,91 --> 01:11:12,83 I mean, Northeastern Badia. Yeah, of course, they need expertise. They need scholars. 611 01:11:13,43 --> 01:11:19,31 They need more trained students and also research institutions. 612 01:11:19,31 --> 01:11:32,3 It was I suggested once a day to establish a kind of a research center there in the desert, so that such inscriptions, 613 01:11:32,3 --> 01:11:39,64 such archeology, such science can be easily accessible to us. Yeah. 614 01:11:39,64 --> 01:11:45,44 I mean, this is one of my dreams, to establish a research center there. 615 01:11:45,44 --> 01:11:48,14 Speaker 1: Where do they publish their findings? 616 01:11:48,14 --> 01:11:49,03 Interviewer: Where do they publish their findings? 617 01:11:49,03 --> 01:11:59,26 Prakhaim: Well, usually either we publish the findings in books or we publish them in journals in different languages, 618 01:11:59,26 --> 01:12:02,32 Arabic, German, English. Yeah. 619 01:12:02,32 --> 01:12:12,84 Those languages are accessible for us, and sometimes in French, because some of my colleagues graduated from France 620 01:12:13,17 --> 01:12:20,71 and England, for example, and they prefer to write in the languages they mastered. 621 01:12:20,71 --> 01:12:24,96 Interviewer: Here in Jordan?. 622 01:12:23,39 --> 01:12:24,81 Prakhaim: Yes. Of course, we have .. 623 01:12:25,26 --> 01:12:34,37 In fact the academic situation and the level of education in Jordan is good here 624 01:12:34,37 --> 01:12:42,17 and it has a high standard in comparison to other institutions in the region. 625 01:12:42,17 --> 01:12:47,83 Interviewer: Can you, for example, also the stories that shed light on this era, pre-Islamic era, 626 01:12:48,87 --> 01:12:56,05 is it easy to share it with the general public? Is it allowed? 627 01:12:56,05 --> 01:13:01,02 Prakhaim: Yeah, of course. Yes. Yeah, yeah. I mean, we can share it with the public. 628 01:13:01,02 --> 01:13:03,86 We hold conferences about our new discoveries. 629 01:13:03,86 --> 01:13:12,68 In a few, I think it will … we are planning for a workshop I think in March, 630 01:13:12,68 --> 01:13:22,23 2016 on this subject about new discoveries in Jordan, new epigraphical discoveries in Jordan. Yes. 631 01:13:22,23 --> 01:13:32,74 There's no problem to share the information with the public, because sometimes we compose our articles 632 01:13:33,18 --> 01:13:40,33 and research papers in Arabic and Arabic is accessible for everybody in Jordan. 633 01:13:40,33 --> 01:13:45,2 Interviewer: Now that you kind of mentioned about it, but I’m also meaning is it is sometimes, I suppose, 634 01:13:45,34 --> 01:13:55,9 difficult to … when you have a lot of people who think of the time before as ignorant, as an ignorant time, 635 01:13:56,7 --> 01:14:01,31 to let them know and look through this window, you see a different world. 636 01:14:01,31 --> 01:14:06,75 Prakhaim: Yes. Yeah.. 637 01:14:01,66 --> 01:14:06,41 Interviewer: Like what you’re saying about what you’re doing with [inaudible 01:14:05] 638 01:14:06,75 --> 01:14:09,97 Prakhaim: Yeah, this is true. 639 01:14:09,97 --> 01:14:13,71 In fact, the best way is to implement 640 01:14:13,71 --> 01:14:22,25 or to use the modern media to make the people aware about what we are discovering. 641 01:14:22,8 --> 01:14:33,73 I’m trying my best now to convince my university to integrate this discipline, this academic discipline, 642 01:14:34,23 --> 01:14:39,75 into different academic fields. 643 01:14:39,75 --> 01:14:50,1 Not only in archeology, in the archeological context, but also maybe in the Department of Arabic Studies, 644 01:14:50,1 --> 01:14:57,45 because the Arabic Studies, Departments of Arabic Studies in the Arab world, 645 01:14:57,45 --> 01:15:07,46 they are in fact not totally concerned with the ancient sources that we encounter in Arabia before Islam. 646 01:15:07,46 --> 01:15:13,69 Interviewer: What is the essence of what they are finding, what you are finding? 647 01:15:13,69 --> 01:15:26,42 Prakhaim: Yes. In fact, it’s very essential to understand cultural, historical aspects on the basis of inscriptions. 648 01:15:27,00 --> 01:15:28,26 For example, 649 01:15:29,03 --> 01:15:39,56 we know that Arabia has had always a constant contact with the surrounding that we discovered through the inscriptions, 650 01:15:39,88 --> 01:15:50,05 through the texts. We know, for example, that Arabia had contacts with Egypt, with Greece, with Asia, with the other ... 651 01:15:50,5 --> 01:15:58,53 With the Asian Modern Turkey, which was Asia Minor, and also with other remote areas. 652 01:15:58,68 --> 01:16:08,03 For example, in the Semite say, they reached Morocco and reached Tunisia and Morocco. 653 01:16:08,55 --> 01:16:17,05 Through the inscriptions, we can find out how those people, how the Semitic people in this area were in strong 654 01:16:17,05 --> 01:16:21,32 and constant contact with the other people in the world. 655 01:16:21,32 --> 01:16:28,12 Interviewer: Why is it you work … You find all these findings, and it’s very important information, 656 01:16:28,12 --> 01:16:35,4 but we look around in a part of the world where all kind of conflicts emerge now around Jordan. 657 01:16:35,4 --> 01:16:44,08 Prakhaim: Yeah., 658 01:16:35,78 --> 01:16:45,44 Interviewer: Which is all about historical, well, misconceptions also. I mean, [crosstalk 01:16:43] there’s all kind. 659 01:16:45,62 --> 01:16:48,8 You have countries that say you have to believe this and you do it like that. 660 01:16:49,09 --> 01:17:03,48 You have groups that says it’s like this and you should do it. How is that?. 661 01:16:54,72 --> 01:17:03,41 I can imagine that that is a lonely feeling when in this part of the world where they treat history .. 662 01:17:03,48 --> 01:17:09,49 Prakhaim: Yes. In fact, that’s why we have to understand history in the proper way. 663 01:17:09,59 --> 01:17:16,17 We don’t have to politicize history. This is the most dangerous thing. 664 01:17:20,17 --> 01:17:30,86 Every group tries to say that, "I’m the one who follows the right way," but this is not true. 665 01:17:30,86 --> 01:17:41,03 I mean, we have a basic ground, a basic ground which we have to understand it as it is. 666 01:17:41,66 --> 01:17:51,06 We don’t have to reflect our political backgrounds on the culture. 667 01:17:51,06 --> 01:17:57,08 If we politicize, I don’t know whether I’m using the right word, if we understand culture 668 01:17:57,81 --> 01:18:07,76 and religion as well in their political context, definitely the result will be dangerous. Yeah. 669 01:18:07,76 --> 01:18:09,65 Interviewer: You see that? 670 01:18:09,65 --> 01:18:19,34 Prakhaim: Yes. In fact, that’s what’s happening now in the surrounding region. I mean, it’s difficult. 671 01:18:19,34 --> 01:18:22,18 Yeah, every group has its own understanding 672 01:18:22,18 --> 01:18:34,73 and they defend that in different ways because of the lack of cultural dialog. I’m dreaming of- 673 01:18:34,73 --> 01:18:42,54 Interviewer: Could you explain to me what it means what you are doing, and what people you work with are doing, 674 01:18:42,71 --> 01:18:46,83 for the enhancement of identity and the enrichment of identity? 675 01:18:46,83 --> 01:18:56,09 Prakhaim: Yes. In fact, maybe as you have seen, that I’m working in different fields, but they are interrelated. 676 01:18:57,67 --> 01:19:08,25 I’m using the information contained in the inscriptions in order to reach a certain result. 677 01:19:08,25 --> 01:19:16,84 I’m using also information gained from cultural heritage in general, especially the intangible cultural heritage, 678 01:19:16,84 --> 01:19:28,73 to put these results together in order to show how cultural heritage in general is important for identity. 679 01:19:28,73 --> 01:19:36,19 In fact, identity is not contained only in inscriptions, but also in other sources. 680 01:19:36,19 --> 01:19:45,79 I mean, for example, the Arabian poetry is part of our history. It’s part of our identity, or the Arabic poetry. 681 01:19:45,79 --> 01:19:50,85 Also, the Holy Book, Koran, is also part of our identity. 682 01:19:50,85 --> 01:19:55,75 Of course, it’s written in Arabic and I think it’s very crucial 683 01:19:55,75 --> 01:20:02,84 and important to understand what the others wrote about Koran. 684 01:20:02,84 --> 01:20:09,42 There are several institutions in Europe and the United States that take care … I mean, 685 01:20:09,42 --> 01:20:18,01 that study Koran from a different perspective and a different methodology. 686 01:20:18,01 --> 01:20:27,62 A lot of studies appeared in the last 20 years about Koran from Germany, France, and other countries in the world, 687 01:20:28,00 --> 01:20:31,69 but I have the problem, 688 01:20:31,69 --> 01:20:43,73 or I think I would suggest to the academic institutions in the Arab world to start understanding what the Europeans 689 01:20:43,73 --> 01:20:48,6 wrote about this book, about this Holy Book in fact, 690 01:20:49,1 --> 01:20:56,58 so that we can understand from the methodological level how the European scholars study Koran. 691 01:20:57,47 --> 01:21:00,25 Because studying the Koran traditionally, 692 01:21:03,34 --> 01:21:15,23 without taking into consideration the new publications written in different languages, for example in German, French 693 01:21:15,23 --> 01:21:24,18 or Russian, I don’t know, I think it would lead to a kind of … I don’t know. 694 01:21:24,18 --> 01:21:31,23 It could lead to a kind of misunderstanding of the others and their work concerning Koran. 695 01:21:33,85 --> 01:21:46,36 Because it’s, for me, important to show how Europeans dealt with the Koran in general especially in the last 20, 696 01:21:46,36 --> 01:21:48,28 50 years ago. 697 01:21:48,28 --> 01:21:58,12 All their literature about Koran mostly translated into Arabic and we knew the contents of it, but in the last 20, 698 01:21:58,12 --> 01:22:08,49 50 years, we have … I mean, Arab scholars who has no access to foreign languages, this will remain for them closed. 699 01:22:08,49 --> 01:22:17,71 I mean, this literature written in other languages remains for them closed. They don’t know a lot about it. 700 01:22:18,24 --> 01:22:25,3 That’s why I suggest that we start translating this into Arabic. Yeah. 701 01:22:25,3 --> 01:22:32,84 Interviewer: That’s the core of who you are. I mean, languages are the key. 702 01:22:32,84 --> 01:22:35,84 Prakhaim: Yes, are the key of cultures. Yeah. 703 01:22:35,84 --> 01:22:39,43 Interviewer: Also to understand identity, your own identity. 704 01:22:39,43 --> 01:22:40,39 Prakhaim: Yes, of course. 705 01:22:40,5 --> 01:22:49,03 I mean, well, studying ancient written sources that are written in Arabian languages 706 01:22:49,03 --> 01:23:00,12 and studying also their cultural connotations in addition to their cultural backgrounds, 707 01:23:00,12 --> 01:23:09,4 and this would shed the light on the people who wrote these texts and also make them feel proud about our identity. 708 01:23:09,4 --> 01:23:11,46 Interviewer: And understanding their identity. 709 01:23:11,46 --> 01:23:14,97 Prakhaim: Yeah, and to understand it in a proper way. Yeah. 710 01:23:14,97 --> 01:23:15,76 Interviewer: Yeah. 711 01:23:16,28 --> 01:23:25,59 For that reason, the languages, the understanding of languages form the basis for … You know what I mean? 712 01:23:25,59 --> 01:23:30,04 Prakhaim: Yes, of course. The languages are the keys. 713 01:23:30,04 --> 01:23:39,02 They are the keys to cultures, and cultural values are contained in cultures. 714 01:23:41,2 --> 01:23:48,33 Studying the languages is of course the key to understand the cultural backgrounds. 715 01:23:48,69 --> 01:23:56,53 Especially regarding ancient civilizations, because they don’t exist anymore, 716 01:23:56,53 --> 01:24:02,84 but we have the text that have been left by those who composed them. 717 01:24:03,12 --> 01:24:12,89 We can get some glimpses about the cultural background from these texts 718 01:24:13,96 --> 01:24:18,79 and they would help us in enhancing the identity. 719 01:24:18,79 --> 01:24:20,08 Interviewer: That’s why your work is so important. 720 01:24:20,08 --> 01:24:20,93 Prakhaim: Thank you very much. 721 01:24:20,93 --> 01:24:24,29 Interviewer: Don’t you think yourself that it's important? 722 01:24:24,29 --> 01:24:24,96 Prakhaim: Yeah, of course. 723 01:24:25,14 --> 01:24:36,24 I mean, I think it’s an important discipline, which should be supported in every Jordanian institution. 724 01:24:37,11 --> 01:24:38,48 Academic institution, I mean. 725 01:24:38,48 --> 01:24:41,97 Interviewer: And by every Jordanian. 726 01:24:41,97 --> 01:24:43,29 Prakhaim: Yes, of course. 727 01:24:43,29 --> 01:24:47,32 First of all, we have to start in the academic institutions, 728 01:24:47,32 --> 01:24:56,01 and then we should think in a further step how to disseminate this knowledge among the local communities. 729 01:24:56,01 --> 01:25:02,46 Interviewer: Yeah.. 730 01:24:56,61 --> 01:25:02,43 There’s also people that visit Petra, for example, understand what Petra is and that’s [crosstalk 01:25:01] 731 01:25:02,46 --> 01:25:02,68 Prakhaim: Yes, of course. Yeah. 732 01:25:02,68 --> 01:25:05,81 Interviewer: Because now it’s sometimes used as a kind of a … not a- 733 01:25:05,81 --> 01:25:12,41 Prakhaim: Well, yeah, this is the difficult story to film because now Petra is being consumed, 734 01:25:12,87 --> 01:25:17,05 if we remain investing it in this way. 735 01:25:18,28 --> 01:25:35,14 I feel that Petra is part of our identity here in Jordan and we have to preserve it. 736 01:25:26,42 --> 01:25:34,8 and safeguard it as a cultural space for the future generations because it is .. 737 01:25:35,14 --> 01:25:46,5 I mean, a site like Petra is a place which is unparalleled in the world. 738 01:25:47,16 --> 01:25:54,66 We are very proud to have it, but we have in the same time to do our best to safeguard it 739 01:25:54,66 --> 01:25:58,18 and also to present it in a proper way. 740 01:25:58,18 --> 01:26:09,29 In addition to it being as part of our identity in Jordan, 741 01:26:09,3 --> 01:26:15,93 I think it’s also a source for income generation for the national income. 742 01:26:20,69 --> 01:26:29,73 We have the ability here in Jordan to start working on the sites in a proper way to conserve it 743 01:26:29,73 --> 01:26:39,75 and to safeguard it for future generations. This also can be applied to other sites in Jordan. 744 01:26:39,76 --> 01:26:45,34 As you mentioned before, Jordan is a museum. It’s an open museum. 745 01:26:45,34 --> 01:26:52,86 If you travel from the north to the south, you will always encounter cultural heritage sites or nature sites, 746 01:26:56,13 --> 01:27:01,46 and they constitute of course a part of our local identity. 747 01:27:01,46 --> 01:27:03,59 Interviewer: They only have to see it then? 748 01:27:03,59 --> 01:27:05,96 Prakhaim: Yes. I mean, this is an important thing as well. 749 01:27:06,18 --> 01:27:15,13 We have to make the people aware, aware of the importance of such archeological sites or heritage sites in general. 750 01:27:15,13 --> 01:27:21,31 Interviewer: Because by understanding it, they understand their own identity? 751 01:27:21,31 --> 01:27:22,2 Prakhaim: Yeah, definitely. 752 01:27:22,2 --> 01:27:25,5 Interviewer: That they understand they are more than just an Islamic 753 01:27:26,41 --> 01:27:36,11 or just they’re more … that there’s more than the Islamic history? 754 01:27:36,11 --> 01:27:39,73 Prakhaim: Yes. In fact, I feel that this part is not certain. I mean, like- 755 01:27:39,73 --> 01:27:40,7 Interviewer: Okay, okay. 756 01:27:40,7 --> 01:27:49,26 Prakhaim: I mean, Islam is also a part of our history, part of our identity as well. If you want to … I don’t know. 757 01:27:49,26 --> 01:27:54,28 Do you want me to say it again? 758 01:27:54,28 --> 01:27:57,73 Interviewer: Well, you can say it in … Yeah, you can say it again the way you like. 759 01:27:57,73 --> 01:27:58,36 Prakhaim: Yes. 760 01:27:58,36 --> 01:28:03,02 In fact, it’s not only the cultural heritage is part of our identity 761 01:28:03,02 --> 01:28:15,12 and the religious identity of the people who are living in Jordan is part of the entire identity of the Jordanian 762 01:28:15,12 --> 01:28:16,24 community. 763 01:28:17,08 --> 01:28:19,93 We have Muslims, we have Christians here in Jordan, 764 01:28:19,93 --> 01:28:27,26 but they constitute … both religions here in Jordan are part of our identity as Jordanians in whole. 765 01:28:27,26 --> 01:28:31,2 Interviewer: And Arabs as a whole? 766 01:28:31,2 --> 01:28:33,00 Prakhaim: Yeah, yeah. As Arabs of course, yes. 767 01:28:33,00 --> 01:28:38,42 Interviewer: Yeah. So a lot of work to do for you? 768 01:28:38,42 --> 01:28:43,5 Prakhaim: Yes. In fact, I am an individual, but I’m trying my best. 769 01:28:45,07 --> 01:28:59,25 As I mentioned, I hope that we can cooperate with the young generation too, then to have a group of researchers, 770 01:28:59,25 --> 01:29:06,33 a group of interested people, not only from the academic institutions 771 01:29:06,34 --> 01:29:11,63 but also from the local communities to work together 772 01:29:11,63 --> 01:29:22,71 and to cooperate so that we can enhance our identity as Jordanians, as Muslims, Christians, and as Arabs. 773 01:29:22,71 --> 01:29:23,71 Interviewer: Yeah. 774 01:29:23,71 --> 01:29:24,38 Prakhaim: Yeah.