batch.motif.islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg-l1026-l1112
---
record_id: batch.motif.islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg-l1026-l1112
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
passage_locator:
label: A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS / THE KORAN. / PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE / SECTION I.;
lines 1026-1112
start: '1026'
end: '1112'
translation: The Koran (Al-Qur'an)
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: The passage describes Mecca's setting, water scarcity, provisioning, pilgrimage
economy, and reputed holiness; then describes Medina, several Arabian provinces,
and a classification of ancient Arab tribes, including destroyed or lost tribes
whose remembered catastrophes are said to be preserved by tradition and confirmed
by the Koran.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Mecca, also called Becca, is described as one of the most ancient cities of
the world, located in a stony and barren valley surrounded by mountains.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The city has no usable springs except the well Zemzem, whose water is described
as brackish; inhabitants rely on rain-water caught in cisterns and on attempted
aqueduct supply.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: The soil about Mecca is described as very barren, producing no grain for local
use, so provisions must be brought from other places.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: Hashem appointed two yearly caravans, one in summer and one in winter, to
help supply Mecca with provisions.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: The yearly pilgrimage brings a large concourse of people of many nations and
a major fair or market for merchandise.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: Outside Mecca's territory, the passage says one finds good springs, running
water, gardens, and cultivated lands.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:7
text: The temple of Mecca and the reputed holiness of the territory are mentioned,
with fuller treatment deferred.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:8
text: Medina, formerly called Yathreb, is described as a walled city where Mohammed
lies interred in a magnificent building adjoining the great temple.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:9
text: Several Arabian provinces are geographically described by name, including
Tehama, Najd, and Yamama.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:10
text: Arabian writers are said to distinguish the inhabitants into old lost Arabians
and the present Arabians.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:11
text: The former ancient Arabians are described as tribes now destroyed or lost
among other tribes, with memories of remarkable events and tribal catastrophes
preserved by tradition and confirmed by the Koran.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:12
text: The named ancient Arabian tribes include Ad, Thamud, Tasm, Jadis, the former
Jorham, and Amalek.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Mohammed
description: Named as having spent the last ten years of his life at the referenced
place and as interred at Medina.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Inhabitants of Mecca
description: Residents of a barren city who rely on stored rain-water, imported
provisions, and income associated with pilgrimage and trade.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Zobair
description: A principal man of the tribe of Koreish who attempted to supply Mecca
with water from Mount Arafat.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Hashem
description: Mohammed's great-grandfather and prince of his tribe, said to have
appointed two yearly caravans for provisioning.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Pilgrims
description: People of almost all nations who come to Mecca at the yearly pilgrimage.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Khalif al Moktader
description: Named as finishing an aqueduct after several years' labour.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Moseilama
description: Described as Mohammed's competitor and a false prophet resident in
Yamama.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Old lost Arabians
description: Ancient Arabian tribes described as destroyed or lost and known through
tradition and the Koran.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
roles:
- id: role:1
label: interred prophet
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The passage states that Mohammed lies interred at Medina in a magnificent
building.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:2
label: desert-city inhabitants dependent on stored and imported resources
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The inhabitants are described as using cistern water, importing provisions,
and living where necessities must be purchased.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: role:3
label: water-supply patron or builder
assigned_to:
- fig:3
- fig:6
basis: Zobair attempted to bring water to Mecca, and al Moktader finished an aqueduct
from a distant spring.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:4
label: provisioning organizer
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Hashem appointed two caravans each year to supply Mecca with provisions.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:5
label: pilgrimage visitors
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The passage describes a prodigious concourse of people at the yearly pilgrimage.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:6
label: rival prophet figure
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Moseilama is called Mohammed's competitor and the false prophet in the description
of Yamama.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: role:7
label: lost ancestral tribes
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: The old Arabians are said to be ancient tribes now destroyed or lost, with
memories of their catastrophes preserved.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: mountain-enclosed barren valley
literal_form: Stony and barren valley surrounded by mountains around Mecca
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs:
- mountain
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: scarce water and Zamzam well
literal_form: Well Zemzem, rain-water cisterns, springs, aqueducts, and running
water beyond Mecca
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- id: sym:3
label: temple and holy territory
literal_form: The temple of Mecca and the reputed holiness of its territory
associated_figures:
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:4
label: provisioning caravans
literal_form: Two yearly caravans, one in summer and one in winter, bringing provisions
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:5
label: lost tribes
literal_form: Ancient tribes described as destroyed or lost, including Ad, Thamud,
Tasm, Jadis, former Jorham, and Amalek
associated_figures:
- fig:8
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Mecca in a barren mountain valley
summary: The passage presents Mecca as an ancient city in a stony, barren valley
enclosed by mountains, with buildings made from nearby stone.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Water scarcity and supply attempts at Mecca
summary: The passage describes scarce and poor local water, reliance on rain-water
cisterns, and attempts by named patrons to bring water by aqueduct.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Provisioning and pilgrimage economy
summary: Because the soil produces little, provisions are brought in by caravans,
and the city gains wealth from the annual pilgrimage and associated market.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:6
- id: scene:4
label: Medina and provincial geography
summary: Medina is described as Mohammed's burial place, and nearby Arabian provinces
are identified by terrain, boundaries, and notable associations.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:7
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: scene:5
label: Old lost Arabians and remembered catastrophes
summary: The passage classifies ancient Arabians as destroyed or absorbed tribes
whose events and catastrophes survive in tradition and are said to be confirmed
by the Koran.
figure_refs:
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: holy pilgrimage center in a barren landscape
taxonomy_refs:
- world_center
basis: Mecca is described as a barren mountain-surrounded city with a temple, reputed
holy territory, and annual pilgrimage drawing people of many nations.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage mentions holiness and pilgrimage but does not here explain
the temple rituals or cosmological centrality.
- id: motif:2
label: life-sustaining water sought in a desert city
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The city lacks drinkable springs apart from Zamzam, depends on cisterns,
and receives repeated efforts to bring water by aqueduct from elsewhere.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: This is a literal geographic and infrastructural pattern in the passage;
no explicit sacred-water interpretation is developed here.
- id: motif:3
label: lost ancient tribes remembered through tradition and scripture
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The passage describes old Arabian tribes as destroyed or lost, with memories
of events and catastrophes preserved by tradition and confirmed by the Koran.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage does not narrate the events or assign causes for the catastrophes.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 1028-1037
quote_or_summary: Mecca/Becca is described as ancient, situated in a stony barren
valley, surrounded by mountains, with the city built of stone from neighboring
mountains.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 1037-1054
quote_or_summary: Mecca has no usable springs except Zemzem, relies on cisterns,
and multiple attempts are described to bring water by aqueduct, including efforts
associated with Zobair and al Moktader.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 1055-1067
quote_or_summary: The soil near Mecca is very barren; grain must be fetched from
elsewhere; Hashem appointed two annual caravans, one in summer and one in winter,
to supply provisions.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 1068-1076
quote_or_summary: The inhabitants gain from the large annual pilgrimage, which brings
people of almost all nations and a great fair or market for merchandise.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 1090-1093
quote_or_summary: Outside Mecca's territory, the passage says there are good springs,
running water, gardens, and cultivated lands.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 1094-1095
quote_or_summary: The temple of Mecca and the reputed holiness of the territory
are mentioned, with further discussion deferred.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 1096-1102
quote_or_summary: Medina, formerly Yathreb, is described as a walled city; Mohammed
is interred there in a magnificent building adjoining the great temple.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 1103-1112
quote_or_summary: The provinces Tehama, Najd, and Yamama are geographically described;
Yamama is associated with Mohammed's competitor Moseilama.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 1112-1119
quote_or_summary: Arabian writers distinguish old lost Arabians from present Arabians;
the former tribes are said to be destroyed or lost, with memories of remarkable
events and catastrophes preserved by tradition and confirmed by the Koran.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: lines 1119-1120
quote_or_summary: The famous ancient Arabian tribes named include Ad, Thamud, Tasm,
Jadis, the former Jorham, and Amalek.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: medium
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Extraction is based on a geographical and historical prose passage rather
than a mythic narrative. Motif candidates are cautious and mainly concern sacred
place, water scarcity, provisioning, and lost tribes.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Only the supplied passage and metadata were used. Line locators are approximate within the provided stable range because the excerpt includes embedded footnotes and continues beyond the stated end for the lost-tribes sentence.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg__l1026-l1112
passage_sha256=8d97dedb905ae72287849bf0fb274d941477e8a7e8b801147a070efdf2306098