batch.motif.islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg-l23960-l24044
---
record_id: batch.motif.islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg-l23960-l24044
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
passage_locator:
label: CHAPTER XVIII. / IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD. / CHAPTER XIX. / IN
THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.; lines 23960-24044
start: '23960'
end: '24044'
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: Notes and translated verses recount Mary’s retirement, Gabriel’s annunciation
and conception traditions, her labor by a palm-tree, provision of dates and drink,
her vow of silence, her return to her people with the child, the infant Jesus
speaking in defense and declaring his prophetic status, followed by doctrinal
statements about God, Jesus, judgment, and return to God.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Mary retires to an eastern place or private chamber according to the note,
with traditions explaining her withdrawal as either ritual seclusion or prayer.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Gabriel is described in the notes as appearing in human form and causing conception
by breath reaching Mary’s womb.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Mary goes out of the city by night to a mountain to conceal her delivery,
according to the note.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: Mary leans on or is associated with a withered palm trunk during labor, and
the note says it miraculously supplied fruit in winter.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: Mary is told to shake the palm-tree so that ripe dates fall, and to eat, drink,
and calm herself.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: Mary is instructed to say she has vowed a fast to the Merciful and will not
speak to any man that day.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: Mary brings the child to her people carrying him in her arms, and they accuse
her of doing a strange thing.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: Mary makes signs toward the child for him to answer, while the people question
how they can speak to an infant in the cradle.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:9
text: The infant child speaks, declaring himself the servant of God, recipient of
the gospel, and appointed prophet.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:10
text: The speaking child says he has been commanded to observe prayer and give alms,
and to be dutiful toward his mother.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:11
text: The passage identifies the child as Jesus, son of Mary, and denies that it
is meet for God to have a son.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:12
text: The passage warns of a day of judgment, a day of sighing, and states that
all creatures will return to God.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Mary
description: The mother who withdraws, gives birth, carries the child to her people,
and signals for him to answer.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Gabriel
description: The angel named in the notes as visiting Mary and causing conception
by breath.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: The child / Jesus, son of Mary
description: An infant in the cradle who speaks and is identified as Jesus, son
of Mary.
role_refs:
- role:4
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Mary’s people
description: The people to whom Mary brings the child; they question and accuse
her.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: God
description: Named as the Merciful, the Lord, and the one who decrees by saying
Be, judges, inherits the earth, and to whom all return.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
roles:
- id: role:1
label: mother in concealed birth episode
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Mary withdraws, gives birth away from her people, and returns carrying the
child.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- id: role:2
label: silent witness using signs
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Mary is instructed not to speak and later makes signs to the child.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: role:3
label: angelic messenger and agent of conception in commentary
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The notes identify Gabriel as the angel who visits Mary and whose breath
causes conception.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:4
label: miraculously speaking infant
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The child speaks while identified as an infant in the cradle.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: role:5
label: prophet and servant of God
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The child declares himself servant of God and appointed prophet.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:6
label: questioning community
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Mary’s people accuse her and question how to speak to an infant.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:7
label: divine lord and judge
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The passage commands service to God and describes judgment and return to
God.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: palm-tree
literal_form: A palm-tree or withered palm trunk that supplies ripe dates when shaken.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: sym:2
label: ripe dates
literal_form: Ripe dates falling from the palm-tree for Mary to eat.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:3
label: mountain
literal_form: A mountain outside the city to which Mary goes by night to conceal
delivery, according to the note.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs:
- mountain
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:4
label: cradle
literal_form: The cradle from which the infant is expected not to be able to speak.
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:5
label: vow of silence or fast
literal_form: Mary’s declaration that she has vowed a fast to the Merciful and will
not speak to a man that day.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Annunciation and conception traditions in notes
summary: The notes describe Mary’s retirement and Gabriel’s appearance and breath
causing conception.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Birth by the palm-tree
summary: Mary goes outside the city toward a mountain for delivery; the palm-tree
provides dates, and she is told to eat, drink, and calm herself.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Vow of silence
summary: Mary is instructed to respond to any questioner by saying she has vowed
a fast to the Merciful and will not speak to a man that day.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:4
label: Mary returns with the child
summary: Mary carries the child to her people; they accuse her, and she points to
the infant in the cradle.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:5
label: Infant declaration
summary: The infant speaks, identifies himself as God’s servant, says he has received
the gospel and prophetic appointment, and blesses his birth, death, and raising
to life.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: scene:6
label: Doctrine and judgment
summary: The passage identifies Jesus as son of Mary, rejects divine sonship for
God, calls service to God the right way, and warns of judgment and return to God.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:5
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: sacred birth with miraculous provision
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_birth
basis: Mary’s concealed delivery is accompanied by a palm-tree that supplies ripe
dates and by instruction to eat and drink.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The passage is in translation and includes explanatory notes; the motif
label abstracts from the literal birth scene.
- id: motif:2
label: miraculous speaking infant
taxonomy_refs:
- miraculous_child
basis: The infant in the cradle speaks to defend or explain his status and declares
himself servant of God and prophet.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: The passage identifies the infant as Jesus; the extraction does not generalize
beyond the cited scene.
- id: motif:3
label: resurrection or raising to life
taxonomy_refs:
- resurrection
basis: The child’s speech includes peace on the day he will be raised to life.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: This is a doctrinal statement within a speech, not a narrated resurrection
event in the passage.
- id: motif:4
label: divine judgment and return to God
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_judgment
basis: The passage warns of the great day and day of sighing, judgment, and all
creatures returning to God.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
confidence: high
cautions: This is an eschatological warning rather than a developed journey narrative.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: The note explicitly says the Mohammedan account of Mary’s delivery resembles
poetic accounts of Latona, especially the palm-tree detail and speaking infants.
claim_level: visual_similarity
target: Latona birth account in poets, as cited by Sale’s note
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: medium
limitations: The comparison is supplied by the translator’s note, not by the Qur'anic
narrative itself; no historical contact or dependence is established in the passage.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 23960-23982
quote_or_summary: Notes describe Mary’s eastern retirement or private chamber, traditions
about her seclusion, Gabriel appearing in human form, and Gabriel’s breath causing
conception.
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 23983-23994
quote_or_summary: A note says Mary went out of the city by night to a mountain to
conceal delivery and that a withered palm trunk miraculously supplied fruit in
winter.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: quote
locator: lines 24009-24014
quote_or_summary: "“shake the body of the palm-tree,” “eat, and drink, and calm
thy mind,” and say, “I have vowed a fast unto the Merciful.”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 24015-24021
quote_or_summary: Mary brings the child to her people; they accuse her, she points
to the child, and they ask how they can speak to an infant in the cradle.
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 24022-24031
quote_or_summary: The child says he is God’s servant, has received the gospel, is
appointed a prophet, is commanded to pray and give alms, is dutiful to his mother,
and will have peace at birth, death, and being raised to life.
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 24032-24037
quote_or_summary: The passage identifies Jesus as son of Mary, says it is not meet
for God to have a son, describes God’s command as “Be,” and says God is Lord to
be served.
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 24038-24044
quote_or_summary: The passage warns of unbelievers’ appearance at the great day,
the day of sighing, divine determination, inheritance of the earth, and the return
of all to God.
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 23995-24002
quote_or_summary: Sale’s note states that the Mohammedan account of Mary’s delivery
resembles poetic accounts of Latona, citing the palm-tree and speaking infants
as points of resemblance.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: medium
notes: Core figures and scenes are explicit. Motif labels are limited to available
taxonomy references and literal passage evidence. The Latona comparison is present
only in the translator’s note.
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: |-
Extraction uses only the supplied passage text and metadata; interpretive labels are kept separate from literal observations.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg__l23960-l24044
passage_sha256=ce4366d21f2adbdaca79307ae7a8d028ffbbef0935f13f2d48f1b154d2c46888