Quiz for Source 11.4: Living and Dying during the Black Death

1. Question 11.13

   Who was Ibn Kathir?
   

   Who was Ibn Kathir?

   A.

   A Muslim physician from Cairo in Egypt who asserted that the plague was a natural disease

   B.

   A Muslim philosopher from Cairo in Egypt who asserted that the Quran provided lessons to protect society from the plague

   C.

   An Islamic teacher from Damascus who lived through the initial outbreak of the plague in the city

   D.

   A historian of Islam from Damascus who wrote of the arrival of the plague in the city about a century after the event

2. Question 11.14

   Which of the following best describes what happened in Damascus during the plague?
   

   Which of the following best describes what happened in Damascus during the plague?

   A.

   Society split along class lines, with the poor seeking to seize the wealth of the rich once the plague struck.

   B.

   Society split along sectarian lines, with the Muslim majority expelling all nonbelievers from the city.

   C.

   Muslims, Christians, and Jews united as a community to beseech God’s help.

   D.

   The Muslim majority united in its own ceremonies to beseech God’s help, while Christians and Jews also conducted their own ceremonies.

3. Question 11.15

   Which of the following best describes the actions taken by the people of Damascus to avert the plague?
   

   Which of the following best describes the actions taken by the people of Damascus to avert the plague?

   A.

   They appealed to God for his protection through a variety of religious rituals, but also sealed the city from the outside world.

   B.

   They appealed for God’s protection through a variety of religious activities, relying on these alone to protect the city.

   C.

   They appealed for God’s protection through a variety of religious rituals, but also sought to purify the city by cleaning the streets.

   D.

   They appealed for God’s protection through a variety of religious rituals, but also sought to purify the city by expelling all nonbelievers.

4. Question 11.16

   What does Ibn Kathir’s account of the plague in Damascus add to our understanding of the plague in Ibn al-Wardi’s account (Source 11.1) of the nearby city of Aleppo?
   

   What does Ibn Kathir’s account of the plague in Damascus add to our understanding of the plague in Ibn al-Wardi’s account (Source 11.1) of the nearby city of Aleppo?

   A.

   Only Ibn Kathir focuses on specific actions taken to secure God’s protection from the plague.

   B.

   Only Ibn Kathir focuses on tensions between religious faiths caused by the plague.

   C.

   Only Ibn Kathir focuses on efforts to explain the plague as a natural disease.

   D.

   Only Ibn Kathir reveals the conflicts between rich and poor caused by the plague.