Early Islamic Rural Administration and Toponymy in Kūrat Qaysārīyah: New Evidence of Umayyad Lead Bullae

Abstract

This article presents Umayyad lead bullae from Kūrat Qaysārīyah, including the first securely read specimens naming Kafr Yārūb, Bal‘am[a], and Baydūs. These bullae, bearing administrative formulas linking kūrah, iqlīm, and village, provide critical evidence for early Islamic rural governance in Filasṭīn. Integrating epigraphy, archaeology, and toponymy, the study reconstructs a granular fiscal geography and offers new insights into interprovincial boundaries, linguistic continuity, and administrative reach. The findings shed new light on the scale and structure of Umayyad provincial administration, and demonstrate how lead seals can recalibrate our understanding of early Islamic statecraft and regional organization.