The Quranic Noah narratives provide a fascinating window into the making of Muhammad as an eschatological prophet. This book examines their form, content, and sources as a means of deciphering the scribal and intertextual nature of the Qur'?n and the Jewish-Christian background of the messianic controversy out of which Islam emerged. The view that Muhammad was once tentatively thought of as a new Messiah challenges our picture of Islam's origins.