Archaeologist Nevo (1932-92) and Koren, an information specialist in Haifa, Israel, join other western scholars in claiming that Muslim sources for the origins and spread of the religion must be radically reinterpreted or discarded as historical evidence. The main problem, they say, is not bias, but the fact that the earliest material was written two centuries after events they describe. They rely on contemporary literary sources and on material remains such as archaeological findings, epigraphy, and coins. Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)