ELMACINUS, ELMACIN, or ELMARIN, GEORGE, author of a History of the Saracens, and known in the East by the name of Ibn-Amid, was a Christian of Egypt, where he was born in the year of the hegira 620, and of our era 1225. He occupied the place of ketib or secretary at the court of the sultans of Egypt; an office which was usually filled by Christians. His history comes down from the time of Mahomet till the year of the hegira 512, answering to the year of our Lord 1117; in which he sets down year by year, in a very concise manner, whatever regards the Saracen empire, intermixed with some passages relating to the eastern Christians. His abilities must have been considerable, since, as we have just seen, he held an office of trust near the persons of the Mahomedan princes. He was son to Yaser Al Amid, secretary to the council of war under the sultans of Egypt for forty-five years; and in 1238, when his father died, succeeded him in his place. He died at Damascus in the year of the hegira 675, and of our era 1273. His history of the Saracens was translated from Arabic into Latin by Erpinus, and printed in both languages at Leyden, 1625, in folio. Erpinus superintended it, and added a preface. It was dedicated by Erpinus's widow to Dr Andrews, bishop of Winchester. The title of the work is, Historia Saracenica, quæ res gestæ Muslimorum, inde a Muhammede primo imperii et religionis Muslimicæ auctore, usque ad initium imperii Atabecæ, per XLIX. imperatorum successionem fidelissime explicantur, insertis etiam passim Christianorum rebus in Orientis potissimum ecclesiæ eodem tempore gestis. Arabic olim exarata a G. Elmacino et Latine reddita. Leyden, 1625, 8vo. The Latin text was printed separately the same year, in quarto; and there also exists an edition which only contains the Arabic text, and appears to have been designed for the Christians of the Levant. The work has been translated in whole or in part into several modern languages.