The harassment of Christians by the Muslims led to the emigration of Christians from Palestine to Cyprus, Anatolia and Constantinople, and to the conversion of others into Islam. The Islamicization of Christians is probably related to the process of Arabicization. During the Early Islamic period many Christian sacred texts were translated into Arabic, and there is even evidence for prayers being chanted in Arabic. The Arabic translation of the Gospels was accomplished between 630 and 840 � its earliest extant manuscripts originated in Jerusalem and are located in the Mount Sinai monastery. Most of the manuscripts were translated and copied at St. Sabas monastery in the Judean desert. From the eighth century on Arabic became the language of daily intercourse as well as of ritual liturgy.