The Necronomicon or Book of Dead Names of Abdul Al Hazred as Made Plain from the Arab by Dr. John Dee
by Dr. John Dee
1586

EXCERPT FROM PREFACE:

In English, translated by John Dee, c.1586. An accurate but expurgated version of the greek edition. Printed only in small numbers by private publishers, manuscript copies also are known to have existed. It is from this edition that this reprint comes from.

The word "necromicon" is actually the title of a greek translaction made around 950 A.D. by Theodoras Philetas from an original Arabic manuscript... The name, "necromicon", which the Latin version retains, means something like things pertaining to the customs, practices or laws of the dead....The original writer was supposed to have been an Arab named Abdul al Hazrad who supposedly died around 738 A.D. in Damascus. Death was due to being torn apart in the street by unseen entities. The name is probably mistranslation since no self-respecting Arab would have such a name. The true name was probably Abd Al Azrad. In Arabic the name is more of a title meaning "the slave of the devourer" or " worshiper of the great devourer", supposedly alluding to the Great Old Ones.