Excerpt:
The names of some of its colleges, Jesus, Christ's, Trinity, Magdalene, St John's, are straight out of the Bible.
And a succession of princes, earls, dukes, and lords have assumed the largely ceremonial position of Chancellor down the ages.
But on Sunday night, after the votes are counted, the institution may have a Muslim community leader at its helm for the first time.
Abdul Arain hatched a plan to turn 802 years of convention on its head after supermarket giant Sainsbury's announced plans to open a store near his shop in Mill Road.