Jerusalem Pilgrimage 1099 1185

In the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem many pilgrims came to Jerusalem. The translations in this book are of seventeen western accounts of pilgrimage, written between 1099 and 1185, and there are two additional accounts from eastern pilgrims, Abbot Daniel from Russia and John Phocas from Antioch. As a whole this collection shows the gradually developing way in which western Christians understood the Holy Places. Some early pilgrims depended on authorities, many of whom by 1099 were out-of-date. They tried to deliver the truth about the Holy Places and to be reticent about their own reactions. But the pilgrims who appear later in the collections made their own archaeological judgements, and were more free about their own reactions. Pilgrimage after 1099 was altered by the fact that by their victory over Jerusalem the Dome of the Rock fell into the Crusader's hands. Otherwise the differences of practice between eastern and western pilgrims were slight. Thus eastern pilgrims visited the Greek and western pilgrims the Latin monasteries. Western pilgrims had a different idea of the location of Emmaus, and before 1185 a western Way of the Cross was beginning to take shape. These were slight differences, and in general all Christian pilgrims, whether from east or west, visited the same Holy Places as they had during the preceding period. Most of the works in this collection were translated into English a century ago by the Palestine Pilgrim's Text Society. But these texts were produced separately as pamphlets, and lacked a general introduction. In this book therefore the texts are retranslated, sometimes from more accurate texts. In introducing the texts some valuable new evidence from archaeology has been used and enabled a new assessment of their dates.

Edition of previously published translations of texts in Latin, Greek, Arabic and other languages, and new translations of texts in Icelandic and Russian.

Eastward Bound looks at travel and travelers in the medieval period. An international range of distinguished contributors offer discussions on a wide range of themes, from the experiences of Crusaders on campaign, to the lives of pilgrims, missionaries and traders in the Middle East. It examines their modes of travel, equipment and methods of navigation, and considers their expectations and experiences en route. The contributions also look at the variety of motives--public and private--behind the decision to travel eastwards. Other essays discuss the attitudes of Middle-Eastern rulers to their visitors. In so doing they provide a valuable perspective and insight into the behavior of the Europeans and non-Europeans alike.

St. Sabas (439-532 CE), was one of the principal leaders of Palestinian monasticism, that had flourished in the sixth century in the desert of Jerusalem. As an abbot he was the first in Palestine to formulate a monastic rule in writing, and his activity as an ecclesiastical leader bore upon the life of the entire Christian community in the Holy land. He and his monks were active in the theological disputes that affected the fate of the Christian Church of Palestine, and shaped it as a stronghold of Orthodoxy. But his activity has transcended his place and time. His largest monastery - the Great Laura (Mar saba), functioned from the sixth to the ninth century as the intellectual centre of the See of Jerusalem. The most distinguished among its authors were Cyril of Scythopolis, Leontius of Byzantium, John Moschus and Sophronius, Antiochus Monachos, John of Damascus, Cosmas the Hymnographer, Leontius of Damascus and Stephen Mansur. Their treatises on dogma, and prayer, shaped Orthodox theology, liturgy and hymnography in Palestine and beyond. This literary activity in Greek was complemented by scribal activity of copying and translating of Greek manuscripts into Arabic and Georgian. There was also original composition in Arabic by Theodore Abu Qurrah and others. Monastic life in Mar Saba, that continued under Muslim rule with only short intermissions, preserved the Sabaite tradition, and contributed to its reputation, parallel to that of Jerusalem. Sabaite monks were renown as paragons of monasticism and dogma, who had inspired monastic and ecclesiastical reformers in later centuries throughout the Orthodox world. Its fame spread far and wide, from Rome and North Africa in the west, to Serbia, Russia and Georgia in the east, affecting Christian dogma and liturgy therein. The thirty-one studies included in this volume, each written by an expert in his field, present the various facets of the Sabaite heritage in the Orthodox Church, from the sixth century to the present.

In the 88 years between its establishment by the victorious armies of the First Crusade and its collapse following the disastrous defeat at Hattin, the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem was the site of vibrant artistic and architectural activity. As the crusaders rebuilt some of Christendom's most sacred churches, or embellished others with murals and mosaics, a unique and highly original art was created. Focusing on the sculptural, mosaic, and mural cycles adorning some of the most important shrines in the Kingdom (such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, The Basilica of the Annunciation, and the Church of the Nativity), this book offers a broad perspective of Crusader art and architecture. Among the many aspects discussed are competition among pilgrimage sites, crusader manipulation of biblical models, the image of the Muslim, and others. Building on recent developments in the fields of patronage studies and reception theory, the book offers a study of the complex ways in which Crusader art addressed its diverse audiences (Franks, indigenous eastern Christians, pilgrims) while serving the intentions of its patrons. Of particular interest to scholars and students of the Crusades and of Crusader art, as well as scholars and students of medieval art in general, this book will appeal to all those engaging with intercultural encounters, acculturation, Christian-Muslim relations, pilgrimage, the Holy Land, medieval devotion and theology, Byzantine art, reception theory and medieval patronage.

A pilgrim spirituality for Holy Land travel, Jerusalem Bound resources the Christian traveler with biblical, historical, and contemporary images of the pilgrim life. Integrating historical sources, on-the-ground experience, and the voices of global pilgrims, Jerusalem Bound presents a fresh approach to pilgrimage, explores pilgrim identity and the Holy Land experience, offers ideas for Holy Land travel, and encourages pilgrims to focus upon the Other as much as themselves. Unique among Holy Land resources, Jerusalem Bound discusses material that is seldom addressed on a Holy Land journey: the motives of Holy Land pilgrims, the history of the Christian Holy Land, understanding the holy sites, pilgrim practices, material objects, and the challenges of Holy Land pilgrimage. Emphasizing the incarnational nature of lived experience, the book encourages pilgrims to derive meaning in both the highs and lows of religious travel. Attentive to the transformational nature of pilgrimage, Jerusalem Bound is ultimately interested in Christian formation and the aftermath of the Holy Land journey.

This account of the Christian world, East and West, from AD 312 - 1500 challenges the usual Euro-centric view of medieval Christianity. The author reconstructs the faith and heritage of medieval Christendom, revealing its extraordinary impact in both great empires and tiny enclaves.