The Pilgrimage Of Joannes Phocas In The Holy Land In The Year 1185 A D

Excerpt from The Pilgrimage of Joannes Phocas in the Holy Land (in the Year 1185 A. D.) Whilst, my excellent friend Nihusius, I was at Chios, diligently turning over various mss., obtained in various places, there came into my hands the 'brief description, by Joannes Phocas, of the (holy) places in Palestine and Syria, ' not very well written in very small characters upon silk. He appeared an elegant and accurate writer, considering the time at which he lived, and consequently I had intended to read him carefully, but being occupied with other business, neglected to do. So. Many years afterwards, when at Rome, I was recalling to my memory the mss. Which I had seen, and in the course of familiar conversation the subject of the Holy Places had been mentioned, I again remembered Phocas, and conceived a great desire to obtain him for myself. I wrote again and again to my friends, and even to him who had given me the use of the ms. I begged and prayed and even offered rewards; but I only wasted my time. I always received a prompt answer to all my inquiries, except only about this one writer. Consequently, I at last ceased to trouble about him. However, after a year had passed, while I was interested in other matters, mss. Reached me from a friend who had just come from Chios. While I was looking over their titles, behold Phocas appeared, dropped as it were from the skies, not written in another hand, but the very original which I had seen at Chios. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

At what point is a place perceived as holy? And when does it become officially so in its definition? Inspired by the UNESCO debate and decisions made concerning holy places, the authors seek answers to these questions. "Naming the Sacred" is a diachronic excursus into the issues of perception and denomination of holy places. The volume examines historical cases in which names and places have been modified or literally eliminated and others where places were subject to policies of protection and tutelage. The work appertains to an ongoing, evolving global debate where the challenge of the reciprocal recognition of holy sites has become increasingly complex.

This book studies the archaeological record of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, surveying past excavations as well as recent research carried out within the church over the past three decades. An archaeological survey provides historical context for the second part of the book—a collection of primary sources pertinent to the history of the church.

William G. Dever is recognized as the doyen of North American archaeologist-historians who work in the field of the ancient Levant. He is best known as the director of excavations at the site of Gezer but has worked at numerous other sites, and his many students have led dozens of other expeditions. He has been editor of the Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, was for many years professor in the influential archaeology program at the University of Arizona, and now in retirement continues actively to write and publish. In this volume, 46 of his colleagues and students contribute essays in his honor, reflecting the broad scope of his interests, particularly in terms of the historical implications of archaeology.