Benjamin of tudela book of travels

The book of travels article about the book of travels by. Through three continents in the twelfth century by uri shulevitz. His book of travels, written in hebrew, recounts his grueling, oftendangerous journey through what is modernday france, italy, greece, cyprus, israel, syria, iraq, iran, and egypt. Applying insights gleaned from recent theoretical studies of space, jacobss essay a days journey. The travels of benjamin of tudela by uri shulevitz. Uri shulevitz a fictionalized account of the travels of benjamin, a jewish man from tudela, spain, who, in 1159, set out on a fourteenyearlong journey that took him to italy, greece, palestine, persia, china. A brief comparison of the book of travels with two other jewish travel accounts of the twelfth century highlights some of its particular 12 the brief reign of louis x. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study.

The travels of benjamin of tudela more than a century before marco polo packed his bags, a spanish jew embarked on a 14year journey through france, italy, greece and into the middle. The project gutenberg ebook of the itinerary of benjamin of tudela. The travels of benjamin of tudela book by uri shulevitz. In the preface to his itinerary, entitled massaot shel rabbi binyamin travels of rabbi benjamin, the information is furnished that he came from tudela in navarre, and that his fathers name was jonah. There is no general account of the mediterranean world or of the middle east in the midtwelfth century which approaches that of benjamin of tudela in importance, whether for jewish or for general history. Uri shulevitz wrote and illustrated the travels of benjamin of tudela. His travel diary, the book of travels, has been a godsend for historians. A rabbi religious scholar and leader originally from spain, benjamin set out on a world journey around 1159. Travels of the last benjamin of tudela is not only a jewish poem. The travelogue takes readers over land and water from tudela in northern spain to romes arch of titus and on to constantinoples christmas spectacle, through syria to crusaderheld jerusalem, then to persia, and finally egypt and mount sinai. Dumouza, 19thcentury engraving there is no consensus among scholars as to benjamin of tudelas exact route, although most scholars believe from his itinerary that he travelled on a popular route frequented by travelers at the time. This book details the travels of benjamin of tudela, in his quest to see jerusalem and other areas accessible from the mediterranean sea. Benjamin of tudela, mentioned in the rishonim, was a jewish traveler and he cataloged all the jewish communities he came across from rome and europe to the far east.

This thesis explores the transmission and reception of benjamin of tudelas book of travels, a twelfthcentury hebrew travel narrative. Benjamin of tudela article about benjamin of tudela by. The travels of benjamin of tudela by uri shulevitz, uri. In 11656 he set off on a voyage through the mediterranean region, mesopotamia, palestine, arabia, egypt, and other places in asia minor and the near east, before returning to spain in 1173 and publishing an account of his travels. In the year 1173 benjamin of tudela, spain, ended his fourteenyear trek through parts of europe, asia, and africa. I found benjamin of tudelas account of his travels to be extremely interesting, in his genuine desire to accurately describe the places and people he visited, along with his frequent misunderstandings or misrememberings. This fictionalized account reveals many of the sites that benjamin saw and what he may have encountered along the way, from the hazards of. Benjamin of tudela was a 12thcentury jewish merchant from, predictably, the spanish town of tudela. Scholarship of the book of travels is fragmentary, descriptive and largely focused on what the narrative can tell scholars about. The book he wrote is called safer hamassaot book of travelsa lively report, written in an easy, fluent hebrew, on the people and the places he had seen in the. His account, massaoth schel rabbi benjamin, sheds light on the situation of jews in europe and asia. Benjamin of tudela, the itinerary of benjamin of tudela. The travels of benjamin the third is that work, and the brevity which permits it to be printed as a 124page schocken library book is ascribable to this fundamental divergence from the general pattern of mendeles other works. The travels of benjamin of tudela is a 2006 bank street best childrens book of the year.

Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. An english translation was published in 1840 as the itinerary of rabbi benjamin of tudela. Professor megalommatis, as usual, did a superb work of providing the theological, philosophical and mystic dimensions behind benjamin s travels. Professor megalommatis, as usual, did a superb work of providing the theological, philosophical and mystic dimensions behind benjamins travels. The said rabbi benjamin set forth from tudela, his native city, and passed through many remote countries, as. This man traveled through many and distant countries, as related in the following account, and took down in writing in each place what he saw or what. In the largest sense, it is a meditation on fate, both personal and human. Digging below the surface of his own assumptions, mendele came to the hardbed of a psychological reality he could not continue to explore without undermining the.

Benjamin of tudela was a native of spain whose travels from there to the east took place between 1169 and 1171 a. This study explores the notions of space underlying a famous hebrew travel account from the twelfth century. Nothing whatsoever is known about him except that which emerges from his famous sefer hamassa. Shulevitz bases this extraordinary work on benjamin s own book of travels and many other sources listed in an extensive bibliography. Working from benjamins original chronicle, written in hebrew, as well as other sources on the period, uri shulevitz captures the true spirit of this amazing adventurer, using a text written in the first person and superlative illustrations. Though only a layman, he was well versed in hebrew, arabic and spanish likely basic french as well and was familiar with the leading jewish poets, scholars and physicians of his day. This book contains the reports of rabbi benjamin, the son of jonah, of blessed memory, 1 of tudela, in the kingdom of navarre. Shulevitz bases this extraordinary work on benjamins own book of travels and many other sources listed in an extensive bibliography. To what extent is his book of travels a reliable account of his personal observations on the road, where does he take poetic license, and why. The travels of benjamin of tudela npr coverage of the travels of benjamin of tudela.

Working from benjamin s original chronicle, written in hebrew, as well as other sources on the period, uri shulevitz captures the true spirit of this amazing adventurer, using a text written in the first person and superlative illustrations. This picture book is an interesting factfilled read about a medieval jewish traveller known as benjamin of tudela. Spatial perceptions and geographic imagination in benjamin of tudelas book of travels shows how benjamins sefer masaot book of travels depicts movement through space as a way to express a complex cultural experience. The travels of benjamin of tudela by uri shulevitz scholastic. Benjamin of tudela, born 12th century, navarre france, rabbi who was the first known european traveler to approach the frontiers of china and whose account of his journey, massa. This man traveled through many and distant countries, as related in the following account, and took down in writing in each place what he saw or what was told him by men of integrity, whose names were known in spain. A fictionalized account of the travels of benjamin, a jewish man from tudela, spain, who, in 1159, set out on a fourteenyearlong journey that took him to italy, greece, palestine, persia, china, egypt, and sicily. He crossed southern europe, north africa, the eastern mediterranean and visited egypt before returning home.

Beyond his journey, no facts of his life are known. Buy a cheap copy of the travels of benjamin of tudela book by uri shulevitz. A fictionalized account of the travels of benjamin, a jewish man from tudela, spain, who, in 1159, set out on a fourteenyearlong journey that took him to. The book he wrote is called safer hamassaot book of travelsa lively report, written in an easy, fluent hebrew, on the people and the places he had seen in the course of a grand tour from his native city tudela in the province of navarre to the four quarters of the globe. The wellknown israeli poet nathan alterman wrote a poem about benjamin of tudela, which was set to music by naomi shemer and was often heard on the israeli radio. This is the book of travels, which was compiled by rabbi benjamin, the son of jonah, of the land of navarrehis. Sephardi perspectives on the medieval muslim world. Within the genre of jewish travel literature, few works are more celebrated than that of benjamin of tudelas sefermasaot, or book of travels. The fictional account reads like a diary, and the narrative is very informative and engaging. The transmission and reception of benjamin of tudelas book of travels from the twelfth century to 1633.

A virtual encyclopedia of jewish life in the 12th century, which means it coincides with the crusades and the height of spanish jewry. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer. I read this book not in this edition, but in greek, by stochastis editions, with comments by professor megalommatis. Despite errors, the book is an invaluable historical source. Jewish rabbi benjamin of tudela, spain, book of travels, ca 1170 c. There is no general account of the mediterranean world or of the middle east in the. The said rabbi benjamin set forth from tudela, his native city, and passed through many remote countries, as is related in his book. Grade 48benjamin, a spanish jew, left his native town of tudela in 1159 to embark on a 14year journey across the middle east. The book he wrote is called safer hamassaot book of travels a lively report, written in an easy, fluent hebrew, on the people and the places he had seen in the course of a grand tour from his native city tudela in the province of navarre to the four quarters of the globe. He described his years abroad in a book, the travels of benjamin, masaot binyamin, also known as, sefer hamasaot, the book of. His vivid descriptions of western asia preceded those of marco polo by a hundred years. The history is especially fascinating given the current.

Over 100 years before marco polo made his journey, benjamin left tudela, spain to travel throughout the known world a journey that took him 14 years. Full text of the itinerary of benjamin of tudela critical. Hot free books the itinerary of benjamin of tudela. The economic activities referenced in the source most directly contributed to which of the following in eurasia during this time period. Travels of the last benjamin of tudela is a long autobiographical meditation of 1,014 lines divided into 59 unnumbered stanzas of irregular length.

Through the lens of benjamins fascinating travel account, the audience will learn about a premodern jewish world spanning from iberia to the middle east and beyond. May 11, 2016 read the travels of benjamin of tudela. Through three continents in the twelfth century ebook. Diffusion of cultural, literary, and artistic traditions along trade routes. Through three continents in the twelfth centuryimagine a time when streets were narrow and dirty, towns were surrounded by walls, brigands lurked alongside roads. The caldecottwinning author and illustrator worked from the original hebrew chronicle to create this eyepopping book, a recommendation from washington. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. Tudela, kingdom of navarre, 1 castile, 1173 was a medieval jewish traveler who visited europe, asia, and africa in the 12th century. Cip a fictionalized account of the travels of benjamin, a jewish man from tudela, spain, who, in 1159, set out on a fourteenyearlong journey that took him to italy, greece, palestine, persia, egypt, and sicily. Benjamin ben jonah of tudela second half of 12 th century, the greatest medieval jewish traveler. Benjamin of tudela pronounced todayla is the author of one of the most famous early travel books, the itinerary of benjamin of tudela. The travels of benjamin of tudela internet archive.