Unknown, Ways and Pilgrimages of the Holy Land A 1.1-1.3

https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/179

Context

Two versions of Ways and Pilgrimages of the Holy Land (A and B) survive from the middle of the 13th century, both of which show a close similarity in content to the Holy Pilgrimages. They both trace two circuits for pilgrims, one from Acre across the Plain of Sharon and Ramla to Jerusalem and the other back to Acco from Jerusalem by way of Samaria, but they vary in the density, organization, and content of the geographical and biblical information. Version A, which survives at the Vatican in a manuscript in Old Provençal copied during the 14th century, provides copious detail concerning the sites between Acco and Ioppa. The passage on Caesarea describes sites in the city’s hinterland as well as in its immediate vicinity or interior.

Text

Ces ssont les chamins qui droytament vuet aler de la cité d’Acre en Iherusalem e les pelerinarges de los sains e les luoqs qui sont en la droyte vie. (1) Qui droytemenc vuet aler en Iherusalem, ci voie en tele manieyra come ilh est en cest escrit devisé: Primerament l’on vait d’Acre à Cayphas, au quel chamin ilh i a .iiij. lieuas. Essi après d’illueques la Montaingne dou Carme, on le luoc mosseignour saint Danis est, ce est assavoir là ont ilh fu nés ad une ville que l’on apele Ffranche ville, auquel luoq est una chapele. Ssos l’autier ad une pierre valée. Au giét d’une pierre est la Fontaine de mosseignour saint Danis, laquele ilh trova e la fist de ssas propes mayns. E ssachiés qui ilh i a mot bieu luoq & es le plus sayn luoq de toute le montanha à cuer d’ome. (2) En celé mees[me] montaingne est l’abaye de ma dame sainte Marguarite, la quele est de moines, ont ilh i a enssi bieu luoq. Et dessos cele habaye au pendant est le luoq ont saint Helyas habita, auquel luoq est mot bele chapele en la roche. Après de cela habaye de Sainte Marguarite en le costieira en cele meesme montaigne, y a mot bieu luoq e delitos, hont habitant les ermitans latins que l’en apele fréres dou Carme, ont ilh a une mot bele petite yglise de Nostre Dame. E por tot celuy luoq a grant playnté de bones aygues que yehent de la roche de la montaigne; de la quele habaye de Grex iusques as hermitans a une lieua e dymie. Après y a .j. luoq aval au playn en ssus de la mer, entre Sainte Marguarite e les fréres dou Carme, que a nom Anne. Illueq, ssi com l’en dit, furent fais le clos dont Nostre Seignhor fon cloés e encores par le luoc ont ilh furent fargés. Après cele montaigne dou Carme à la partie des hermitans latins à la costieira devers Chastieu Pelerin, ssi a .j. luoq que l’on apela Saint Iehan de Tire, ont ilh i a .j. mostier de Grex, ont saint Iehan ssist motz de biaus miracles. Après celui luoq vers Chastieu Pelerin, y a une ville que l’on apele Capharnaüm, on furent ssais les deniers des quals fu vendu Nostre Ssire. Da Chaïphas à Chastieu Pelerin ssi a .iij. lieuas, le quel chastieu ssiét su la mer, e ssu de la maisson dou Temple; & yqui gist ma dame sainte Euphemie, virge e martir. De Chastieu Pelerin à la cité de Cezaire, ssi a .v. lieuas, lequele cité est su la mer, & est d’un baron dou roiaume. Dehors des murs de cele cité est une chapele ont saint Corneli gist, que saint Pére babtiza, lequel ffu après missire saint Pére archivesque de cele cité. En près de cele chapele ssi a une mot bele pierre de marm, grant e longe, la quele l’on apele la Table de Nostre Seignor. Essy i a .ij. autres pierres de ce marbre comme la table, qui ssont toutes rondes, groces dessos et agües dessus, que l’en dit les Chandeliers de Nostre Seignor. Après à mayn senestra, près d’une ville que a nom Pan perdu, ssi est une chapele de Nostre Dame, qui ssiét sur le marayns, ont ilh I a molt sain luoq, auquel marays y a molt de cocatrix. (3) De Sezaire ad Arssuf y a .ij. lieuas, le quel chastieu sét .j. petit près de la mer ssur .j. tertre de ssablon, lequel chastieu est de l’Ospital, au quel chamin par sessus ssiét Roche talliée & .j. mauvays pays, & là sse aubergent males gens aucune ssois por tallier le chamin à ceaus qui vont à Iaphe. 1

Textual Note

Ed. Michelant and Raynaud 1882

Textual Note

Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana 3136, folios 19-25 (14th century)

Translation

These are the ways that should rightly lead from Acre to Jerusalem and the pilgrimages of the saints and the places that are on the right road. (1) Whoever wants to go to Jerusalem will see how to here, as it is set out in this document. First of all one goes from Acre to Cayphas, a journey of 4 leagues. Also after that (is) Mount Carmel, in the place where my lord St. Denys is, that is to say there where he was born in a town called Freetown [Franche ville], where there is a chapel. Beneath the altar there is a precious stone. A stone’s throw away is the fountain of my lord St. Denys, which he found and made with his own hands. And know that this is a very beautiful place, and it is the healthiest place on the whole mountain in the heart of man. (2) On this same mountain is the abbey of my lady St. Margaret, which belongs to [Greek] monks, where there is also a beautiful place. And below this abbey on the slope is the place where St. Elias lived, where there is a very beautiful chapel in the rock. After this abbey of St. Margaret, on the side of this same mountain, there is a very beautiful and delightful place where live the Latin hermits, who are called the Friars of Carmel; there is a very beautiful church of Our Lady. And throughout that whole place there is a great supply of good water, which issues from the rock of the mountain. From the abbey of the Greeks to the hermits is one league and a half. Afterwards there is a place below in the plain above the sea, between St. Margaret and the Friars of Carmel, which is called Anne. There, so it is said, were made the nails with which Our Lord was nailed; and the place where they were forged may still be seen. After that mountain, Carmel, in the direction of the Latin hermits on the flank facing Pilgrims’ Castle [Chastieu Pelerin] there is a place called St. John of Tira, where there is a monastery of the Greeks, where St. John performed many miracles. After that place towards Pilgrims’ Castle there is a town called Capharnaüm, where were made the pieces of silver for which Our Lord was sold. From Cayphas to Pilgrims’ Castle is 3 leagues. This castle stands on the sea and belonged to the House of the Temple; and there lies my lady St. Euphemia, virgin and martyr. From Pilgrims’ Castle to the city of Caesarea is 5 leagues. That city is on the sea and belongs to a baron of the kingdom. Outside the walls of that city is a chapel where St. Cornelius lies, whom St. Peter baptized and who after my lord St. Peter was the archbishop of that city. And near that chapel is a very beautiful stone of marble, big and long, which is called the Table of Our Lord. Likewise, there are two other stones of marble like that of the Table that are quite round, thick at the bottom and long, pointed at the top, which are called the Candlesticks of Our Lord. Afterwards, on the left, near a town called Lost Bread [Pan perdu], there is a chapel of our Lady situated above the marsh, where there is a very holy place. In that marsh there are many crocodiles. (3) From Caesarea to Arssuf is 2 leagues. The castle stands close to the sea on a sandy knoll and belongs to the Hospital. On the road above stands Cut Rock [Roche talliée], a bad place where evil people encamp from time to time to cut off the road to those going to Iaphe. 2

Translation Note

Rev. Pringle 2018

Discussion Note

Pringle (2018, pp. 41, 211 n. 16) identifies the “baron of the kingdom” (baron dou roiaume) as John Laleman, who last held Caesarea before its fall to Baybars in 1265.

Works Cited

1 Unknown, Les chemins et les pelerinages de la Terre Saint (av. 1265), Texte A, in Itinéraires à Jérusalem et descriptions de la Terre Sainte rédigés en français au XIe, XIIe et XIIIe siècles, ed. Henri-Victor Michelant and Gaston Raynaud, repr. Osnabrück: Zeller, 1966, Publications de la Societe de l’Orient latin. Serie geographique 3 (Paris: Jules-Guillaume Fick, 1882), 177–78, p: 177-181, ch: 1.1-1.3.
2 Unknown, The Ways and Pilgrimages of the Holy Land (1244-1265) [Texts A and B], in Pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the Holy Land, 1187-1291, trans. Denys Pringle, Crusade Texts in Translation 23 (London: Routledge, 2018), 209–28, p: 209-213.

Additional Bibliography

Sabino de Sandoli, Itinera Hierosolymitana Crucesignatorum (Saec. XII-XIII) IV: Tempore Regni Latini Extremo: 1245-1291. Textus Latini Cum Versione Italica, vol. 4, 4 vols., Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, Collectio Major 24 (Jerusalem: Franciscan Printing Press, 1984), p: 58-69.

How to Cite This Entry

Joseph L. Rife, “Unknown, Ways and Pilgrimages of the Holy Land A 1.1-1.3,” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published June 30, 2023, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/179.

Bibliography:

Joseph L. Rife, “Unknown, Ways and Pilgrimages of the Holy Land A 1.1-1.3.” In Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, edited by Joseph L. Rife., edited by Joseph L. Rife. Caesarea City and Port Exploration Project, 2023. Entry published June 30, 2023. https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/179.

About this Entry

Entry Title: Unknown, Ways and Pilgrimages of the Holy Land A 1.1-1.3

Authorial and Editorial Responsibility:

Joseph L. Rife, general editor, Vanderbilt University
Joseph L. Rife, editor, Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia
David A. Michelson, Daniel L. Schwartz, and William L. Potter, technical editor, “Unknown, Ways and Pilgrimages of the Holy Land A 1.1-1.3”
Joseph L. Rife, entry contributor, “Unknown, Ways and Pilgrimages of the Holy Land A 1.1-1.3”

Additional Credit:

TEI encoding by William L. Potter
Electronic text added by Joseph L. Rife
Testimonia identified by Joseph L. Rife

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