Dietrich, The Holy Places 1298-1301
created: This entry is taken from The Holy Places 1298-1301 written by Dietrich in 1170-1
edition published: 2023-06-30-05:00
language: la; la
availability: Except for materials quoted from other sources, this entry is copyright 2023 by the contributors (Joseph L. Rife, et al.) and the Caesarea City and Port Exploration Project. It is licensed under the Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. Some texts quoted in this entry may be in the public domain in the United States. No copyright is asserted for these quotations. Some texts quoted in this entry may have copyright restrictions and are reused under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)

https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/251

Cesarea Palestine

,

Turris Stratonis

,

Caesarea Palestinae

, and

Strato’s Tower

are directly attested at Dietrich, The Holy Places 1298-1301. This passage was written ca. 1170-1173 C.E. possibly in Palestine. Dietrich (Theodericus) was a German priest of the 12th century who travelled to the Holy Land under the Kingdom of Jerusalem. His account survives in only two manuscripts of the 15th century that derive from a common ancestor. In this passage Dietrich describes his itinerary north along the coast, providing characteristic detail on historical sites and the natural environment.

Sexto deinde versus occidentem a Sylo miliario in campestribus sita est Lidda, ubi sepultus fuit, ut fertur, sanctus martir Georgius, unde idem locus mutato nomine antiquo Ad Sanctum Georgium a modernis appellantur. Abhinc iocunda et amena planitie, inter montana et maritima loca, campestria per viam que ducit Achon, id est Ptolemaidam, distenduntur, in quibus plurime civitates et ville tam antique quam nove visuntur, inter quas Caphargamala, Capharsemala, castellum a modernis Cacho nominatum in fertilissima terra situm, civitas munita nunc Cesarea Palestine, olim Turris Stratonis nuncupata, montana Cayphas, cui opidum eiusdem nominis admodum dirutum adiacet …

[Ed. Huygens 1994] [Österreichische Staatsbibliothek, Vienna 3529; Bell Library, University of Minnesota 1424/Co]

Six miles to the west of Sylo on the plain is located Lidda, the burial place of St. George the Martyr according to tradition. Thus the ancient name of the place has changed, and it is called St. George’s by people today. From there along the road leading to Achon, or Ptolemaïs, the countryside spreads out in a pleasant and beautiful plain between the mountains and the seashore, where there are many cities and towns, both old and new. Among them are Caphar Gamala; Caphar Semala; a fortress that people today call Cacho, which is located on very fertile land; the fortified town that is now called Caesarea Palestinae and was once called Strato’s Tower; and Mount Cayphas, near which sits a ruined town of the same name …

[Adapted from Stewart 1896]

Works Cited

[...] 185 1298-1301
[...] 58-59 39

[Gamala in the Golan (Gamla)

Haifa (Hefa, Caipha)

Kakun or Qaqun (Cacho)

Lidda (St. George)

Ptolemaïs (Acco, Accho, Acre, Akko)

Semala (Semla)

Shiloh (Sylo)]

[George the Martyr]

[Christian Bible

Crusades

Death and Burial

Geography

Maritime Activity

Medieval History

Military

Natural Environment

Pilgrimage

Travel

Urban Topography]