Joseph L. Rife (eds.), "Adomnán, Holy Places 1.20" in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia entry published October 19, 2022, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/307
   
      
         
            https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/307
         
         
        Cesaream Palestinae, and Caesarea Palestinae are directly attested at Adomnán, Holy Places 1.20. This passage was written ca. 695-698 CE possibly in Iona.
         Adomnán (Adamnanus) was a jurist and hagiographer who served as the
            abbot of the monastery on the island of Iona in 679-704 C.E. His writings provide
            important testimony for the culture and religion of Early Medieval Scotland. Among them
            is an account of the Holy Land based largely on the itinerary of Arculf, the Frankish
            bishop who purportedly told the story of his pilgrimage in ca. 680 to his host Adomnán
            after wrecking on Iona. This passage from the first book on Jerusalem and its environs
            describes the natural terrain from the Judaean hills west to the coast as far as
            Caesarea.
         
        
            Ab Helia
            septemtrionem versus usque ad Samuhelis civitatem, quae Armathem nominatur, terra
            petrosa et aspera per quaedam monstratur intervalla; valles quoque spinosae usque ad
            Tamniticam regionem patentes. Aliter vero a supradicta Helia et monte Sion qualitas
            regionum monstratur usque ad Cesaream Palestinae occasum versus.
            Nam quamvis aliqua reperriantur angusta et brevia aspera loca interposita, praecipue
            tamen latiores plani monstrantur campi interpositis laetiores olivetis.
        
        
        Ed. Bieler 1965
      
         
        
            North from Helia up
            to the city of Samuel, which is called Armathes, the terrain proves to be rocky and
            rough in certain areas, and the valleys extending as far as the Tamnitic region are full
            of thorny vegetation. But from the aforementioned Helia and Mount Sion to the west as
            far as Caesarea Palestinae the regional character is different.
            For, although here and there can be found rough spots over narrow, short stretches, by
            and large the wide open, flat plains prove to be very pleasant, with olive trees spread
               about.Trans. J. L. Rife 
            
            
         
         
        Works Cited
        
          
          1
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        Bede, Holy Places 5.3-9
        Jerome, Place Names 57
        Peter the Deacon, Holy Places 5.1
      
      
        Aelia (Jerusalem)
        Armathes (Arimathea, Ramathaim-Zophim)
        Sion, Mount (Zion)
        Thamnia
      
      
        Samuel the Prophet
      
      
        Geography
        Hebrew Bible
        Medieval History
        Natural Environment
        Pilgrimage
        Travel