Making the Myth Real: The Genre of Hebrew Itineraries to the Holy Land in the 12th–13th Century
Making the Myth Real: The Genre of Hebrew Itineraries to the Holy Land in the 12th–13th Century

Summary/Abstract: Medieval itineraries of pilgrimage to the Holy Land conveyed thecollective conscience of the society for which they were written rather than the impressions of the individual author. The first Hebrew itineraries were written in the 12th century, probably following the contemporary Christian genre. Yet, despite the evident influence, the Jewish writers succeeded in adopting the Christian genre to the particular needs of their reading audience. This paper explores the characteristics of the Hebrew genre and how they served the purpose of making the myths real.

• Details
• Contents