Scandinavian pilgrims and the churches of the Holy Land in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries

The accounts of Scandinavian journeys to the Holy Land in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, whether preserved in sagas, chronicles, itineraries or charters, not only constitute a valuable source of information about travel, warfare, politics and the ideology of north European pilgrims and crusaders, but also contribute more specifically to the body of western European literature from this period reflecting the state of the Holy Land and its inhabitants at the time of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. This chapter focuses on just one aspect of the latter: the information that such texts give us about the condition of the Holy Places and their sanctuaries and churches

The crusader states. By Malcolm Barber [Book Review}

The crusader states. By Malcolm Barber. Pp. xvii+476 incl. 21 maps and 2 figs+15 plates. New Haven-London: Yale University Press, 2012. £25. 978 0 300 11312

The Christian buildings of Ramla.

This chapter discusses the historical and architectural evidence relating to the Christian buildings of Ramla between the time of its foundation c.715 and 1917

Itineraria Terrae Sanctae minora: Innominatus VII and its variants

This paper presents new editions of eight varying versions, five in Latin and three in French, of a short pilgrimage guide to the Holy Land, which Titus Tobler in 1874 first referred to as Innominatus VII. The Latin versions appear to date from c.1165-70 and the French ones somewhat later, though, leaving aside another version (not edited here) that was incorporated into the Rothelin version of the Continuation of William of Tyre around 1261, none of them contains information that would necessarily indicate a date later than the Third Crusade. The discussion and commentary examine the relationship of the texts with each other and with other earlier and contemporary pilgrimage texts, such as those of John of Würzburg (c.1165) and Theoderic (1172), as well as highlighting the new information that they contain about churches, monumental inscriptions and the traditions associated with particular sites and buildings that are not recorded elsewhere

Three Pilgrimages to the Holy Land: Saewulf, John of Würzburg, Theoderic: Introduction, Translation and Notes.

This edition presents English translations of the accounts of three important twelfth-century travellers to the Holy Land, the Anglo-Saxon Saewulf and the Germans John of Würzburg and Theoderic, based on the late R.B.C. Huygens’ edition of the Latin texts (CCCM 129). Saewulf travelled to the Holy Land soon after its capture by the First Crusade in 1099. His travelogue, framed by accounts of his outward sea journeys from southern Italy to Jaffa and back to Constantinople, describes the buildings and holy sites of Jerusalem and its surrounding countryside as they appeared in the early years of the Frankish kingdom, before the major building works that characterized the short century of Christian rule over the city were fully under way. In contrast, the two German descriptions give more detailed accounts of the transformation that the city and surrounding landscape had undergone and of the new churches and monasteries and their artistic programmes that had been created by the 1160s and 1170s. The translated texts are preceded by an introduction placing the texts in their historical context and are accompanied by brief explanatory notes with bibliographical indications for further information

Sixth-century fortifications in Byzantine Africa

This thesis surveys and discusses the documentary and archaeological evidence for sixth-century fortifications in Byzantine Africa. Chapter I examines the sources of evidence, noting that over 80 years have passed since the last major study of the subject was undertaken, by Charles Diehl in 1896. Chapter II traces the military history of Byzantine Africa from 533 to 602, with introductory and concluding sections on the fifth and seventh centuries. Chapter III discusses the evidence for the military organization and defensive strategy of Byzantine Africa in the sixth century, looking in particular at the structure of military command, the composition of the Byzantine army, the garrison structure (including the evidence for the nature and size of local garrisons stationed in forts and towns), the administrative machanisms by which fortifications were built and the strategy to be discerned in their siting. The chapter ends with a general appraisal of the benefits that Roman Africa received from Justinian's reconquest. Chapter IV examines the architecture of Byzantine fortifications in Africa, comparing it with earlier and contemporary practice in the eastern and western empires. The tactical aspects of fortifications are also considered, in particular the question of how far their design was influenced by the use made of artillery and archery in the sixth-century Byzantine army. In a short final chapter, an assessment is made of the value that the study of sixth-century Byzantine fortifications in Africa has for understanding later developments in the military architecture of eastern and western Christendom and of Islam. The Gazetteer includes full descriptions (with plans and photographs) of all the Byzantine fortifications identified in Africa, and shorter notes on other structures of more doubtful Byzantine identification; an index to fortifications in Africa referred to by Procopius; and a corpus of sixth- and seventh century military inscriptions from Africa.</p