Early Travels in Palestine: Comprising the Narratives of Arculf, Willibald, Bernard, Sæwulf, Sigurd, Benjamin of Tudela, Sir John Maundeville, de la Brocquière, and Maundrell
History
Early Travels in Palestine: Comprising the Narratives of Arculf, Willibald, Bernard, Sæwulf, Sigurd, Benjamin of Tudela, Sir John Maundeville, de la Brocquière, and Maundrell
Middle East -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800; Palestine -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800
Another remarkable object is St. Giovanni _in porta Latina_, in which
place of worship there are two copper pillars constructed by king
Solomon of blessed memory, whose name, "Solomon, son of David," is
engraved upon each. The Jews in Rome told Benjamin, that every year,
about the time of the 9th of Ab[131], these pillars sweat so much that
the water runs down from them. You there see also the cave in which
Titus, the son of Vespasian, hid the vessels of the temple, which he
brought from Jerusalem; and in another cave on the banks of the Tiber,
you find the sepulchres of those holy men of blessed memory, the ten
martyrs of the kingdom[132]. Opposite St. Giovanni de Laterano, there is
a statue of Samson, with a lance of stone in his hand; also that of
Absalom, the son of David, and of king Constantine, who built
Constantinople, which city is called after his name; his statue is cast
in copper, the man and horse being gilt. Rome contains many other
remarkable buildings and works, the whole of which nobody can enumerate.
Four days from Rome is Capua, a large city, built by king Capys. The
town is elegant, but the water is bad, and the country unhealthy. Among
the three hundred Jews who reside at Capua are many very wise men of
universal fame, such as R. Konpasso and his brother, R. Samuel, R.
Saken, and the rabbi R. David, who bears the title of Principalo.
From thence to Puzzuolo, or Sorrento, a large city built by Tsintsan
Hadareser, who fled in fear of king David of blessed memory. This city
has been inundated in two spots by the sea; and even to this day you may
see the streets and towers of the submerged city. A hot spring, which
issues forth from under ground, produces the oil called Petroleum, which
is collected upon the surface of the water and used in medicine. There
are likewise hot baths, proceeding from hot subterranean springs, which
here issue from under ground. Two of these baths are situated on the
sea-shore, and whoever is afflicted with any disease generally
experiences great relief, if not certain cure, from the use of these
waters. During the summer season all persons afflicted with diseases
crowd hither from the whole of Lombardy[133].
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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