The Bondage and Travels of Johann Schiltberger, a Native of Bavaria, in Europe, Asia, and Africa, 1396-1427Schiltberger, Johannes
History
The Bondage and Travels of Johann Schiltberger, a Native of Bavaria, in Europe, Asia, and Africa, 1396-1427
Schiltberger, Johannes
Timur, 1336-1405 -- Early works to 1800; Turkey -- History -- Bayezid I, 1389-1403; Voyages and travels -- Early works to 1800
(9.) “called the throne of Salomon.”—This has reference to the site of
the mosque of Aksa, previously the Church of the Presentation of the
Virgin, built by Justinian in 530. The Russian pilgrim, Daniel, saw
it in the wrecked state to which it had been reduced at the conquest
of Jerusalem by the Franks, who there met with the most determined
resistance on the part of the Mussulmans.—BRUUN.
(10.) “there our Lord healed the bed-ridden man.”—It was generally
supposed that the pool and the palace of the templars occupied the
site of the temple of Solomon, close to the mosque of Aksa (Raumer,
_Palæstina_, etc., 297). Daniel knew of the residence of Solomon only,
because the palace was not constructed until the Order of Hospitallers
was established in 1119, that is to say, four or five years after his
stay in the Holy Land. The church, and the dwellings of the templars,
were destroyed in 1187 by Saladin, so that there was nothing for
Schiltberger to see but their remains.—BRUUN.
(11.) “the house of Herod.”—At no great distance from the pool, stood
a house said to have been that of Pilate; the modern edifice on the
south side of the Sakhara or mosque constructed by Omar in 637, is the
residence of the pasha. It is supposed that the palace of Herod was
farther away to the east, and to the right of the Via Dolorosa.—BRUUN.
(12.) “A church, called that of Saint Annen,” is noticed by De Lannoy,
who adds that this was the birth-place of St. Anne, the mother of the
Virgin Mary; but he makes no allusion to the head of St. Stephen, or
the arm of St. John Chrysostom, relics which, through some mistake
of the author, or of a scribe, have usurped the place of those of
St. Joachim the spouse of St. Anne. Daniel asserts that a church
consecrated to the latter existed in his day; it stood over their
dwelling and place of burial.—BRUUN.
(13.) “Mount Syon ... stands higher than the city.”—The wall constructed
by Souleiman, the Magnificent, 1536–1539, traverses the ridge of the
hills. Within it, near an Armenian chapel, is pointed out the house
of Annas, and at a short distance is the principal church of the
Armenians, dedicated to St. James the Elder who was there beheaded.
Within the wall stood the house of Caiphas the high priest, now the
Church of the Holy Saviour also belonging to the Armenians, and in
which is preserved the slab that closed the Saviour’s tomb. This is
probably the same church as described by Schiltberger; called that of
the Holy Saviour by De Lannoy (_Voy. et Ambass._, 54), who says that
it was in the occupation of Catholics, or perhaps of Armenians who
recognised the supremacy of the Pope, but not of the Gregorians. This
church could not have existed in the time of Daniel, because he simply
mentions the house of Caiphas.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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