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The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela: Travels in the Middle Ages

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This book is remarkable. This is basically a travel diary of Benjamin, a Jewish man, in the middle ages. He vividly describes the different communities he visits throughout Spain and the middle east. Anyone who enjoys reading primary sources in history will enjoy this.

One of the most important books on the history of the Jews in the world. A virtual encyclopedia of Jewish life in the 12th century, which means it coincides with the Crusades and the height of Spanish Jewry. Benjamin of Tudela, mentioned in the Rishonim, was a Jewish traveler and he cataloged all the Jewish communities he came across from Rome and Europe to the far East. He even spoke of Jews in the most far off places such as Africa, India and China. His most important observations however have to deal with the massive Jewish communities that were once found in places such as Baghdad. He described not only the Jewish courts and Jewish way of life but also the demographics. At Tadmor for instance he mentions 2,000 Jews who "valiant in war and fight with the Christians and with the Arabs...and they help their neighbours the Ishmaelites. At their head are Rabbi Isaac Hajvani and R. Nathan and R. Uziel. The book is simply a must read and includes a lively and important introduction and discussion but otherwise leaves the reader to learn for himself this piece of Jewish geography. Many of the interesting details are left unexplored, such as `who are these Ishamaelites'? Are they the Ishmaelites of the Torah or at they the Ishmaili Muslims known as the Assasins of the time who lived in Iraq and Syria? Why are the Jews allied with them? What is this secret history of Jewish warriors in the 12th century that no ones learns in school?

A fascinating read, a true piece of history.

Seth J. Frantzman

Benjamin de Tudela entre los años 1127 y 1173, aproximadamente. Comenzó su viaje, que duró varios años, hacia 1165, saliendo de Tudela con rumbo a la costa mediterranea. Recorrió la costa desde Tortosa hasta Roma, pasando por Barcelona, Marsella y Génova. Desde Roma traversó el sur de Italia, luego Grecia, para llegar a Constantinopla. Después de Constantinopla viajó ampliamente por el medio oriente, pasando por Alejandría, Jerusalén, Damasco, Bagdad y cientos de poblaciones menores

I first learned of Benjamin of Tudela while first touring Beit Ha-tefutsot (Museum of the Jewish Diaspora) in Tel Aviv Israel. [...] There they have a wonderful diorama with a narrative of Rabbi Benjamin's travels.

I selected this version of the translation and was quite pleased with the quality of the binding and the layout of the text. The original was written in Hebrew around the year 1160 and the audience would have been fellow Jews wishing to know something about the status of other Jewish communities. It thus demonstrates the use of Hebrew as an inter communal language at that point in time. The book also contains 3(!) different introductions (Signer 1983, Adler 1907, Asher 1840), 2 engraved maps showing the area of travel, a set of notes and a bibliography by Asher. Israel on these maps is labeled as being part of "Syria". I found this supplemental material quite informative.

The travels themselves give quite an interesting impression of medieval times. One learns quite a few interesting facts along the way, one of which was the existence of war-like Jewish tribes (matched by war-like Arab tribes) in Saudi Arabia (I had thought the Jewish communities there had been wiped out in the time of Muhammed - that still might have been true but more towards Mecca and Medina) and the existence of a shrine in what is today Iran to Esther and Mordecai. The introductions point out that some of the content may have been hearsay In some cases Benjamin states that he discovered this on arrival - we can take these accounts as direct; in other cases this kind of language is omitted - he may be relating what he heard from someone else. He does travel to Israel and reports on Jewish communities of Acco, Haifa and Cesearea. Of Jerusalem he provides a 2nd hand report from a Rabbi Abraham as to the Jewish community there. A note indicates that travel into the interior may have been impractical due to attacks from Syria by raiding parties of the Saracen Nur-ed-din that occurred around the same time.

The story itself was enjoyable and gives one a reasonable snapshot of the Mediterranean and Arabian world of the late 12th century. Recommended for anyone interested in that period or the continuity of Jewish history either for personal interest or school projects.

This is a work which gives insight into Jewish communal life in the Middle Ages.