Egeria: ITINERARIUM PEREGRINATIO

I. 1 [deest] * * *... ostendebantur iuxta scripturas. Interea ambulantes pervenimus ad quendam locum, ubi se tamen montes illi, inter quos ibamus, aperiebant et faciebant vallem infinitam, ingens, planissima et valde pulchram, et trans vallem apparebat mons sanctus Dei Sina. Hic autem locus, ubi se montes aperiebant, iunctus est cum eo loco, quo sunt memoriae concupiscentiae.

1. 1 [missing] * * *... were being shown according to the scriptures. Meanwhile, as we were walking, we arrived at a certain place, where those mountains, between which we were going, nevertheless opened out and made an infinite valley, vast, most level and very beautiful, and across the valley the holy Mount of God, Sinai, appeared. Now this place, where the mountains opened out, is joined with that place where the memorials of concupiscence are.

2. In eo ergo loco cum venitur, ut tamen commonuerunt deductores sancti illi, qui nobiscum erant, dicentes: «consuetudo est, ut fiat hic oratio ab his, qui veniunt, quando de eo loco primitus videtur mons Dei»: sicut et nos fecimus. Habebat autem de eo loco ad montem Dei forsitan quattuor milia totum per valle illa, quam dixi ingens.

2. Therefore, when one comes to that place, as nevertheless those holy guides who were with us reminded us, saying: «it is the custom that prayer be made here by those who come, when from that place the mountain of God is first seen»: just as we also did. There were moreover from that place to the mountain of God perhaps four miles, all through the valley which, as I said, is immense.

II. 1. Vallis autem ipsa ingens est valde, iacens subter latus montis Dei, quae habet forsitan, quantum potuimus videntes aestimare aut ipsi dicebant, in longo milia passos forsitan sedecim, in lato autem quattuor milia esse appellabant. Ipsam ergo vallem nos traversare habebamus, ut possimus montem ingredi.

II. 1. The valley itself, moreover, is very vast,
lying beneath the flank of the mountain of God, which has perhaps, as far as we were able, seeing it, to estimate—or as they themselves said—in length perhaps sixteen miles, and in breadth they called it four miles.
Therefore we had to traverse the valley itself, so that we might be able to enter the mountain.

2. Haec est autem vallis ingens et planissima, in qua filii Israhel commorati sunt his diebus, quod sanctus Moyses ascendit in montem Domini et fuit ibi quadraginta diebus et quadraginta noctibus. Haec est autem vallis, in qua factus est vitulus, qui locus usque in hodie ostenditur; nam lapis grandis ibi fixus stat in ipso loco. Haec ergo vallis ipsa est, in cuius capite ille locus est, ubi sanctus Moyses, cum pasceret pecora soceri sui, iterum locutus est ei Deus de rubo in igne.

2. This, moreover, is a huge valley and very level, in which the sons of Israel stayed in those days, because holy Moses ascended onto the Mount of the Lord and was there forty days and forty nights. This, moreover, is the valley in which the calf was made, which place even unto today is shown; for a great stone fixed stands there in that very place. This therefore is that very valley, at whose head is that place where holy Moses, when he was pasturing the flocks of his father-in-law, God again spoke to him from the bush in fire.

3. Et quoniam nobis ita erat iter, ut prius montem Dei ascenderemus, qui hinc paret, unde veniebamus, melior ascensus erat, et illinc denuo ad illud caput vallis descenderemus, id est ubi rubus erat, quia melior descensus montis Dei erat inde: itaque ergo hoc placuit, ut visis omnibus, quae desiderabamus, descendentes a monte Dei, ubi est rubus, veniremus, et inde totum per mediam vallem ipsam, qua iacet in longo, rediremus ad iter cum hominibus Dei, qui nobis singula loca, quae scripta sunt, per ipsam vallem ostendebant, sicut et factum est.

3. And since our route was thus, that we should first ascend the mount of God, which is visible from here, from where we were coming, the ascent was better, and from there again we should descend to that head of the valley, that is, where the bramble-bush was, because the descent of the mount of God was better from there: and so therefore this pleased us, that, all the things which we desired having been seen, as we descended from the mount of God, where the bramble-bush is, we should come, and from there through the very midst of the valley itself, which stretches lengthwise, we should return to the route with the men of God, who were showing us the individual places that are written, through that same valley, just as it was done.

4. Nobis ergo euntibus ab eo loco, ubi venientes a Pharan feceramus orationem, iter sic fuit, ut per medium transversaremus caput ipsius vallis et sic plecaremus nos ad montem Dei.

4. Therefore, as we were going from that place,
where, coming from Pharan, we had made a prayer, the route was thus: that through the middle
we traversed the head of the valley itself and thus turned ourselves toward the Mount of God.

5. Mons autem ipse per giro quidem unus esse videtur; intus autem quod ingrederis, plures sunt, sed totum mons Dei appellatur, specialis autem ille, in cuius summitate est hic locus, ubi descendit maiestas Dei, sicut scriptum est, in medio illorum omnium est.

5. But the mountain itself, in its circuit, indeed
seems to be one; but within, when you enter, there are several, yet the whole
is called the mountain of God; and that special one, on whose summit is this place,
where the Majesty of God descended, as it is written, is in the midst of all of them.

6. Et cum hi omnes, qui per girum sunt, tam excelsi sint quam nunquam me puto vidisse, tamen ipse ille medianus, in quo descendit maiestas Dei, tanto altior est omnibus illis, ut, cum subissemus in illo, prorsus toti illi montes, quos excelsos videramus, ita infra nos essent, ac si colliculi permodici essent.

6. And whereas all these, which are round about,
are so exalted as I think I have never seen, nevertheless that very middle one,
on which the Majesty of God descended, is so much higher than all those, that, when
we had ascended upon it, altogether all those mountains, which we had seen lofty,
were so below us as if they were very small little hills.

7. Illud sane satis admirabile est et sine Dei gratia puto illud non esse, ut, cum omnibus altior sit ille medianus, qui specialis Sina dicitur, id est in quo descendit maiestas Domini, tamen videri non possit, nisi ad propriam radicem illius veneris, ante tamen quam eum subeas; nam posteaquam completo desiderio descenderis inde, et de contra illum vides, quod, antequam subeas, facere non potest. Hoc autem, antequam perveniremus ad montem Dei, iam referentibus fratribus cognoveram, et postquam ibi perveni, ita esse manifeste cognovi.

7. That indeed is quite admirable and I think it is not without the grace of God, that, although that middle one is higher than all, which is called the special Sinai, that is, on which the majesty of the Lord descended, nevertheless it cannot be seen, unless you come to its own root, before, however, you ascend it; for after you have descended from there with your desire fulfilled, then you see it from the opposite side, which, before you ascend, you cannot do. This, moreover, before we arrived at the mountain of God, I had already learned from the brothers reporting it, and after I arrived there, I manifestly came to know that it is so.

III. 1. Nos ergo sabbato sera ingressi sumus montem, et pervenientes ad monasteria quaedam susceperunt nos ibi satis humane monachi, qui ibi commorabantur, praebentes nobis omnem humanitatem; nam et ecclesia ibi est cum presbytero. Ibi ergo mansimus in ea nocte, et inde maturius die dominica cum ipso presbytero et monachis, qui ibi commorabantur, coepimus ascendere montes singulos.

3. 1. Therefore we, on the Sabbath, in the evening, entered
the mountain, and on arriving at certain monasteries the monks who were staying there received us
quite humanely, providing us with every courtesy; for there is also a church there with a presbyter. There, then, we stayed that night,
and from there, rather early on the Lord’s Day, with the presbyter himself and the monks who were
residing there, we began to ascend the mountains one by one.

Qui montes cum infinito labore ascenduntur, quoniam non eos subis lente et lente per girum, ut dicimus in cocleas, sed totum ad directum subis ac si per parietem et ad directum descendi necesse est singulos ipsos montes, donec pervenias ad radicem propriam illius mediani, qui est specialis Sina.

These mountains are ascended with infinite labor, since you do not go up them slowly and slowly by circuit, as we say, in spirals, but you go up wholly straight, as if along a wall, and it is necessary to descend straight each of those very mountains, until you reach the proper root of that middle one, which is the special Sinai.

2. Hac sic ergo iubente Christo Deo nostro adiuta. Orationibus sanctorum, qui comitabantur, et sic cum grandi labore, quia pedibus me ascendere necesse erat (quia prorsus nec in sella ascendi poterat, tamen ipse labor non sentiebatur, ex ea parte autem non sentiebatur labor, quia desiderium, quod habebam, iubente Deo videbam compleri): hora ergo quarta pervenimus in summitatem illam montis Dei sancti Sina, ubi data est lex, in eo id est locum, ubi descendit maiestas Domini in ea die, qua mons fumigabat.

2. Thus then, with Christ our God so commanding, I was helped. By the prayers of the saints who were accompanying us, and thus with great labor, because it was necessary for me to ascend on foot (for in truth not even in a saddle could one go up, nevertheless the toil itself was not felt, on that account moreover the toil was not felt, because the desire which I had, by God’s bidding, I saw being fulfilled): therefore at the fourth hour we arrived at that summit of the mountain of God, holy Sinai, where the Law was given, in that, that is, the place where the Majesty of the Lord descended on that day when the mountain was smoking.

3. In eo ergo loco est nunc ecclesia, non grandis, quoniam et ipse locus, id est summitas montis, non satis grandis est, quae tamen ecclesia habet de se gratiam grandem.

3. Therefore in that place there is now a church, not large, since the place itself, that is, the summit of the mountain, is not very large, which church, however, has of itself great grace.

4. Cum ergo iubente Deo persubissemus in ipsa summitate et pervenissemus ad [h]ostium ipsius ecclesiae, ecce et occurrit presbyter veniens de monasterio suo, qui ipsi ecclesiae deputabatur, senex integer et monachus a prima vita et, ut hic dicunt ascitis et quid plura? qualis dignus est esse in eo loco. Occurrerunt etiam et alii presbyteri, nec non etiam et omnes monachi, qui ibi commorabantur iuxta montem illum, id est qui tamen aut aetate aut inbeccillitate non fuerunt impediti.

4. When therefore, at God’s bidding, we had ascended to the very summit and had come to the doorway of that church, behold there also ran to meet us a presbyter, coming from his monastery, who was deputed to that church, a hale old man and a monk from his earliest life and, as they say here, an ascetic, and what more? such a one as is worthy to be in that place. There likewise ran to meet us other presbyters, and not only they but also all the monks who were dwelling there near that mountain, that is, those who nevertheless were not hindered either by age or by imbecillity.

5. Verum autem in ipsa summitate montis illius mediani nullus commanet; nihil enim est ibi aliud nisi sola ecclesia et spelunca, ubi fuit sanctus Moyses.

5. But indeed on the very summit of that median mountain no one dwells; for there is nothing else there except only a church and a cave, where holy Moses was.

6. Lecto ergo ipso loco omnia de libro Moysi et facta oblatione ordine suo, hac sic communicantibus nobis, iam ut exiremus de ecclesia, dederunt nobis presbyteri loci ipsius eulogias, id est de pomis, quae in ipso monte nascuntur. Nam cum ipse mons sanctus Sina totus petrinus sit, ita ut nec fruticem habeat, tamen deorsum prope radicem montium ipsorum, id est seu circa illius, qui medianus est, seu circa illorum, qui per giro sunt, modica terrola est; statim sancti monachi pro diligentia sua arbusculas ponunt et pomariola instituunt vel arationes, et iuxta sibi monasteria, quasi ex ipsius montis terra aliquos fructus capiant, quos tamen manibus suis elaborasse videantur.

6. Therefore, all things from the Book of Moses having been read in that very place and the oblation having been made in its proper order, with us thus having communicated, now as we were about to go out from the church, the presbyters of that very place gave us eulogies, that is, from the fruits which grow on the mountain itself. For although the holy Mount Sinai is entirely rocky, so that it does not even have a shrub, nevertheless down below, near the root of those mountains—either around that one which is the middle one, or around those which are in a ring—there is a little bit of soil; immediately the holy monks, by their diligence, set little trees and establish little orchards or tilled plots, and monasteries near by for themselves, so that they may take some fruits from the very soil of the mountain, which, however, they seem to have worked with their own hands.

7. Hac sic ergo posteaquam communicaveramus et dederant nobis eulogias sancti illi et egressi sumus foras [h]ostium ecclesiae, tunc coepi eos rogare, ut ostenderent nobis singula loca. Tunc statim illi sancti dignati sunt singula ostendere. Nam ostenderunt nobis speluncam illam, ubi fuit sanctus Moyses, cum iterato ascendisset in montem Dei, ut acciperet denuo tabulas, posteaquam priores illas fregerat peccante populo, et cetera loca, quaecumque desiderabamus vel quae ipsi melius noverant, dignati sunt ostendere nobis.

7. Thus, after we had thus communicated
and those holy men had given us eulogies and we went out outside the [h]doors
of the church, then I began to ask them to show us each of the places. Then
at once those holy men deigned to show each thing. For they showed us
that cave where holy Moses had been, when he had ascended again to the mountain
of God, to receive the tablets anew, after he had broken those former ones, the people sinning,
and the other places, whatever we desired or which they themselves knew better,
they deigned to show to us.

8. Illud autem vos volo scire, dominae venerabiles sorores, quia de eo loco, ubi stabamus, id est in giro parietes ecclesiae, id est de summitate montis ipsius mediani, ita infra nos videbantur esse illi montes, quos primitus vix ascenderamus, iuxta istum medianum, in quo stabamus, ac si essent illi colliculi, cum tamen ita infiniti essent, ut non me putarem aliquando altiores vidisse, nisi quod hic medianus eos nimium praecedebat. Aegyptum autem et Palaestinam et mare rubrum et mare illud Parthenicum, quod mittit Alexandriam, nec non et fines Saracenorum infinitos ita subter nos inde videbamus, ut credi vix possit; quae tamen singula nobis illi sancti demonstrabant.

8. But this I want you to know, venerable ladies, sisters, that from that place where we were standing, that is, in the circuit around the walls of the church, that is, from the summit of that middle mountain itself, so far below us there seemed to be those mountains which at first we had scarcely ascended, next to this middle one, on which we were standing, as if those had been little hills, although they were so immense, that I would not think I had ever seen higher ones, except that this middle one far surpassed them. Moreover, Egypt and Palestine and the Red Sea and the Parthenian sea, which sends to Alexandria, and likewise the borders of the Saracens without limit we saw so beneath us from there, that it can scarcely be believed; which things, however, those holy men were pointing out to us one by one.

IV.1. Completo ergo omni desiderio, quo festinaveramus ascendere, coepimus iam et descendere ab ipsa summitate montis Dei, in qua ascenderamus, in alio monte, qui ei periunctus est, qui locus appellatur in Choreb; ibi enim est ecclesia.

4.1. Thus, with every desire fulfilled, for which we had hastened to ascend, we now also began to descend from the very summit of the mountain of God, to which we had ascended, to another mountain, which is very closely adjoined to it, a place which is called “in Horeb”; for there is a church there.

2. Nam hic est locus Choreb, ubi fuit sanctus Helias propheta, qua fugit a facie Achab regis, ubi ei locutus est Deus dicens: quid tu hic, Helias?, sicut scriptum est in libris regnorum. Nam et spelunca, ubi latuit sanctus Helias, in hodie ibi ostenditur ante [h]ostium ecclesiae, quae ibi est; ostenditur etiam ibi altarium lapideum, quem posuit ipse sanctus Helias ad offerendum Deo, sicut et illi sancti singula nobis ostendere dignabantur.

2. For this is the place Choreb, where
the holy prophet Elijah was, when he fled from the face of King Ahab, where God spoke
to him, saying: What are you doing here, Elijah?, as it is written in the Books of Kings. For even the cave where the holy Elijah hid is shown there to this day before
the entrance of the church which is there; there is also shown the stone altar
which the holy Elijah himself set up for offering to God, just as those holy men
deigned to point out each thing to us.

3. Fecimus ergo et ibi oblationem et orationem impensissimam, et lectus est ipse locus de libro regnorum: id enim nobis uel maxime ego desideraveram semper, ut, ubicumque venissemus, semper ipse locus de libro legeretur.

3. Therefore we made there also an oblation
and a most earnest prayer, and that very passage was read from the Book of Kings:
for this indeed, for us—above all I myself—had always most desired, that, wherever we might come,
that very passage from the book should always be read.

4. Facta ergo et ibi oblatione accessimus denuo ad alium locum non longe inde ostendentibus presbyteris vel monachis, id est ad eum locum, ubi steterat sanctus Aaron cum septuaginta senioribus, cum sanctus Moyses acciperet a Domino legem ad filios Israhel. In eo ergo loco, licet et lectum non sit, tamen petra ingens est per girum habens planitiem supra se, in qua stetisse dicuntur ipsi sancti; nam et in medio ibi quasi altarium de lapidibus factum habet. Lectus est ergo et ibi ipse locus de libro Moysi et dictus unus psalmus aptus loco: ac sic facta oratione descendimus inde.

4. Therefore, an oblation having been made there as well, we approached again to another place not far from there, the presbyters or the monks pointing it out, that is, to the place where Saint Aaron had stood with the seventy elders, when Saint Moses was receiving from the Lord the law for the sons of Israel. In that place, although no reading had been done, nevertheless there is a huge rock, having a level surface above it all around, on which those saints themselves are said to have stood; for it also has in the middle there, as it were, an altar made of stones. Accordingly the very passage was read there too from the Book of Moses, and one psalm suitable to the place was said: and thus, prayer having been made, we went down from there.

5. Ecce et coepit iam esse hora forsitan octava, et adhuc nobis superabant milia tria, ut perexiremus montes ipsos, quos ingressi fueramus pridie sera; sed non ipsa parte exire habebamus, qua intraveramus, sicut superius dixi, quia necesse nos erat et loca omnia sancta ambulare et monasteria, quaecumque erant ibi, videre et sic ad vallis illius, quam superius dixi, caput exire, id est huius vallis, quae subiacet monti Dei.

5. Behold, it already began to be perhaps the eighth hour, and there were still three miles left for us, that we might pass all the way out of the mountains themselves, which we had entered the day before in the evening; but we were not to go out by that same side by which we had entered, as I said above, because it was necessary for us both to walk through all the holy places and to see the monasteries, whatever there were there, and thus to go out to the head of that valley which I mentioned above, that is, of this valley which lies beneath the Mount of God.

6. Propterea autem ad caput ipsius vallis exire nos necesse erat, quoniam ibi erant monasteria plurima sanctorum hominum et ecclesia in eo loco, ubi est rubus; qui rubus usque in hodie vivet et mittet virgultas.

6. Therefore it was necessary for us to go out to the head of that very valley, since there were very many monasteries of holy men and a church in that place where the bush is; which bush even to this day lives and sends forth shoots.

7. Ac sic ergo perdescenso monte Dei pervenimus ad rubum hora forsitan decima. Hic est autem rubus, quem superius dixi, de quo locutus est Dominus Moysi in igne, qui est in eo loco, ubi monasteria sunt plurima et ecclesia in capite vallis ipsius. Ante ipsam autem ecclesiam hortus est gratissimus habens aquam optimam abundantem, in quo horto ipse rubus est.

7. And so, having thus descended the Mount of God, we came to the bush at perhaps the tenth hour. This is, moreover, the bush which I mentioned above, from which the Lord spoke to Moses in the fire, which is in that place where there are very many monasteries and a church at the head of that valley itself. But before that very church there is a most pleasing garden, having most excellent water in abundance, in which garden the bush itself is.

8. Locus etiam ostenditur ibi iuxta, ubi stetit sanctus Moyses, quando ei dixit Deus: «solve corrigiam calciamenti tui» et cetera. Et in eo ergo loco cum pervenissemus, hora decima erat iam, et ideo, quia iam sera erat, oblationem facere non potuimus. Sed facta est oratio in ecclesia nec non etiam et in horto ad rubum; lectus est etiam locus ipse de libro Moysi iuxta consuetudinem: et sic, quia sera erat, gustavimus nobis locum in horto ante rubum cum sanctis ipsis: ac sic ergo fecimus ibi mansionem.

8. A place is also shown there nearby,
where holy Moses stood, when God said to him: «loose the strap of your sandal» and the rest. And so, when we had come to that place,
it was now the tenth hour, and therefore, because it was already late, we could not make the oblation. But prayer was made in the church, and likewise also in the garden at
the bush; the very passage too was read from the book of Moses according to custom: and so,
because it was late, we took a little refreshment for ourselves in the garden before the bush with the holy men themselves: and thus we made a stay there.

Et alia die maturius vigilantes rogavimus presbyteros, ut et ibi fieret oblatio, sicut et facta est.

And on the next day, waking earlier, we asked the presbyters that the oblation also be made there, as indeed it was.

V. 1. Et quoniam nobis iter sic erat, ut per valle illa media, qua tenditur per longum, iremus, id est illa valle, quam superius dixi, ubi sederant filii Israhel, dum Moyses ascenderet in montem Dei et descenderet: itaque ergo singula, quemadmodum venimus per ipsam totam vallem, semper nobis sancti illi loca demonstrabant.

5. 1. And since for us the journey was thus,
that we should go through that middle valley, which is stretched lengthwise, that is,
that valley which I said above, where the sons of Israel sat, while Moses
went up onto the mountain of God and came down; therefore, at each point, as
we came through that whole valley, those holy men were always pointing out the places to us.

2. Nam in primo capite ipsius vallis, ubi manseramus et videramus rubum illum, de quo locutus est Deus sancto Moysi in igne, videramus etiam et illum locum, in quo steterat ante rubum sanctus Moyses, quando ei dixit Deus: «solve corrigiam calciamenti tui; locus enim, in quo stas, terra sancta est.»

2. For at the first head of that same valley, where we had stayed and had seen that bush, about which God spoke to holy Moses in the fire, we had also seen that place, where holy Moses had stood before the bush, when God said to him: «loose the thong of your shoe; for the place on which you stand is holy ground.»

3. Ac sic ergo cetera loca, quemadmodum profecti sumus de rubo, semper nobis coeperunt ostendere. Nam et monstraverunt locum, ubi fuerunt castra filiorum Israhel his diebus, quibus Moyses fuit in montem. Monstraverunt etiam locum, ubi factus est vitulus ille; nam in eo loco fixus est usque in hodie lapis grandis.

3. And thus, therefore, the other places, as we set out from the bush, they began always to show to us. For they also showed the place where the camp of the sons of Israel was in those days, when Moses was on the mountain. They also showed the place where that calf was made; for in that place a great stone is fixed even to this day.

4. Nos etiam, quemadmodum ibamus, de contra videbamus summitatem montis, quae inspiciebat super ipsa valle tota, de quo loco sanctus Moyses vidit filios Israhel habentes choros his diebus, qua fecerant vitulum. Ostenderunt etiam petram ingentem in ipso loco, ubi descendebat sanctus Moyses cum Iesu, filio Nave, ad quem petram iratus fregit tabulas, quas afferebat.

4. We also, just as we were going, from the opposite side were seeing the summit of the mountain, which looked out over the very valley whole, from which place the holy Moses saw the sons of Israel holding choruses on those days, when they had made the calf. They also showed an immense rock in that very place, where the holy Moses was descending with Jesus, son of Nave, at which rock, angry, he broke the tablets which he was carrying.

5. Ostenderunt etiam, quemadmodum per ipsam vallem unusquisque eorum habitationes habuerant, de quibus habitationibus usque in hodie adhuc fundamenta parent, quemadmodum fuerunt lapide girata. Ostenderunt etiam locum, ubi filios Israhel iussit currere sanctus Moyses «de porta in porta», regressus a monte.

5. They showed also how, through that very valley, each of them had had their habitations, of which habitations even to this day the foundations still appear, how they had been girdled with stone. They also showed the place where Saint Moses, having returned from the mountain, ordered the sons of Israel to run «from gate to gate».

6. Item ostenderunt nobis locum, ubi incensus est vitulus ipse iubente sancto Moyse, quem fecerat eis Aaron. Item ostenderunt torrentem illum, de quo potavit sanctus Moyses filios Israhel, sicut scriptum est in Exodo.

6. Likewise they showed us the place
where that very calf was burned at the bidding of Saint Moses, which Aaron had made for them.
Likewise they showed that torrent, from which Saint Moses gave drink to the sons of
Israel, as it is written in Exodus.

7. Ostenderunt etiam nobis locum, ubi de spiritu Moysi acceperunt septuaginta viri. Item ostenderunt locum, ubi filii Israhel habuerunt concupiscentiam escarum. Nam ostenderunt nobis etiam et illum locum, qui appellatus est Incendium, quia incensa est quaedam pars castrorum, tunc qua orante sancto Moyse cessavit ignis.

7. They also showed us the place, where seventy men received from the spirit of Moses. Likewise they showed the place, where the sons of Israel had a craving for foods. For they showed us also that place which was called the Burning, because a certain part of the camp was burned, then, as holy Moses prayed, the fire ceased.

8. Ostenderunt etiam et illum locum, ubi eis pluit manna et coturnices. Ac sic ergo singula, quaecumque scripta sunt in libris sanctis Moysi facta fuisse in eo loco, id est in ea valle, quam dixi subiacere monti Dei, id est sancto Sina, ostensa sunt nobis. Quae quidem omnia singulatim scribere satis fuit, quia nec retinere poterant tanta; sed cum leget affectio vestra libros sanctos Moysi, omnia diligentius pervidet, quae ibi facta sunt.

8. They showed also that place as well,
where manna and quails rained down for them. And thus, then, individually, whatever things are written
in the holy books of Moses to have been done in that place, that is, in that valley
which I said lies beneath the mount of God, that is, holy Sinai, were shown to us. To write all these things individually was enough, since such great matters
could not be retained; but when your devotion reads the holy books of Moses, it will more diligently
perceive all the things which were done there.

9. Haec est ergo vallis, ubi celebrata est pascha completo anno profectionis filiorum Israhel de terra Aegypti, quoniam in ipsa valle Israhel commorati sunt aliquandiu, id est donec sanctus Moyses ascenderet in montem Dei et descenderet primum et iterato; et denuo tandiu ibi inmorati sunt, donec fieret tabernaculum et singula, quae ostensa sunt in montem Dei. Nam ostensus est nobis et ille locus, in quo confixum Moyse est primitus tabernaculum et perfecta sunt singula, quae iusserat Deus in montem Moysi, ut fierent.

9. This, then, is the valley where the Passover was celebrated, the year of the departure of the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt having been completed, for in that very valley the of Israel sojourned for some time, that is, until holy Moses ascended the mountain of God and came down, first and then a second time; and again they stayed there for so long, until the Tabernacle was made and the individual things which were shown on the mountain of God. For that place too was shown to us, in which the Tabernacle was first fastened Moses, and the individual things were completed which God had commanded to Moses on the mountain, that they be made.

10. Vidimus etiam in extrema iam valle ipsa Memorias concupiscentiae, in eo tamen loco, in quo denuo reversi sumus ad iter nostrum, hoc est ubi exeuntes de valle illa grande reingressi sumus via, qua veneramus, inter montes illos, quos superius dixeram. Nam etiam ipsa die accessimus et ad ceteros monachos valde sanctos, qui tamen pro aetate aut inbecillitate occurrere in monte Dei ad oblationem faciendam non poterant; qui tamen nos dignati sunt in monasteriis suis advenientes valde humane suscipere.

10. We also saw now at the very end of the valley itself the Memorials of Concupiscence, in that very place, however, where we had again turned back to our road—that is, where, going out from that great valley, we re-entered the road by which we had come, between those mountains which I mentioned above. For even on that very day we also approached the other very holy monks, who, however, on account of age or imbecility could not come to the Mount of God to make the oblation; who nevertheless deigned to receive us, as we arrived, very humanely in their monasteries.

11. Ac sic ergo visa loca sancta omnia, quae desideravimus, nec non etiam et omnia loca, quae filii Israhel tetigerant eundo vel redeundo ad montem Dei, visis etiam et sanctis viris, qui ibi commorabantur, in nomine Dei regressi sumus in Pharan.

11. And so, therefore, the holy places having been seen,
all that we desired, and indeed also all the places which the sons of Israel
had touched in going or returning to the Mount of God, the holy men also having been seen,
who were dwelling there, in the name of God we returned to Pharan.

12. Et licet semper Deo in omnibus gratias agere debeam, non dicam in his tantis et talibus, quae circa me conferre dignatus est indignam et non merentem, ut perambularem omnia loca, quae mei meriti non erant: tamen etiam et illis omnibus sanctis nec sufficio gratias agere, qui meam parvitatem dignabantur in suis monasteriis libenti animo suscipere vel certe per omnia loca deducere, quae ego semper iuxta scripturas sanctas requirebam. Plurimi autem ex ipsis sanctis, qui in montem Dei vel circa ipsum montem commorabantur, dignati sunt nos usque in Pharan deducere, qui tamen fortiori corpore erant.

12. And although I ought always to give thanks to God in all things, I will not say in such great and suchlike matters, which he deigned to confer upon me, unworthy and not deserving, that I might perambulate all the places which were not of my merit: nevertheless even to all those holy men I do not suffice to give thanks, who deigned to receive my smallness in their monasteries with a willing mind, or at least to conduct me through all the places which I was always seeking according to the holy Scriptures. But very many of those holy men, who were dwelling on the Mount of God or around that mount, deigned to conduct us as far as Pharan, those who, however, were of the stronger body.

VI.1. Ac sic ergo cum pervenissemus Pharam, quod sunt a monte Dei milia triginta et quinque, necesse nos fuit ibi ad resumendum biduo immorari. Ac tertia die inde maturantes venimus denuo ad mansionem, id est in desertum Pharan, ubi et euntes manseramus, sicut et superius dixi. Inde denuo alia die facientes aquam et euntes adhuc aliquantulum inter montes pervenimus ad mansionem, quae erat iam super mare, id est in eo loco, ubi iam de inter montes exitur et incipitur denuo totum iam iuxta mare ambulari, sic tamen iuxta mare, ut subito fluctus animalibus pedes caedat, subito etiam et in centum et in ducentis passibus aliquotiens etiam et plus quam quingentos passus de mari per eremum ambuletur: via enim illic penitus non est, sed totum eremi sunt arenosae.

6.1. And so, when we had come to Pharan, which is thirty-five miles from the Mountain of God, it was necessary for us to stay there for two days to take refreshment. And on the third day, hastening from there, we came again to the station, that is in the Desert of Pharan, where also, while going, we had stayed, as I said above. Thence again on another day, taking on water and going still a little among the mountains, we came to a station which was now upon the sea, that is, in the place where one now goes out from among the mountains and begins again to walk entirely now along the sea, yet so close to the sea that suddenly the wave strikes the feet of the animals, and suddenly also, at a hundred and at two hundred paces, at times even more than five hundred paces, one walks away from the sea through the wilderness: for there is utterly no road there, but the whole deserts are sandy.

2. Pharanitae autem, qui ibi consueverunt ambulare cum camelis suis, signa sibi locis et locis ponent, ad quae signa se tendent et sic ambulant per diem. Nocte autem signa cameli attendunt. Et quid plura?

2. The Pharanites, however, who are accustomed to walk there with their camels, set up signs for themselves from place to place, toward which signs they direct themselves and thus travel by day. By night, however, they observe the signs of the sky, the constellations. And what more?

diligentius et securius iam in eo loco ex consuetudine Pharanitae ambulant nocte, quam aliqui hominum ambulare potest in his locis, ubi via aperta est.

more diligently and more securely already in that place, by custom, the Pharanites walk at night than any men can walk in these places where the way is open.

3. In eo ergo loco de inter montes exivimus redeuntes, in quo loco et euntes inter montes intraveramus, ac sic ergo denuo plicavimus nos ad mare. Filii etiam Israhel revertentes a monte Dei Sina usque ad eum locum reversi sunt per iter, quod ierant, id est usque ad eum locum, ubi de inter montes exivimus et iunximus nos denuo ad mare rubrum et inde nos iam iter nostrum, quo veneramus, reversi sumus: filii autem Israhel de eodem loco, sicut scriptum est in libris sancti Moysi, ambulaverunt iter suum.

3. In that place therefore we went out from between the mountains returning, in which place also, when going, we had entered between the mountains, and thus therefore we again bent ourselves toward the sea. The sons of Israel also, returning from the Mount of God Sinai as far as that place, returned by the route which they had gone, that is, as far as that place where we went out from between the mountains and joined ourselves again to the Red Sea, and from there we already returned our journey by which we had come: but the sons of Israel from that same place, as it is written in the books of holy Moses, walked their own way.

4. Nos autem eodem itinere et eisdem mansionibus, quibus ieramus, reversi sumus in Clesma. In Clesma autem cum venissemus, necesse nos fuit denuo et ibi denuo resumere, quoniam iter eremi arenosum valde feceramus.

4. But we, by the same route and the same way‑stations by which we had gone, returned to Clesma. But when we had come to Clesma, it was necessary for us again, and there again, to re‑provision, because we had made a very sandy journey through the desert.

VII. 1. Sane licet terra Gesse iam nosse, id est qua primitus ad Aegyptum fueram, tamen ut perviderem omnia loca, quae filii Israhel exeuntes de Ramesse tetigerant euntes, donec pervenirent usque ad mare rubrum, qui locus nunc de castro, qui ibi est, appellatur Clesma; desiderii ergo fuit, ut de Clesma ad terram Gesse exiremus, id est ad civitatem, quae appellatur Arabia, quae civitas in terra Gesse est; nam inde ipsum territorium sic appellatur, id est terra Arabiae, terra Iesse, quae tamen terra Aegypti pars est, sed melior satis quam omnis Aegyptus est.

7. 1. Indeed, although the land of Goshen
to know already, that is, where I had first been in Egypt, nevertheless in order that I might survey thoroughly
all the places which the sons of Israel, going out from Rameses, touched as they were going, until
they might come as far as the Red Sea, which place now, from the fort which is there,
is called Clesma; therefore it was a matter of desire that from Clesma we should go out to the land of Goshen,
that is to the city which is called Arabia, which city is in the land of Goshen;
for from it the territory itself is so called, that is, the land of Arabia, the land
of Goshen, which nevertheless is a part of Egypt, but is quite better than all Egypt
is.

2. Sunt ergo a Clesma, id est a mare rubro, usque ad Arabiam civitatem mansiones quattuor per eremo, sic tamen per eremum, ut cata mansiones monasteria sint cum militibus et praepositis, qui nos deducebant semper de castro ad castrum. In eo ergo itinere sancti, qui nobiscum erant, hoc est clerici vel monachi, ostendebant nobis singula loca, quae semper ego iuxta scripturas requirebam; nam alia in sinistro, alia in dextro de itinere nobis erant, alia etiam longius de via, alia in proximo.

2. There are therefore from Clesma, that is from the Red Sea, as far as the city Arabia, four way-stations through the desert, thus however through the desert, that at each station there are monasteries with soldiers and praepositi, who always escorted us from fort to fort. On that journey, therefore, the holy men, who were with us, that is clerics or monks, showed us each place, which I was always seeking according to the Scriptures; for some were on the left, others on the right of the road for us, others also farther from the way, others near at hand.

3. Nam mihi credat volo affectio vestra, quantum tamen pervidere potui, filios Israhel sic ambulasse, ut quantum irent dextra, tantum reverterentur sinistra, quantum denuo in ante ibant, tantum denuo retro revertebantur: et sic fecerunt ipsum iter, donec pervenirent ad mare rubrum.

3. For I want your affection to believe me,
as far, however, as I was able to perceive, the sons of Israel walked thus, so that
as far as they went to the right, by the same measure they turned back to the left; as far as again forward
they went, by the same measure again they turned back to the rear: and thus they made that very journey, until
they came to the Red Sea.

4. Nam et Epauleum ostensum est nobis, de contra tamen, et Magdalum fuimus. Nam castrum est ibi nunc habens praepositum cum milite, qui ibi nunc praesidet pro disciplina Romana. Nam et nos iuxta consuetudinem deduxerunt inde usque ad aliud castrum, et loco Belsephon ostensum est nobis, immo in eo loco fuimus.

4. For Epauleum also was shown
to us, on the opposite side, however, and we were at Magdalum. For there is a camp there now, having
a praepositus with a soldier, who now presides there by Roman disciplina. For
they also, according to custom, led us from there as far as another camp, and the place
of Belsephon was shown to us—nay rather, we were in that very place.

Nam ipse est campus supra mare rubrum iuxta latus montis, quem superius dixi, ubi filii Israhel, cum vidissent Aegyptios post se venientes, exclamaverunt.

For it is that very plain above the Red Sea beside the side of the mountain, which I mentioned above, where the sons of Israel, when they saw the Egyptians coming after them, cried out.

5. Oton etiam ostensum est nobis, quod est iuxta deserta loca, sicut scriptum est, nec non etiam et Socchoth. Socchoth autem est clivus modicus in media valle, iuxta quem colliculum fixerunt castra filii Israhel; nam hic est locus, ubi accepta est lex paschae.

5. Oton also was shown to us, which is next to the desert places, as it is written, and indeed also Socchoth. Socchoth, moreover, is a modest slope in the middle of the valley, near which little hillock the sons of Israel pitched camp; for this is the place where the law of the Passover was received.

6. Pithona etiam civitas, quam aedificaverunt filii Israhel, ostensa est nobis in ipso itinere, in eo tamen loco, ubi iam fines Aegypti intravimus, relinquentes iam terras Saracenorum: nam et ipsud nunc Phitona castrum est.

6. Pithona also, the city which the sons of Israel built, was shown to us on the very journey, in that place, however, where we had already entered the borders of Egypt, already leaving the lands of the Saracens: for even that very place now is the Phitona fort.

7. Heroum autem civitas, quae fuit illo tempore, id est ubi occurrit Ioseph patri suo Iacob venienti, sicut scriptum est in libro Genesis, nunc est come, sed grandis, quod nos dicimus vicus. Nam ipse vicus ecclesiam habet et martyria et monasteria plurima sanctorum monachorum, ad quae singula videnda necesse nos fuit ibi descendere iuxta consuetudinem, quam tenebamus.

7. But the city of Heroum, which was
in that time, that is, where Joseph met his father Jacob as he was coming, as
it is written in the book of Genesis, is now a kome, but a large one, which we call a
vicus. For this same vicus has a church and martyria and very many monasteries
of holy monks, to each of which to be seen it was necessary for us to go down there,
according to the custom which we were keeping.

8. Nam ipse vicus nunc appellatur Hero, quae tamen Hero a terra Iesse miliario iam sexto decimo est, nam in finibus Aegypti est. Locus autem ipse satis gratus est, nam et pars quaedam fluminis Nili ibi currit.

8. For this village itself is now called Hero, which, however, is already at the sixteenth milestone from the land of Iesse, for it is in the borders of Egypt. But the place itself is quite agreeable, for even a part of the river Nile runs there.

9. Ac sic ergo exeuntes de Hero pervenimus ad civitatem, quae appellatur Arabia, quae est civitas in terra Iesse, unde scriptum est dixisse Pharaonem ad Ioseph: «in meliori terra Aegypti colloca patrem tuum et fratres in terra Iessen, in terra Arabiae».

9. And so, therefore, going out from Hero
we arrived at the city which is called Arabia, which is a city in the land
of Iesse, whence it is written that Pharaoh said to Joseph: «In the better
land of Egypt place your father and brothers in the land of Iessen, in the land
of Arabia».

VIII. 1. De Arabia autem civitate quattuor milia passus sunt Ramessen. Nos autem, ut veniremus ad mansionem Arabiae, per media Ramesse transivimus: quae Ramessen civitas nunc campus est, ita ut nec unam habitationem habeat.

8. 1. But as for the city Arabia
it is four miles to Ramesse. But we, in order to come to the way-station
of Arabia, passed through the midst of Ramesse: which city Ramesse is now a plain,
such that it does not have even a single dwelling.

Paret sane, quoniam et ingens fuit per girum et multas fabricas habuit; ruinae enim ipsius, quemadmodum collapsae sunt, in hodie infinitae parent.

It is evident indeed, since it was huge in circumference and had many factories; for the ruins of it, in the manner in which they have collapsed, even to this day appear innumerable.

2. Nunc autem ibi nihil aliud est nisi tantum unus lapis ingens Thebeus, in quo sunt duae statuae exclusae ingentes, quas dicunt esse sanctorum hominum, id est Moysi et Aaron; nam dicent, eo quod filii Israhel in honore ipsorum eas posuerint.

2. Now, however, there is nothing else there except only a single huge Theban stone, in which two statues are carved out, huge ones, which they say are of holy men, that is, Moses and Aaron; for they say that the sons of Israel set them up in their honor.

3. Et est ibi praeterea arbor sicomori, quae dicitur a patriarchis posita esse; nam iam vetustissima est et ideo permodica est, licet tamen adhuc fructus afferat. Nam cuicumque incommoditas fuerit, vadent ibi et tollent surculos, et prode illis est.

3. And there is there moreover a sycamore tree,
which is said to have been set by the patriarchs; for now it is most ancient and therefore
very small, yet nevertheless it still bears fruit. For whoever shall have any incommodity,
they go there and take shoots, and it is profitable for them.

4. Hoc autem referente sancto episcopo de Arabia cognovimus; nam ipse nobis dixit nomen ipsius arboris, quemadmodum appellant eam Graece, id estDENDROS ALÆTHIAS, quod nos dicimus arbor veritatis. Qui tamen sanctus episcopus nobis Ramessen occurrere dignatus est; nam est iam senior vir, vere satis religiosus ex monacho et affabilis, suscipiens peregrinos valde bene; nam et in scripturis Dei valde eruditus est.

4. However, with the holy bishop reporting this, we learned from Arabia; for he himself told us the name of the tree, how they call it in Greek, that isDENDROS ALÆTHIAS, which we call the tree of truth. This same holy bishop deigned to meet us at Ramessen; for he is now an older man, truly quite religious, formerly a monk, and affable, welcoming pilgrims very well; for he is also very learned in the Scriptures of God.

5. Ipse ergo cum se dignatus fuisset vexare et ibi nobis occurrere, singula ibi ostendit seu retulit de illas statuas, quas dixi, ut etiam et de illa arbore sicomori. Nam et hoc nobis ipse sanctus episcopus retulit, eo quod Pharao, quando vidit, quod filii Israhel dimiserant eum, tunc ille, priusquam post illos occuparet, isset cum omni exercitu suo intra Ramesse et incendisset eam omnem, quia infinita erat valde, et inde post filios Israhel fuisset profectus.

5. Therefore he himself, since he had deigned to
trouble himself and to meet us there, showed each thing there or else related about those
statues which I have mentioned, as also about that sycamore tree. For this too to us
the holy bishop himself reported, to the effect that Pharaoh, when he saw that the sons of
Israel had left him, then he, before he should overtake them, had gone
with all his army into Ramesse and had set it all on fire, because it was exceedingly
vast, and from there had set out after the sons of Israel.

IX. 1. Nobis autem fortuitu hoc gratissimum evenit, ut ea die, qua venimus ad mansionem Arabia, pridie beatissimo die Epiphania esset; nam eadem die vigiliae agendae erant in ecclesia. Ac sic ergo aliquo biduo ibi tenuit nos sanctus episcopus, sanctus et vere homo Dei, notus mihi iam satis de eo tempore, a quo ad Thebaidam fueram.

9. 1. But fortuitously this most welcome thing befell us, that on the day on which we came to the mansio Arabia, it was the day before the most blessed day of Epiphany; for on that same day the vigils were to be held in the church. And so for a day or two the holy bishop kept us there, holy and truly a man of God, already quite well known to me from that time when I had been to the Thebaid.

2. Ipse autem sanctus episcopus ex monacho est; nam a pisinno in monasterio nutritus est, et ideo aut tam eruditus in scripturis est aut tam emendatus in omni vita sua, ut et superius dixi.

2. But the holy bishop himself is of monastic origin; for from a little boy he was nurtured in a monastery, and therefore he is either so erudite in the scriptures or so emended in his whole life, as I also said above.

3. Nos autem inde iam remisimus milites, qui nobis pro disciplina Romana auxilia praebuerant, quandiu per loca suspecta ambulaveramus; iam autem, quoniam ager publicum erat per Aegyptum, quod transiebat per Arabiam civitatem, id est quod mittit de Thebaida in Pelusio: et ideo iam non fuit necesse vexare milites.

3. But from there we now sent back
the soldiers, who had furnished us escort in accordance with Roman discipline, as long as we had walked through
suspect places; but now, since the public service was in operation throughout
Egypt, which passed through the city Arabia, that is, which sends from the Thebaid to Pelusium: and therefore now it was not necessary to vex the soldiers.

4. Proficiscentes ergo inde totum per terram Gessen iter fecimus semper inter vineas, quae dant vinum, et vineas, quae dant balsamum, et inter pomaria et agros cultissimos et hortos plurimos iter habuimus totum super ripam fluminis Nili inter fundos frequentissimos, quae fuerant quondam villae filiorum Israhel. et quid plura? pulchriorem territorium puto me nusquam vidisse quam est terra Iessen.

4. Setting out therefore from there, we made our whole journey through the land of Goshen always among vineyards which give wine, and
vineyards which give balsam, and we had our route among orchards and most-cultivated fields and very many gardens,
the whole along the bank of the river Nile among very numerous estates,
which had once been the villas of the sons of Israel. and what more? I think I have nowhere seen a more beautiful territory than the land of Goshen is.

5. Ac sic ergo ab Arabia civitate iter facientes per biduo totum per terram Gessen pervenimus Tathnis, in ea civitate, ubi natus est sanctus Moyses. Haec est autem civitas Tathnis, quae fuit quondam metropolis Pharaonis.

5. And so, therefore, from the city Arabia,
making the journey for two days entirely through the land of Goshen, we came to Tathnis, in
that city where holy Moses was born. Now this is the city Tathnis,
which was formerly the metropolis of Pharaoh.

6. Et licet ea loca, ut superius dixi, iam nosse, id est quando Alexandriam vel ad Thebaidem fueram, tamen quia ad plenum discere volebam loca, quae ambulaverunt filii Israhel proficiscentes ex Ramesse usque ad montem Dei sanctum Sina: ac sic necesse fuit etiam denuo ad terram Gessen reverti et inde Tathnis. Proficiscentes ergo de Tathnis, ambulans per iter iam notum perveni Pelusio.

6. And although I already knew those places, as I said above, that is, when I had been to Alexandria or to the Thebaid, nevertheless because I wished to learn fully the places which the sons of Israel walked, setting out from Ramesse as far as the holy Mount of God, Sinai: and thus it was necessary also to return again to the land of Goshen and from there to Tathnis. Setting out therefore from Tathnis, walking along the already known route I came to Pelusium.

7. Et inde proficiscens denuo, faciens iter per singulas mansiones Aegypti, per quas iter habueramus, perveni ad fines Palaestinae. Et inde in nomine Christi Dei nostri faciens denuo mansiones aliquod per Palaestina regressa sum in Aelia, id est in Ierusolimam.

7. And setting out thence again, making
a journey through each station of Egypt, by which we had traveled, I came
to the borders of Palestine. And thence, in the name of Christ our God, making again
some stations through Palestine, I returned to Aelia, that is, to Jerusalem.

X. 1. Item transacto aliquanto tempore et iubente Deo fuit denuo voluntas accedendi usque ad Arabiam, id est ad montem Nabau, in eo loco, in quo iussit Deus ascendere Moysen dicens ad eum: «ascende in montem Arabot, montem Nabau, qui est in terra Moab contra faciem Iericho, et vide terram Chanaan, quam ego do filiis Israhel in possessionem, et morere in monte ipso, in quem ascenderis».

10. 1. Likewise, with some time having passed and with God bidding, there was again the will to approach as far as Arabia,
that is to Mount Nabau, in that place in which God ordered Moses to ascend,
saying to him: «ascend onto Mount Arabot, Mount Nabau, which is in
the land of Moab over against Jericho, and see the land of Canaan, which I give to the sons of
Israel for a possession, and die on the mountain itself, onto which you will have ascended».

2. Itaque ergo Deus noster Iesus, qui sperantes in se non deseret, etiam et in hoc voluntati meae effectum praestare dignatus est.

2. And so therefore our God Jesus,
who would not desert those hoping in himself, deigned also in this to grant effect to my will.

3. Proficiscens ergo Ierusolima faciens iter cum sanctis, id est presbytero et diaconibus de Ierusolima et fratribus aliquantis, id est monachis, pervenimus ergo usque ad eum locum Iordanis, ubi filii Israhel transierant, quando eos sanctus Iesus, filius Nave, Iordanem traiecerat, sicut scriptum est in libro Iesu Nave. Nam et locus ille ostensus est nobis quasi modice altior, ubi filii Ruben et Gad et dimidia tribus Manasse fecerant aram, in ea parte ripae, qua est Iericho.

3. Setting out therefore from Jerusalem, making the journey with holy men, that is, with a presbyter and deacons from Jerusalem, and with some brothers, that is, monks, we came to that place of the Jordan where the sons of Israel had crossed, when holy Jesus, the son of Nave, had led them across the Jordan, as it is written in the book of Jesus Nave. For that place too was shown to us as being somewhat higher, where the sons of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh had made an altar, on that part of the bank where Jericho is.

4. Transeuntes ergo fluvium pervenimus ad civitatem, qui appellatur Libiada, quae est in eo campo, in quo tunc filii Israhel castra fixerant. Nam et fundamenta de castris filiorum Israhel et habitationibus ipsorum, ubi commorati sunt, in eo loco in hodie parent. Campus enim ipse est infinitus subter montes Arabiae super Iordanem.

4. Crossing the river, therefore, we came
to the city, which is called Libiada, which is in that plain in which then
the sons of Israel had fixed their camp. For even the foundations of the camps of the sons of Israel
and of their habitations, where they sojourned, in that place to this day appear. For the plain itself is boundless beneath the mountains of Arabia above the Jordan.

Nam hic est locus, de quo scriptum est: «et ploraverunt filii Israhel Moysen in Arabot Moab et Iordane contra Iericho quadraginta diebus».

For
here is the place, of which it is written: «and the sons of Israel
wept for Moses in the Arabot of Moab and at the Jordan opposite Jericho for forty days».

5. Hic etiam locus est, ubi post recessum Moysi statim Iesus, filius Nave, repletus est spiritu scientiae: imposuerat enim Moyses manus suas super eum, sicut scriptum est.

5. This too is the place where, after
the withdrawal of Moses, immediately Joshua, son of Nun, was filled with the spirit of knowledge:
for Moses had laid his hands upon him, just as it is written.

6. Nam ipse est locus, ubi scripsit Moyses librum Deuteronomii. Hic etiam est locus, ubi locutus est Moyses in aures totius ecclesiae Israhel verba cantici usque in finem huius, qui scriptus est in libro Deuteronomii. Hic est ipse locus, ubi benedixit sanctus Moyses, homo Dei, filios Israhel singulatim per ordinem ante obitum suum.

6. For this is the very place where Moses wrote the book of Deuteronomy. This also is the place where Moses spoke into the ears of the whole ecclesia of Israel the words of the song, even to the end of this, which is written in the book of Deuteronomy. This is the very place where holy Moses, the man of God, blessed the sons of Israel one by one in order before his death.

7. Nos ergo cum venissemus in eodem campo, peraccessimus ad locum ipsum, et facta est ibi oratio, lecta etiam pars quaedam Deuteronomii in eo loco nec non etiam et canticus ipsius, sed et benedictiones, quas dixerat super filios Israhel. Et iterato post lectione facta est oratio, et gratias Deo agentes movimus inde. Id enim nobis semper consuetudinis erat, ut ubicumque ad loca desiderata accedere volebamus, primum ibi fieret oratio, deinde legeretur lectio ipsa de codice, diceretur etiam psalmus unus pertinens ad rem et iterato fieret ibi oratio.

7. Therefore when we had come into the same field, we went right up to the very place, and a prayer was made there, and also was read a certain part of Deuteronomy in that place, and indeed also his canticle, and also the blessings which he had spoken over the sons of Israel. And again after the reading a prayer was made, and, giving thanks to God, we departed from there. For that was always our custom, that wherever we wished to approach the desired places first a prayer should be made there, then the reading itself should be read from the codex, also one psalm pertaining to the matter should be recited, and again a prayer should be made there.

Hanc ergo consuetudinem iubente Deo semper tenuimus, ubicumque ad loca desiderata potuimus pervenire.

Therefore, at God’s bidding, we have always kept this custom, wherever we were able to arrive at the places
desired.

8. Ac sic ergo, ut coeptum opus perficeretur, coepimus festinare, ut perveniremus ad montem Nabau. Euntibus nobis commonuit presbyter loci ipsius, id est de Libiade, quem ipsum nobiscum rogantes moveramus de mansione, quia melius ipsa loca noverat; dicit ergo nobis ipse presbyter: «si vultis videre aquam, quae fluit de petra, id est quam dedit Moyses filiis Israhel sitientibus, potestis videre, si tamen volueritis laborem vobis imponere, ut de via camsemus forsitan miliario sexto».

8. And so, therefore, that the work begun might be perfected, we began to hasten, that we might arrive at Mount Nebo. As we were going, the presbyter of that very place, that is, from Libiade, reminded us—whom, by our entreaties, we had induced to set out from his lodging with us, because he knew those places better; so the presbyter says to us: «If you wish to see the water which flows from the rock, that is, which Moses gave to the sons of Israel when they were thirsting, you can see it, if indeed you will to impose the labor upon yourselves, that we turn aside from the road, perhaps at the sixth milestone».

9. Quod cum dixisset, nos satis avidi optati sumus ire, et statim divertentes a via secuti sumus presbyterum, qui nos ducebat. In eo ergo loco ecclesia est pisinna subter montem, non Nabau, sed alterum interiorem: sed nec ipse longe est de Nabau. Monachi autem plurimi commanent ibi vere sancti et quos hic ascites vocant.

9. When he had said this, we quite avid desired to go, and at once, turning aside from the road, we followed the presbyter, who was leading us. In that place, then, there is a church and a piscina beneath the mountain, not Nebo, but another, an inner one: but not even it is far from Nebo. However, very many monks dwell there, truly holy, and whom they here call ascetics.

XI. 1. Hi ergo sancti monachi dignati sunt nos suscipere valde humane, nam et ad salutationem suam permiserunt nos ingredi. Cum autem ingressi fuissemus ad eos, facta oratione cum ipsis eulogias nobis dare dignati sunt, sicut habent consuetudinem dandi his, quos humane suscipiunt.

11. 1. Therefore these holy monks deigned to receive us very humanely, for they even permitted us to enter for their salutation. But when we had entered to them, with prayer having been made with them, they deigned to give us eulogiae, as they have the custom of giving to those, whom they receive humanely.

2. Ibi ergo inter ecclesiam et monasteria in medio fluit de petra, aqua ingens, pulchra, valde et limpida, saporis optimi. Tunc interrogavimus nos etiam et illos sanctos monachos, qui ibi manebant, quae esset haec aqua talis et tanti saporis. Tunc illi dixerunt: «haec est aqua, quam dedit sanctus Moyses filiis Israhel in hac eremo».

2. There, then, between the church and the monasteries,
in the midst there flows from the rock a great water, beautiful, very limpid, of excellent savor.
Then we asked, we as well as those holy monks who were staying there,
what this water was, such and of so great a savor. Then they said:
«this is the water which Saint Moses gave to the sons of Israel in this desert».

3. Facta est ergo iuxte consuetudinem ibi oratio et lectio ipsa de libris Moysi lecta, dictus etiam psalmus unus; et sic simul cum illis sanctis clericis et monachis, qui nobiscum venerant, perexivimus ad montem. Multi autem et ex ipsis monachis sanctis, qui ibi commanebant iuxta aqua ipsa, qui tamen potuerunt imponere sibi laborem, dignati sunt nobiscum ascendere montem Nabau.

3. Therefore, according to the custom,
there prayer was made and the very lection from the books of Moses was read, and one psalm also was recited;
and thus, together with those holy clerics and monks who had come with us,
we went out to the mountain. Many also of those same holy monks who were
staying there near that very water, who nevertheless were able to lay the labor upon themselves,
deigned to ascend with us Mount Nabau.

4. Itaque ergo proficiscentes de eodem loco pervenimus ad radicem montis Nabau, qui erat valde excelsus, ita tamen, ut pars eius maxima sedendo in asellis possit subiri; modice autem erat acrius, quod pedibus necesse erat subiri cum labore, sicut et factum est.

4. And so then, setting out from the same place, we came to the foot of Mount Nabau, which was very high,
yet so that its greater part could be ascended sitting on asses; somewhat,
however, it was steeper, which it was necessary to ascend on foot with labor, as indeed
was done.

XII. 1. Pervenimus ergo ad summitatem montis illius, ubi est nunc ecclesia non grandis in ipsa summitate montis Nabau. Intra quam ecclesiam in eo loco, ubi pulpitus est, vidi locum modice quasi altiorem tantum hispatii habentem, quantum memoriae solent habere.

12. 1. We arrived therefore at the summit of that mountain, where there is now a not-large church on the very summit of the mountain Nabau. Inside which church, in the place where the pulpit is, I saw a spot moderately, as it were, higher, having just as much space as memorials are accustomed to have.

2. Tunc ergo interrogavi illos sanctos, quidnam esset hoc; qui responderunt: «hic positus est sanctus Moyses ab angelis, quoniam, sicut scriptum est, sepulturam illius nullus hominum scit, quoniam certum est eum ab angelis fuisse sepultum. Nam memoria illius, ubi positus sit, in hodie non ostenditur; sicut enim nobis a maioribus, qui hic manserunt, ubi ostensum est, ita et nos vobis monstramus: qui et ipsi tamen maiores ita sibi traditum a maioribus suis esse dicebant».

2. Then therefore I asked those holy men, what this might be; and they answered: «here the holy Moses was laid by the angels, since, as it is written, no man knows his sepulture, since it is certain that he was buried by angels. For the memorial of him, where he was laid, is not shown to this day; for just as to us by the elders, who remained here, where it was shown, so also we show it to you: and those same elders, however, used to say that it had thus been handed down to them by their elders».

3. Itaque ergo mox facta est oratio, et omnia, quae in singulis locis sanctis per ordinem consueveramus facere, etiam et hic facta sunt: et sic coepimus egredere de ecclesia. Tunc autem qui erant loci notores, id est presbyteri vel monachi sancti, dixerunt nobis: «si vultis videre loca, quae scripta sunt in libris Moysi, accedite foras [h]ostium ecclesiae et de summitate ipsa, ex parte tamen ut posuunt hinc parere, attendite et videte, et dicimus vobis singula, quae sunt loca haec, quae parent».

3. And so at once a prayer was made,
and all the things which in the several holy places in order we had been accustomed to do,
were done here as well: and so we began to go out of the church. Then, however,
those who were knowers of the places, that is, presbyters or holy monks, said
to us: «if you wish to see the places which are written in the books of Moses,
come outside the [h]doors of the church, and from that very summit, yet from the side
so far as they can appear from here, attend and see, and we will tell you one by one
which these places are that appear».

4. Tunc nos gavisi satis statim egressi sumus foras. Nam de [h]ostio ipsius ecclesiae vidimus locum, ubi intrat Iordanis in mare mortuum, qui locus subter nos, quemadmodum stabamus, parebat. Vidimus etiam de contra non solum Libiadam, quae citra Iordanem erat, sed et Iericho, quae trans Iordanem; tantum eminebat excelsus locus, ubi stabamus, id est ante [h]ostium ecclesiae.

4. Then we, rejoicing enough, at once went outside. For from the doorway of that very church we saw the place where the Jordan enters into the Dead Sea, which place appeared below us, just as we were standing. We also saw opposite, not only Libiada, which was on this side of the Jordan, but also Jericho, which is across the Jordan; so much did the lofty spot where we were standing project, that is, before the doorway of the church.

5. Maxima etiam pars Palaestinae, quae est terra repromissionis, inde videbatur, nec non et omnis terra Iordanis, in quantum tamen poterat oculis conspici. In sinistra autem parte vidimus terras Sodomitum omnes nec non et Segor, quae tamen Segor sola de illis quinque in hodie constat.

5. The greatest part of Palestine,
which is the land of promise, was visible from there, and likewise the whole land of the Jordan,
insofar, however, as could be perceived by the eyes. On the left-hand side, moreover, we saw
all the lands of the Sodomites and also Segor, which, however, Segor alone of those
five endures to this day.

6. Nam et memoriale ibi est; de ceteris autem illis civitatibus nihil aliud apparet nisi subversio ruinarum, quemadmodum in cinerem conversae sunt. Locus etiam, ubi fuit titulus uxoris Loth, ostensus est nobis, qui locus etiam in scripturis legitur.

6. For there is also a memorial there; but concerning those other cities nothing else appears except the subversion of the ruins,
inasmuch as they have been turned into ash. The place also where there was the marker of the wife of Lot
was shown to us, which place is also read of in the scriptures.

7. Sed mihi credite, dominae venerabiles, quia columna ipsa iam non paret, locus autem ipse tantum ostenditur: columna autem ipsa dicitur mari mortuo fuisse cooperta. Certe locum videremus, columnam nullam vidimus, et ideo fallere vos super hanc rem non possum. Nam episcopus loci ipsius, id est de Segor, dixit nobis, quoniam iam aliquot anni essent, a quo non pareret columna illa.

7. But believe me, venerable ladies, that the column itself now does not appear; the place itself is only pointed out: but the column itself is said to have been covered by the Dead Sea. Certainly, when we saw the place, we saw no column, and therefore I cannot deceive you about this matter. For the bishop of that very place, that is, of Segor, told us that already several years had passed since that column did not appear.

Nam de Segor forsitan sexto miliario ipse locus <est>, ubi stetit columna illa, quod nunc totum cooperit aqua.

For from Segor perhaps at the sixth
milestone the place itself <is>, where that column stood, which now entirely
the water covers.

8. Item de dextra parte ecclesiae, a foras tamen, accessimus et ostensae sunt nobis inde a contra duae civitates, id est Esebon, quae fuit regis Seon, regis Amorreorum, quae nunc appellatur Exebon, et alia Og, regis Basan, quae nunc dicitur Sasdra. Item de eodem loco ostensa est nobis a contra Fogor, quae fuit civitas regni Edom.

8. Likewise, on the right side of the church,
outside, however, we approached, and from there over-against two cities were shown to us,
that is, Heshbon, which belonged to King Sihon, king of the Amorites, which is now called
Exebon, and the other, of Og, king of Bashan, which is now called Sasdra. Likewise from the same
place there was shown to us over-against Fogor, which was a city of the kingdom of Edom.

9. Hae autem civitates omnes, quas videbamus, in montibus erant positae, infra autem modice deorsum planior locus nobis videbatur. Tunc dictum est nobis, quia in isdem diebus, qua sanctus Moyses vel filii Israhel contra illas civitates pugnaverant, castra ibi fixa habuissent: nam et signa ibi parebant castrorum.

9. Now all these cities, which we were seeing, were positioned on the mountains, but below, a little downward, a plainer place seemed to us. Then it was said to us that in those same days, when Saint Moses or the sons of Israel had fought against those cities, they had their camp fixed there: for even the signs of the camp were apparent there.

10. Sane illa parte montis, quam dixi sinistra, quae erat super mare mortuum, ostensus est nobis mons praecisus valde, qui dictus est ante «Agri specula». Hic est mons, in quo posuit Balac, filius Beor, Balaam divinum ad maledicendos filios Israhel et noluit Deus ita permittere, sicut scriptum est.

10. Indeed that side of the mountain,
which I said was on the left, which was above the Dead Sea, there was shown to us a mountain
very precipitous, which formerly was called «Watchtower of the Field». This is the
mountain on which Balak, son of Beor, set Balaam the diviner to curse the sons of Israel,
and God did not wish to permit it thus, as it is written.

11. Ac sic ergo visis omnibus, quae desiderabamus, in nomine Dei revertentes per Iericho et iter omne, quod iveramus, regressi sumus in Ierusolimam.

11. And so, therefore, with all the things we desired having been seen, returning in the name of God through Jericho and the whole route which we had traveled, we returned to Jerusalem.

XIII. 1. Item post aliquantum tempus volui etiam ad regionem Ausitidem accedere propter visendam memoriam sancti Iob gratia orationis. Multos enim sanctos monachos videbam inde venientes in Ierusolimam ad visenda loca sancta gratia orationis, qui singula referentes de eisdem locis fecerunt magis desiderium imponendi mihi laboris, ut etiam usque ad illa loca accederem, si tamen labor dici potest, ubi homo desiderium suum compleri videt.

13. 1. Likewise after some time
I wished also to go to the Ausitis region for the purpose of seeing the memorial of Saint
Job for the sake of prayer. For I used to see many holy monks coming from there
to Jerusalem to visit the holy places for the sake of prayer, who, relating each particular
about those same places, created in me a stronger desire of imposing labor upon myself, so that I too
might go even as far as those places—if indeed it can be called labor, where a person sees his desire
fulfilled.

2. Itaque ergo profecta sum de Ierusolima cum sanctis, qui tamen dignati sunt itineri meo comitatum praestare, et ipsi tamen gratia orationis. Habens ergo iter ab Ierusolima usque ad Carneas eundo per mansiones octo - Carneas autem dicitur nunc civitas Iob, quae ante dicta est Dennaba in terra Ausitidi, in finibus Idumeae et Arabiae - : in quo itinere iens vidi super ripam fluminis Iordanis vallem pulchram satis et amoenam, abundantem vineis et arboribus, quoniam aquae multae ibi erant et optimae satis.

2. And so I set out from Jerusalem
with holy men, who nevertheless deigned to provide an escort for my journey, and
they themselves also for the sake of prayer. Having therefore a route from Jerusalem as far as Carneas,
going through eight stations — Carneas, however, is now called the city of Job, which
was formerly called Dennaba in the land of Ausitis, on the borders of Idumea and Arabia
— : on which journey, as I went, I saw above the bank of the river Jordan a valley quite
beautiful and pleasant, abounding in vineyards and trees, since there were many waters
there and very good.

3. Nam in ea valle vicus erat grandis, qui appellatur nunc Sedima. In eo ergo vico, qui est in media planitie positus, in medio loco est monticulus non satis grandis, sed factus sicut solent esse tumbae, sed grandes: ibi ergo in summo ecclesia est et deorsum per girum ipsius colliculi parent fundamenta grandia antiqua, nunc autem in ipso vico turbae aliquantae commanent.

3. For in that valley there was a large village, which is now called Sedima. In that village, therefore, which is set in the middle of the plain, in the central place there is a little mound not very large, but fashioned as tombs are wont to be, yet large ones: there therefore on the summit there is a church, and down below, around the circuit of that hillock, there appear great ancient foundations; now, however, in the village itself some companies abide.

4. Ego autem cum viderem locum tam gratum, requisivi, quisnam locus esset ille tam amoenus. Tunc dictum est mihi: «haec est civitas regis Melchisedech, quae dicta est ante Salem, unde nunc corrupto sermone Sedima appellatur ipse vicus. Nam in isto colliculo, qui est medio vico positus, in summitatem ipsius fabricam quam vides ecclesia est, quae ecclesia nunc appellatur Graeco sermone +OPU+ Melchisedech.

4. But I, when I saw the place so
pleasing, asked what place that so delightful one was. Then it was said
to me: «this is the city of King Melchisedech, which was called before Salem,
whence now, with the speech corrupted, the village itself is called Sedima. For on that little hill,
which is set in the midst of the village, on its summit the fabric which you see is a church,
which church is now called in the Greek tongue +OPU+ Melchisedech.

Nam hic est locus, ubi optulit Melchisedech hostias Deo puras, id est panes et vinum, sicut scriptum est eum fecisse».

For here is the place, where Melchizedek offered pure sacrifices to God, that is, breads and wine, just as it is written that he did».

XIV. 1. Statim ergo ut haec audivi, descendimus de animalibus, et ecce occurrere dignatus est sanctus presbyter ipsius loci et clerici; qui nos statim suscipientes duxerunt suso ad ecclesiam. Ubi cum venissemus, statim iuxta consuetudinem primum facta est oratio, deinde lectus est ipse locus de libro sancti Moysi, dictus est etiam psalmus unus competens loco ipsi, et denuo facta.

14. 1. Immediately therefore as I heard these things,
we dismounted from the animals, and behold, the holy presbyter
of that place and the clerics deigned to come to meet us; who, straightway receiving us, led us up to the church. When we had come, immediately according to custom first a prayer was made,
then the very passage was read from the book of holy Moses, one psalm also appropriate to the place was recited,
and again a prayer was made.

Oratione descendimus.

After the prayer, we descended.

2. Cum ergo descendissemus, ait nobis ille sanctus presbyter iam senior et de scripturis bene instructus, id est qui ipsi loco praeerat ex monacho, cui presbytero et episcopi plurimi, quantum postmodum cognovimus, vitae ipsius testimonium grande ferebant, nam hoc de ipso dicebant, dignus qui praesit in hoc loco, ubi sanctus Melchisedech advenientem sanctum Abraham hostias Deo puras primus optulit: cum ergo descendissemus, ut superius dixi, de ecclesia deorsum, ait nobis ipse sanctus presbyter: «ecce ista fundamenta in giro colliculo isto, quae videtis, hae sunt de palatio regis Melchisedech. Nam inde adhuc sic si quis subito iuxta sibi vult facere domum et fundamenta inde continget, aliquotiens et de argento et aeramento modica frustella ibi invenit.

2. Therefore when we had come down, that holy presbyter, now elder and well instructed in the scriptures, said to us, that is, the one who presided over that place, from a monk, to which presbyter very many bishops, as afterward we learned, bore great testimony to his life, for this they said about him, that he is worthy to preside in this place, where holy Melchisedech, as holy Abraham was arriving, first offered pure sacrifices to God: therefore when we had come down, as I said above, from the church downward, the holy presbyter himself said to us: «behold these foundations around this little hill, which you see, these are from the palace of king Melchisedech. For from there even now, thus, if someone suddenly wishes to make a house for himself nearby and happens to touch the foundations from there, at times both of silver and of bronze small little pieces he finds there.

3. Nam ecce ista via, quam videtis transire inter fluvium Iordanem et vicum istum, haec est qua via regressus est sanctus Abraham de caede Codollagomor, regis gentium, revertens in Sodomis, qua ei occurrit sanctus Melchisedech, rex Salem».

3. For behold this road, which you see to pass between the river Jordan and this village, this is the road by which the holy Abraham returned from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, king of the nations, returning to Sodom, where the holy Melchizedek, king of Salem, met him».

XV.1. Tunc ergo quia retinebam scriptum esse baptizasse sanctum Iohannem in Enon iuxta Salim, requisivi de eo, quam longe esset ipse locus. Tunc ait ille sanctus presbyter: «ecce hic est in ducentis passibus. Nam si vis, ecce modo pedibus duco vos ibi.

15.1. Then therefore, since I was retaining that it was written that Saint John had baptized in Enon near Salim, I inquired about it, how far the place itself was. Then that holy presbyter said: «behold it is here at two hundred paces. For if you wish, behold right now I will lead you there on foot.»

Nam haec aqua tam grandis et tam pura, quam videtis in isto vico, de ipso fonte venit».

For this water, so great and so pure, which you see in this village, comes from the very
spring».

2. Tunc ergo gratias ei agere coepi et rogare, ut duceret nos ad locum, sicut et factum est. Statim ergo coepimus ire cum eo pedibus totum per vallem amoenissimam, donec perveniremus usque ad hortum pomarium valde amoenum, ubi ostendit nobis in medio fontem aquae optimae satis et purae, qui a semel integrum fluvium dimittebat. Habebat autem ante se ipse fons quasi lacum, ubi parebat fuisse operatum sanctum Iohannem baptistam.

2. Then therefore I began to give thanks to him and to ask that he lead us to the place, as indeed was done. At once therefore we began to go with him on foot through the whole most pleasant valley, until we came as far as a very pleasant orchard-garden, where he showed us in the middle a spring of water most excellent and quite pure, which at once was sending forth an entire river. It had however before itself, the spring, as it were, a pool, where it appeared that Saint John the Baptist had performed his work.

3. Tunc dixit nobis ipse sanctus presbyter: «in hodie hic hortus aliter non appellatur Graeco sermone nisikhpou tou agiou Iohanni, id est quod vos dicitis Latine hortus sancti Iohannis». Nam et multi fratres sancti monachi de diversis locis venientes tendunt se, ut laventur in eo loco.

3. Then the holy presbyter himself said to us: «to this day this garden is not otherwise called in Greek speech
except khpou tou agiou to John, that is what you say in Latin, the garden
of Saint John». For also many brothers, holy monks, coming from diverse
places direct themselves, that they may be washed in that place.

4. Denuo ergo et ad ipsum fontem, sicut et in singulis locis, facta est oratio et lecta est ipsa lectio; dictus etiam psalmus competens et singula, quae consuetudinis nobis erant facere, ubicumque ad loca sancta veniebamus, ita et ibi fecimus.

4. Again therefore also at the very spring, just as also in each place, a prayer was made and the lection itself was read; a fitting psalm too was said, and the individual things which were our custom to do, wherever we came to the holy places, so also there we did.

5. Illud etiam presbyter sanctus dixit nobis, eo quod usque in hodierna die semper cata pascha, quicumque essent baptizandi in ipso vico, id est in ecclesia, quae appellatur +OPU+ Melchisedech, omnes in ipso fonte baptizarentur, sic redirent mature ad candelas cum clericis et monachis dicendo psalmos vel antiphonas et sic a fonte usque ad ecclesiam sancti Melchisedech deducerentur mature omnes, qui fuissent baptizati.

5. The holy presbyter also told us, that up to the present day, always at Pascha, whoever
were to be baptized in that very village—that is, in the church which is called +OPU+
Melchizedek—would all be baptized in that very font; thus they would return early to
the candles with the clerics and monks, saying psalms or antiphons, and thus
from the font up to the church of Saint Melchizedek all would be led early,
who had been baptized.

6. Nos ergo accipientes de presbytero eulogias, id est de pomario sancti Iohannis baptistae, similiter et de sanctis monachis, qui ibi monasteria habebant in ipso horto pomario, et gratias semper Deo agentes profecti sumus iter nostrum, quo ibamus.

6. Therefore we, receiving from the presbyter eulogies, that is, from the orchard of Saint John the Baptist, likewise also from the holy monks, who had monasteries there in that very orchard-garden, and always giving thanks to God, set out upon our journey, to which we were going.

XVI. 1. Ac sic ergo euntes aliquandiu per vallem Iordanis super ripam fluminis ipsius, quia ibi nobis iter erat aliquandiu, ad subito vidimus civitatem sancti prophetae Heliae, id est Thesbe, unde ille habuit nomen Helias Thesbites. Inibi est ergo usque in hodie spelunca, in qua sedit ipse sanctus, et ibi est memoria sancti Gethae, cuius nomen in libris Iudicum legimus.

16. 1. And so, going for a while through the valley of the Jordan along the bank of the river itself, because our route lay there for some time, and suddenly we saw the city of the holy prophet Elijah (Helias), that is, Thesbe, whence he had the name Elijah (Helias) the Thesbite. There, therefore, even to this day is the cave in which the holy man himself sat, and there is the memorial of Saint Getha, whose name we read in the Book of Judges.

2. Ac sic ergo et ibi gratias Deo agentes iuxta consuetudinem perexivimus iter nostrum. Item euntes in eo itinere vidimus vallem de sinistro nobis venientem amoenissimam, quae vallis erat ingens, mittens torrentem in Iordanem infinitum. Et ibi in ipsa valle vidimus monasterium cuiusdam fratris nunc, id est monachi.

2. And so likewise there, giving thanks to God according to custom, we proceeded on our journey. Likewise, going on that route we saw a most delightful valley coming to us on the left, which valley was immense, sending a torrent into the boundless Jordan. And there in that very valley we saw the monastery of a certain brother at present, that is, a monk.

3. Tunc ego, ut sum satis curiosa, requirere coepi, quae esset haec vallis, ubi sanctus monachus nunc monasterium sibi fecisset; non enim putabam hoc sine causa esse. Tunc dixerunt nobis sancti, qui nobiscum iter faciebant, id est loci notores: «haec est vallis Corra, ubi sedit sanctus Helias Thesbites temporibus Achab regis, qua famis fuit, et iusso Dei corvus ei escam portabat, et de eo torrente aquam bibebat. Nam hic torrens, quem vides de ipsa valle percurrentem in Iordanem, hic est Corra ».

3. Then I, as I am quite curious,
began to inquire what this valley might be, where a holy monk has now made a monastery
for himself; for I did not think this was without cause. Then the holy men
who were making the journey with us, that is, place-experts, said: «this is
the valley Corra, where the holy Elijah the Tishbite sat in the times of King Ahab,
when there was famine, and by the command of God a raven used to carry food to him, and from that torrent
he used to drink water. For this torrent, which you see running from that very valley into
the Jordan, this is Corra ».

4. Ac sic ergo nihilominus Deo gratias agentes, qui nobis non merentibus singula, quae desiderabamus, dignabatur ostendere, itaque ergo ire coepimus iter nostrum sicut singulis diebus. Ac sic ergo facientes iter singulis diebus ad subito de latere sinistro, unde e contra partes Phoenicis videbamus, apparuit nobis mons ingens et altus infinitum, qui tendebatur in longo... * * *

4. And so therefore nonetheless giving thanks to God, who, we not deserving it, deigned to show us individually the things which we desired, thus then we began to go our journey as on individual days. And so thus making the journey on individual days, suddenly from the left side, whence opposite we were seeing the parts of Phoenicia, there appeared to us a huge mountain and infinitely high, which was stretching in length... * * *

5. Qui sanctus monachus vir ascitis necesse habuit post tot annos, quibus sedebat in eremum, movere se et descendere ad civitatem Carneas, ut commoneret episcopum vel clericos temporis ipsius, iuxta quod ei fuerat revelatum, ut foderent in eo loco, qui ei fuerat ostensus, sicut et factum est.

5. That holy monk, an ascetic man, had necessity, after so many years during which he sat in the desert, to move himself and descend to the city Carneas, to admonish the bishop or the clerics of that time, according to what had been revealed to him, that they should dig in that place which had been shown to him, just as indeed was done.

6. Qui fodientes in eo loco, qui ostensus fuerat, invenerunt speluncam, quam sequentes fuerunt forsitan per passus centum, quo ad subito fodientibus illis adparuit lapis: quem lapidem cum perdisco peruissent, invenerunt sculptum in coperculo ipsius Iob. Cui Iob ad tunc in eo loco facta est ista ecclesia, quam videtis, ita tamen, ut lapis cum corpore non moveretur in alio loco, sed ibi, ubi inventum fuerat corpus, positum esset, et ut corpus subter altarium iaceret. illa autem ecclesia, quam tribunus nescio qui faciebat, sic stat inperfecta usque in hodie.

6. And they, digging in that place which had been shown,
found a cave, which, following, they went perhaps for a hundred paces,
when suddenly, as they were digging, a stone appeared: and when they had
thoroughly bored through that stone, they found engraved upon the lid the name of Job himself. Wherefore for Job
then in that place this church, which you see, was made; so, however, that
the stone with the body should not be moved into another place, but that there, where the body had been found,
it should be placed, and that the body should lie beneath the altar. But that other
church, which some tribune—I know not who—was building, thus stands unfinished
to this day.

7. Ac sic ergo nos alia die mane rogavimus episcopum, ut faceret oblationem, sicut et facere dignatus est, et benedicens nos episcopus profecti sumus. Communicantes ergo et ibi, gratias agentes Deo semper, regressi sumus in Ierusolimam, iter facientes per singulas mansiones, per quas ieramus [tres annos].

7. And so accordingly, on another day in the morning
we asked the bishop to make the oblation, as indeed he deigned to do,
and, the bishop blessing us, we set out. Communicating therefore there as well,
always giving thanks to God, we returned to Jerusalem, making the journey
through each of the stations through which we had gone [three years].

XVII. 1. Item in nomine Dei, transacto aliquanto tempore, cum iam tres anni pleni essent, a quo in Ierusolimam venisse, visis etiam omnibus locis sanctis, ad quos orationis gratia me tenderam, et ideo iam revertendi ad patriam animus esset: volui iubente Deo, ut et ad Mesopotamiam Syriae accedere ad visendos sanctos monachos, qui ibi plurimi et tam eximiae vitae esse dicebantur, ut vix referri possit; nec non etiam et gratia orationis ad martyrium sancti Thomae apostoli, ubi corpus illius integrum positum est, id est apud Edessam, quem se illuc missurum, posteaquam in caelis ascendisset, Deus noster Iesus testatus est per epistolam, quam ad Aggarum regem per Ananiam cursorem misit, quae epistolam cum grandi reverentia apud Edessam civitatem, ubi est ipsud martyrium, custoditur.

17. 1. Likewise, in the name of God, after some time had passed,
when already three full years had elapsed since I had come to Jerusalem,
and after all the holy places had also been seen, to which for the sake of prayer I had directed myself,
and therefore my mind was now set on returning to my homeland: I wished, by God’s bidding,
to go also to Mesopotamia of Syria to visit the holy monks,
who there were said to be very many and of so exceptional a life that it can scarcely be reported;
and indeed also for the sake of prayer to the martyrion of Saint Thomas the Apostle,
where his body lies intact, that is, at Edessa, whom our God Jesus attested he would send there
after he had ascended into the heavens, by a letter which he sent to King Abgar through Ananias the courier,
which letter, with great reverence, in the city of Edessa, where that very martyrion is,
is kept.

2. Nam mihi credat volo affectio vestra, quoniam nullus Christianorum est, qui non se tendat illuc gratia orationis, quicumque tamen usque ad loca sancta, id est in Ierusolimis, accesserit; et hic locus de Ierusolima vicesima et quinta mansione est.

2. For I want your affection to believe me, since there is no Christian who does not direct himself thither for the sake of prayer, provided, however, that he has come as far as the holy places, that is, in Jerusalem, and this place is the twenty-fifth station from Jerusalem.

3. Et quoniam de Antiochia propius est Mesopotamiam, fuit mihi iubente Deo oportunum satis, ut, quemadmodum revertebar Constantinopolim, quia per Antiochiam iter erat, inde ad Mesopotamiam irem, sicut et factum est Deo iubente.

3. And since from Antioch it is nearer to Mesopotamia, it was, at God’s bidding, quite opportune for me that, just as I was returning to Constantinople, because the route was through Antioch, from there I should go to Mesopotamia, as also was done at God’s bidding.

XVIII. 1. Itaque ergo in nomine Christi Dei nostri profecta sum de Antiochia ad Mesopotamiam habens iter per mansiones seu civitates aliquot provinciae Syriae Coelen, quae est Antiochiae, et inde ingressa fines provinciae Augustofratensis perveni ad civitatem Hierapolim, quae est metropolis ipsius provinciae, id est Augustofratensis. Et quoniam haec civitas valde pulchra et opulenta est atque abundans omnibus, necesse me fuit ibi facere stativam, quoniam iam inde non longe erant fines Mesopotamiae.

18. 1. And so therefore in the name of Christ our God I set out from Antioch to Mesopotamia, having a route through several way-stations (mansiones) or cities of the province Coele-Syria, which is of Antioch; and from there, having entered the borders of the province Augustofratensis, I came to the city Hierapolis, which is the metropolis of that province, that is, Augustofratensis. And since this city is very beautiful and opulent and abounding in all things, it was necessary for me to make a stopover there, since already from there the borders of Mesopotamia were not far.

2. Itaque ergo proficiscens de Hierapolim in quintodecimo miliario in nomine Dei perveni ad fluvium Euphraten, de quo satis bene scriptum est esse «flumen magnum Euphraten» et ingens, et quasi terribilis est; ita enim decurrit habens impetum, sicut habet fluvius Rhodanus, nisi quod adhuc maior est Euphrates.

2. And so, therefore, setting out from Hierapolis at the fifteenth milestone, in the name of God I came to the river Euphrates, about which it is quite well written to be «the great river Euphrates» and it is enormous, and, as it were, fearsome; for thus it runs down with an impetus, just as the river Rhone has, except that the Euphrates is larger still.

3. Itaque ergo quoniam necesse erat eum navibus transire, et navibus non nisi maioribus, ac sic immorata sum ibi forsitan plus media die; et inde in nomine Dei transito flumine Euphraten ingressa sum fines Mesopotamiae Syriae.

3. And so therefore, since it was necessary to cross it by boats, and by boats only larger ones, thus I lingered there perhaps more than half a day; and then, in the name of God, with the river Euphrates crossed, I entered the borders of Syrian Mesopotamia.

XIX. 1. Ac sic denuo faciens iter per mansiones aliquot perveni ad civitatem, cuius nomen in scripturis positum legimus, id est Batanis, quae civitas usque in hodie est. Nam et ecclesia cum episcopo vere sancto et monacho et confessore habet et martyria aliquanta.

19. 1. And so, making the journey anew
through several stations I came to a city, whose name we read set down in the Scriptures,
that is, Batanis, which city exists even to this day. For it also has a church
with a bishop who is truly holy, a monk and confessor, and several martyria.

Ipsa etiam civitas abundans multitudine hominum est; nam et miles ibi sedet cum tribuno suo.

The city itself also is abounding with a multitude of people; for the soldiery also is stationed there with its tribune.

2. Unde denuo proficiscens, pervenimus in nomine Christi Dei nostri Edessam. Ubi cum pervenissemus, statim perreximus ad ecclesiam et ad martyrium sancti Thomae. Itaque ergo iuxta consuetudinem factis orationibus et cetera, quae consuetudo erat fieri in locis sanctis, nec non etiam et aliquanta ipsius sancti Thomae ibi legimus.

2. Whence, setting out again, we arrived to Edessa in the name of Christ our God. When we had arrived there, straightway we proceeded to the church and to the martyrium of Saint Thomas. And so then, according to custom, after the prayers had been made and the other things which it was customary to do in the holy places, we also indeed read there some things of Saint Thomas himself.

3. Ecclesia autem, ibi quae est, ingens et valde pulchra et nova dispositione, ut vere digna est esse domus Dei; et quoniam multa erant, quae ibi desiderabam videre, necesse me fuit ibi stativa triduana facere.

3. The church, however, which is there,
is vast and very beautiful and of new disposition, so that truly it is worthy to be the house
of God; and since there were many things which I desired to see there, it was necessary for me
there to make a three-day stay.

4. Ac sic ergo vidi in eadem civitate martyria plurima nec non et sanctos monachos, commanentes alios per martyria, alios longius de civitate in secretioribus locis habentes monasteria.

4. And so thus I saw in the same city very many martyria, and also holy monks, some dwelling throughout the martyria, others farther from the city, having monasteries in more secluded places.

5. Et quoniam sanctus episcopus ipsius civitatis, vir vere religiosus et monachus et confessor, suscipiens me libenter ait mihi: «quoniam video te, filia, gratia religionis tam magnum laborem tibi imposuisse, ut de extremis porro terris venires ad haec loca, itaque ergo, si libenter habes, quaecumque loca sunt hic grata ad videndum Christianis, ostendimus tibi». Tunc ergo gratias agens Deo primum et sic ipsum rogavi plurimum, ut dignaretur facere, quod dicebat.

5. And since the holy bishop
of that city, a man truly religious and a monk and a confessor, welcoming
me gladly, said to me: «since I see you, daughter, for the grace of religion
to have imposed upon yourself so great a labor as to come from the farthest lands
to these places, therefore, if you are willing, whatever places here are pleasing
for Christians to see, we will show to you». Then therefore, giving thanks
to God first, I thus besought him very greatly, that he would deign to do what
he was saying.

6. Itaque ergo duxit me primum ad palatium Aggari regis et ibi ostendit mihi archiotypam ipsius ingens, simillimam, ut ipsi dicebant, marmoream, tanti nitoris ac si de margarita esset; in cuius Aggari vultu parebat de contra vere fuisse hunc virum satis sapientem et honoratum. Tunc ait mihi sanctus episcopus: «ecce rex Aggarus, qui antequam videret Dominum, credidit ei, quia esset vere filius Dei». Nam erat et iuxta archiotypa similiter de tali marmore facta, quam dixit filii ipsius esse Magni, similiter et ipsa habens aliquid gratiae in vultu.

6. And so then he led me first to the palace of King Aggarus, and there he showed me his very large archetype, most similar, as they themselves were saying, marble, of such splendor as if it were of pearl; and in the face of this Aggarus it appeared plainly, just from looking, that this man had truly been sufficiently wise and honored. Then the holy bishop said to me: «behold King Aggarus, who, before he had seen the Lord, believed in him, that he was truly the Son of God». For there was also next to the archetype one likewise made of such marble, which he said was of his son Magnus, similarly that one too having some grace in the face.

7. Item perintravimus in interiori parte palatii; et ibi erant fontes piscibus pleni, quales ego adhuc nunquam vidi, id est tantae magnitudinis et vel tam perlustres aut tam boni saporis. Nam ipsa civitas aliam aquam penitus non habet nunc nisi eam, quae de palatio exit, quae est ac si fluvius ingens argenteus.

7. Likewise we entered into the interior part of the palace; and there were pools full of fish, such as I had never yet seen, that is, of such magnitude and either so lustrous or of such good savor. For the city itself now has absolutely no other water except that which issues from the palace, which is as if a vast argentine river.

8. Et tunc retulit mihi de ipsa aqua sic sanctus episcopus dicens: «quodam tempore, posteaquam scripserat Aggarus rex ad Dominum et Dominus rescripserat Aggaro per Ananiam cursorem, sicut scriptum est in ipsa epistola: transacto ergo aliquanto tempore superveniunt Persi et girant civitatem istam.

8. And then he related to me about the water itself thus, the holy bishop saying: «at a certain time, after King Aggarus had written to the Lord and the Lord had written back to Aggarus through Ananias the courier, as it is written in that epistle itself: after some time had passed, therefore, the Persians come upon and surround this city».

9. Sed statim Aggarus epistolam Domini ferens ad portam cum omni exercitu suo publice oravit. Et post dixit: «Domine Iesu, tu promiseras nobis, ne aliquis [h]ostium ingrederetur civitatem istam, et ecce nunc Persae inpugnant nos». Quod cum dixisset tenens manibus levatis epistolam ipsam apertam rex, ad subito tantae tenebrae factae sunt, foras civitatem tamen ante oculos Persarum, cum iam prope plicarent civitati, ita ut usque tertium miliarium de civitate essent: sed ita mox tenebris turbati sunt, ut vix castra ponerent et pergirarent in miliario tertio totam civitatem.

9. But at once Aggarus, bearing the Lord’s letter, came to the gate with all his army and prayed publicly. And afterward he said: «Lord Jesus, you had promised us that none of the enemies would enter this city, and behold, now the Persians assail us.» And when he had said this, the king, holding that very letter open with his hands raised, suddenly so great a darkness was made, outside the city, however, before the eyes of the Persians, as they were already closing upon the city, so that they were as near as the third milestone from the city: but they were so quickly thrown into confusion by the darkness that they scarcely set up camp and circled around the whole city at the third milestone.

10. Ita autem turbati sunt Persae, ut nunquam viderent postea, qua parte in civitate ingrederentur, sed custodirent civitatem per giro clusam hostibus in miliario tamen tertio, quam tamen custodierunt mensibus aliquod.

10. Thus, moreover, the Persians were so disturbed
that thereafter they never saw by what part they might enter into the city, but they kept watch
over the city, closed in by a circling siege, at the third milestone, which, nevertheless,
they guarded for some months.

11. Postmodum autem, cum viderent se nullo modo posse ingredi in civitatem, voluerunt siti eos occidere, qui in civitate erant. Nam monticulum istum, quem vides, filia, super civitate hac, in illo tempore ipse huic civitati aquam ministrabat. Tunc videntes hoc Persae averterunt ipsam aquam a civitate et fecerunt ei decursum contra ipso loco, ubi ipsi castra posita habebant.

11. Afterwards, however, when they saw
that they could in no way enter into the city, they wished to kill by thirst those
who were in the city. For that little hill, which you see, daughter, above this city,
at that time itself ministered water to this city. Then, seeing this,
the Persians averted the water itself from the city and made for it a course toward
the very place where they themselves had their camp pitched.

12. In ea ergo die et in ea hora, qua averterant Persae aquam, statim hii fontes, quos vides in eo loco, iusso Dei a semel eruperunt: ex ea die hi fontes usque in hodie permanent hic gratia Dei. Illa autem aqua, quam Persae averterant, ita siccata est in ea hora, ut nec ipsi haberent vel una die quod biberent, qui obsedebant civitatem, sicut tamen et usque in hodie apparet; nam postea nunquam nec qualiscumque humor ibi apparuit usque in hodie.

12. On that very day and at that hour, in which the Persians had diverted the water, immediately these springs, which you see in that place, at the bidding of God burst forth all at once: from that day these springs remain until today here by the grace of God. But that water which the Persians had diverted was so dried up in that hour that they themselves, who were besieging the city, did not have what to drink even for a single day, as, however, is apparent even to this day; for afterward never did even any kind of moisture appear there up to today.

13. Ac sic iubente Deo, qui hoc promiserat futurum, necesse fuit eos statim reverti ad sua, id est in Persida. Nam et postmodum quotienscumque voluerunt venire et expugnare hanc civitatem hostes, haec epistola prolata est et lecta est in porta, et statim nutu Dei expulsi sunt omnes hostes».

13. And so, with God giving the order, who had promised that this would be, it was necessary that they immediately return to their own, that is, into Persia. For also thereafter, whenever the enemies wished to come and storm this city, this letter was brought forth and was read at the gate, and immediately at the nod of God all the enemies were driven out».

14. Illud etiam retulit sanctus episcopus: «eo quod hii fontes ubi eruperunt, ante sic fuerit campus intra civitatem subiacens palatio Aggari. Quod palatium Aggari quasi in editiori loco positum erat, sicut et nunc paret, ut vides. Nam consuetudo talis erat in illo tempore, ut pabtia, quotiensque fabricabantur, semper in editioribus locis fierent.

14. The holy bishop also related this: «because these springs where they burst forth had previously been a plain
within the city lying beneath the palace of Aggar. Which palace of Aggar was situated, as it were, in a more elevated place,
as also now appears, as you see. For such was the custom at that time, that palaces, whenever they were constructed, were always
made in higher places.

15. Sed postmodum quam hii fontes in eo loco eruperunt, tunc ipse Aggarus filio suo Magno, id est isti, cuius archiotypa vides iuxta patre posita, hoc palatium fecit in eo loco, ita tamen, ut hii fontes intra palatium includerentur».

15. But afterward, when these springs
burst forth in that place, then Aggarus himself, for his son Magnus—that is, this one, whose
archetypes you see placed next to the father—made this palace in that place, in such a way,
however, that these springs might be enclosed within the palace».

16. Postea ergo quam haec omnia retulit sanctus episcopus, ait ad me: «eamus nunc ad portam, per quam ingressus est Ananias cursor cum illa epistola, quam dixeram». Cum ergo venissemus ad portam ipsam, stans episcopus fecit orationem et legit nobis ibi ipsas epistolas et denuo benedicens nos facta est iterato oratio.

16. Afterwards therefore, when the holy bishop had recounted all these things, he said to me: «let us go now to the gate, through which Ananias the courier entered with that epistle which I had mentioned». When therefore we had come to that very gate, the bishop, standing, made a prayer and read to us there the very epistles, and, blessing us anew, again the prayer was made.

17. Illud etiam retulit nobis sanctus ipse dicens: «eo quod ex ea die, qua Ananias cursor per ipsam portam ingressus est cum epistolam Domini, usque in praesentem diem custodiatur, ne quis immundus, ne quis lugubris per ipsam portam transeat, sed nec corpus alicuius mortui eiciatur per ipsam portam».

17. The holy one himself also related this to us, saying: "because from that day on which Ananias the courier entered through that same gate with the letter of the Lord, down to the present day watch is kept, lest any unclean person, lest anyone in mourning pass through that same gate, and not even the body of any dead person be carried out through that same gate".

18. Ostendit etiam nobis sanctus episcopus memoriam Aggari vel totius familiae ipsius valde pulchra, sed facta more antiquo. Duxit etiam nos et ad illum palatium superiorem, quod habuerat primitus rex Aggarus, et si qua praeterea loca erant, monstravit nobis.

18. He also showed us, the holy bishop, the memorial of Aggarus, or of his whole household, very beautiful, but made in the ancient manner. He also led us to that upper palace, which King Aggarus had had at first, and whatever places there were besides, he showed to us.

19. Illud etiam satis mihi grato fuit, ut epistolas ipsas sive Aggari ad Dominum sive Domini ad Aggarum, quas nobis ibi legerat sanctus episcopus, acciperem mihi ab ipso sancto. Et licet in patria exemplaria ipsarum haberem, tamen gratius mihi visum est, ut et ibi eas de ipso acciperem, ne quid forsitan minus ad nos in patria pervenisset; nam vere amplius est, quod hic accepi. Unde si Deus noster Iesus iusserit et venero in patria, legitis vos, dominae animae meae.

19. This also was quite pleasing to me, that I should receive the epistles themselves—whether of Aggarus to the Lord or of the Lord to Aggarus—which the holy bishop had read to us there, from the holy man himself. And although in the homeland I had exemplars of them, nevertheless it seemed more pleasing to me that I should also receive them there from him himself, lest perhaps something less had reached us in the homeland; for truly it is more abundant, what I have received here. Whence, if our God Jesus shall command and I shall come into the homeland, you will read them, my ladies, my souls.

XX. 1. Ac sic ergo facto ibi triduano necesse me fuit adhuc in ante accedere usque ad Charris, quia modo sic dicitur. Nam in scripturis sanctis dicta est Charra, ubi moratus est sanctus Abraham, sicut scriptum est in Genesi, dicente Domino ad Abraham: «exi de terra tua et de domo patris tui et vade in Charram» et reliqua.

20. 1. And thus, then, with a three‑day stay made there,
it was necessary for me still to go on further ahead as far as Charris, because now it is thus
called. For in the holy scriptures it is called Charra, where holy
Abraham stayed, as it is written in Genesis, the Lord saying to Abraham: «go out
from your land and from your father’s house and go into Charram» and the rest.

2. Ibi ergo cum venissem, id est in Charra, ibi statim fui ad ecclesiam, quae est intra civitate ipsa. Vidi etiam mox episcopum loci ipsius vere sanctum et hominem Dei, et ipsum et monachum et confessorem, qui mox nobis omnia loca ibi ostendere dignatus est, quae desiderabamus.

2. Therefore, when I had come there, that is in Charra, there at once I went to the church, which is within the city itself. I saw also soon the bishop of that place itself, truly holy and a man of God, and himself both a monk and a confessor, who soon deigned to show us all the places there which we desired.

3. Nam duxit nos statim ad ecclesiam, quae est foras civitatem in eo loco, ubi fuit domus sancti Abrahae, id est in ipsis fundamentis et de ipso lapide, ut tamen dicebat sanctus episcopus. Cum ergo venissemus in ipsa ecclesia, facta est oratio et lectus ipse locus de Genesi, dictus etiam unus psalmus, et iterata oratione et sic benedicens nos episcopus egressi sumus foras.

3. For he led us at once to the church, which is outside the city in that place where the house of holy Abraham was, that is, upon the very foundations and of the very stone, as, however, the holy bishop was saying. When therefore we had come into that very church, an oration was made and that very passage from Genesis was read, also one psalm was spoken, and the oration having been repeated, and thus, the bishop blessing us, we went forth outside.

4. Item dignatus est nos ducere ad puteum illum, unde portabat aquam sancta Rebecca. Et ait nobis sanctus episcopus: «ecce puteus, unde potavit sancta Rebecca camelos pueri sancti Abrahae, id est Eleazari»; et singula ita nobis dignabatur ostendere.

4. Likewise he deigned to lead us to that well, whence holy Rebecca used to carry water. And the holy bishop said to us: «behold the well, whence holy Rebecca watered the camels of the servant of holy Abraham, that is, of Eleazar»; and he deigned thus to show us each particular.

5. Nam ecclesia, quam dixi foras civitatem, dominae sorores venerabiles, ubi fuit primitus domus Abrahae, nunc et martyrium ibi positum est, id est sancti cuiusdam monachi nomine Helpidi. Hoc autem nobis satis gratum evenit, ut pridie martyrium die ibi veniremus, id est sancti ipsius Helpidii, nono K. Maias, ad quam diem necesse fuit undique et de omnibus Mesopotamiae finibus omnes monachos in Charra descendere, etiam et illos maiores, qui in solitudine sedebant, quos ascites vocant, per diem ipsum, qui ibi satis granditer attenditur, et propter memoriam sancti Abrahae, quia domus ipsius fuit, ubi nunc ecclesia est, in qua positum est corpus ipsius sancti martyris.

5. For the church, which I said is outside
the city, ladies, venerable sisters, where at first was the house of Abraham,
now also a martyrium has been set there, that is, of a certain monk-saint named
Helpidius. Moreover, it befell us quite pleasingly that we came there the day before the martyr’s day,
that is, of that same Saint Helpidius, on the 9th K<al>. of May, for which
day it was necessary from every side and from all the borders of Mesopotamia for all the monks
to come down into Harran, even those greater ones who sat in solitude, whom they call ascetics,
for that very day, which there is observed quite grandly, and on account of the memorial of Saint Abraham,
because it was his house where now the church is, in which the body of that holy martyr has been placed.

6. Itaque ergo hoc nobis ultra spem grate satis evenit, ut sanctos et vere homines Dei monachos Mesopotamenos ibi videremus, etiam et eos, quorum fama vel vita longe audiebatur, quos tamen non aestimabam me penitus posse videre, non quia inpossibile esset Deo etiam et hoc praestare mihi, qui omnia praestare dignabatur, sed quia audieram eos, eo quod extra diem paschae et extra diem hanc non eos descendere de locis suis, quoniam tales sunt, ut et virtutes faciant multas, et quoniam nesciebam, quo mense esset dies hic martyrii, quem dixi. Itaque Deo iubente sic evenit, ut ad diem, quem nec sperabam, ibi venirem.

6. Therefore, then, this, beyond hope,
quite gratefully befell us, that we might see there the holy and truly men of God, the Mesopotamian monks,
even also those whose fame or life was heard from afar, whom
yet I did not reckon that I could by any means see, not because it would be impossible
for God also to grant this to me, who deigned to grant all things, but because
I had heard that, inasmuch as outside the day of Pascha and outside this day, they do not come down
from their places, since such they are as to perform many virtues (miracles), and because
I did not know in what month this day of the martyrdom that I mentioned was. And so, God bidding,
thus it befell that on the day which I had not even hoped for I came there.

7. Fecimus ergo et ibi biduum propter diem martyrii et propter visionem sanctorum illorum, qui dignati sunt ad salutandum libenti satis animo me suscipere et alloqui, in quo ego non merebar. Nam et ipsi statim post martyrii diem nec visi sunt ibi, sed mox de nocte petierunt eremum et unusquisque eorum monasteria sua, qui ubi habebat.

7. Therefore we also made a two-day stay there on account of
the day of the martyrdom and on account of the vision of those saints, who deigned to
receive me for greeting with a quite willing mind and to address me, in which I was not
worthy. For they themselves also, immediately after the day of the martyrdom, were not seen there, but soon
by night they sought the desert, and each of them his own monastery, each where
he had it.

8. In ipsa autem civitatem extra paucos clericos et sanctos monachos, si qui tamen in civitate commorantur, penitus nullum Christianum inveni, sed totum gentes sunt. Nam sicut nos cum grandi reverentia attendimus locum illum, ubi primitus domus sancti Abrahae fuit, pro memoria illius, ita et illae gentes forte ad mille passus de civitate cum grandi reverentia adtendunt locum, ubi sunt memoriae Nachor et Bathuhelis.

8. But in the city itself, apart from a few clerics and holy monks, if any, however, dwell in the city, I found absolutely no Christian, but all are Gentiles. For just as we with great reverence attend to that place where at first the house of holy Abraham was, for the memory of him, so also those Gentiles at about a thousand paces from the city with great reverence attend to the place where the memorials of Nahor and Bethuel are.

9. Et quoniam episcopus illius civitatis valde instructus est de scripturis, requisivi ab eo dicens: «rogo te, domine, ut dicas mihi, quod desidero audire.» et ille ait: «dic, filia, quod vis, et dicam tibi, si scio.» tunc ego dixi: «sanctum Abraham cum patre Thara et Sarrah uxore et Loth fratris filio scio per scripturas in eo loco venisse; Nachor autem vel Bathuhelem non legi, quando in isto loco transierint, nisi quod hoc solum scio, quia postmodum puer Abrahae, ut peteret Rebeccam, filiam Bathuhelis, filii Nachor, filio domini sui Abrahae, id est Isaac, in Charra venerit».

9. And since the bishop of that city
is very instructed in the Scriptures, I inquired of him, saying: «I beg
you, lord, to say to me what I desire to hear.» And he said: «Say,
daughter, what you wish, and I will tell you, if I know.» Then I said: «holy
Abraham, with his father Thara and his wife Sarrah and Loth, his brother’s son, I know by
the Scriptures to have come to that place; but as for Nachor or Bathuhel, I have not read when
they passed through this place, except that this alone I know: that afterward the servant
of Abraham, to seek Rebecca, daughter of Bathuhel, son of Nachor, for the son of his lord
Abraham, that is Isaac, came to Charra».

10. Tunc ait mihi sanctus episcopus: «vere, filia, scriptum est, sicut dicis, in Genesi sanctum Abraham hic transisse cum suis; Nachor autem cum suis vel Bathuhelem non dicit scriptura canonis, quo tempore transierint. Sed manifeste postmodum hic transierunt et ipsi; denique et memoriae illorum hic sunt forte ad mille passus de civitate. Nam vere scriptura hoc testatur, quoniam ad accipiendam sanctam Rebeccam huc venerit puer sancti Abrahae et denuo sanctus Iacob hic venerit, quando accepit filias Laban Syri».

10. Then the holy bishop said to me: «Truly, daughter, it is written, as you say, in Genesis that holy Abraham passed through here with his own; but as for Nachor with his own or Bathuhel, the canonical Scripture does not say at what time they passed through. But plainly afterwards here they too passed through; indeed the memorials of those men are here at about a thousand paces from the city. For truly Scripture attests this, that for the taking of holy Rebecca the servant of holy Abraham came hither, and again holy Jacob came here, when he took the daughters of Laban the Syrian».

11. Tunc ego requisivi, ubi esset puteus ille, ubi sanctus Iacob potasset pecora, quae pascebat Rachel, filia Laban Syri. Et ait mihi episcopus: «in sexto miliario est hinc locus ipse iuxta vicum, qui fuit tunc villa Laban Syri, sed cum volueris ire, imus tecum et ostendimus tibi, nam et multi monachi ibi sunt valde sancti et ascites et sancta ecclesia est ibi».

11. Then I asked where that well was, where holy Jacob had watered the flocks which Rachel, daughter
of Laban the Syrian, was pasturing. And the bishop said to me: «At the sixth milestone from here is the place
itself, next to the village, which was then the villa of Laban the Syrian; but when you wish to go,
we will go with you and show you, for many monks are there, very holy,
and ascetics, and there is a holy church there».

12. Illud etiam requisivi a sancto episcopo, ubinam esset locus ille Chaldaeorum, ubi habitaverant primo Thara cum suis. Tunc ait mihi ipse sanctus episcopus: «locus ille, filia, quem requiris, decima mansione est hinc intus in Persida. Nam hinc usque ad Nisibin mansiones sunt quinque, et inde usque ad Hur, quae fuit civitas Chaldaeorum, aliae mansiones sunt quinque; sed modo ibi accessus Romanorum non est, totum enim illud Persae tenent.

12. I also asked from the holy
bishop where that place of the Chaldaeans was, where Terah had first dwelt
with his own. Then the holy bishop himself said to me: «that place, daughter,
which you seek, is at the tenth station from here, inward in Persia. For from here as far
as Nisibis there are five stations, and from there as far as Ur, which was a city
of the Chaldaeans, there are another five stations; but just now there is no access for Romans
there, for the Persians hold all that region.

Haec autem pars specialiter orientalis appellatur, quae est in confinium Romanorum et Persarum vel Chaldaeorum.»

But this part is specially called the Oriental, which is on the boundary of the Romans and the Persians or the Chaldaeans.»

13. Et cetera plura referre dignatus est, sicut et ceteri sancti episcopi vel sancti monachi facere dignabantur, omnia tamen de scripturis Dei vel sanctis viris gesta, id est monachis, sive qui iam recesserant, quae mirabilia, fecerint, sive etiam qui adhuc in corpore sunt, quae cottidie faciant, hi tamen, qui sunt ascites. Nam nolo aestimet affectio vestra monachorum aliquando [aliquando] alias fabulas esse nisi aut de scripturis Dei aut gesta monachorum maiorum.

13. And he deigned to relate many other things besides,
just as also the other holy bishops or holy monks were wont to deign to do,
yet all of them from the Scriptures of God or deeds of holy men, that is, monks—
whether of those who had already departed, what wonders they had done,
or even of those who are still in the body, what they do daily—namely those who are ascetics.
For I do not wish your affection to suppose that the monks’ tales are ever [ever] other stories
except either from the Scriptures of God or the deeds of the elder monks.

XXI. 1. Post biduo autem, quam ibi feceram, duxit nos episcopus ad puteum illum, ubi adaquaverat santus Iacob pecora sanctae Rachel, qui puteus sexto miliario est a Charris; in cuius putei honorem fabricata est ibi iuxta sancta ecclesia ingens valde et pulchra. Ad quem puteum cum venissemus, facta est ab episcopo oratio, lectus etiam locus ipse de Genesi, dictus etiam unus psalmus competens loco atque iterata oratione benedixit nos episcopus.

21. 1. But after two days that I had spent there, the bishop led us to that well, where Saint Jacob had watered the flocks of holy Rachel, which well is at the sixth milestone from Charris; in whose well’s honor there has been constructed there beside it a holy church very large and beautiful. To which well when we had come, an oration was made by the bishop, the very passage from Genesis was also read, one psalm also appropriate to the place was recited, and with the prayer repeated the bishop blessed us.

2. Vidimus etiam locum iuxta puteum iacentem lapidem illum infinitum nimis, quem moverat sanctus Iacob a puteo, qui usque hodie ostenditur.

2. We also saw the place near the well
the stone lying there, that exceedingly immense one, which Saint Jacob had moved from the well,
which is shown even to this day.

3. Ibi autem circa puteo nulli alii commanent nisi clerici de ipsa ecclesia, quae ibi est, et monachi habentes iuxta monasteria sua, quorum vitam sanctus episcopus nobis retulit, sed vere inauditam. Ac sic ergo facta oratione in ecclesia accessi cum episcopo ad sanctos monachos per monasteria ipsorum et Deo gratias agens et ipsis, qui dignati sunt me per monasteria sua, ubicumque ingressa sum, libenti animo suscipere et alloqui illis sermonibus, quos dignum erat de ore illorum procedere. Nam et eulogias dignati sunt dare mihi et omnibus, qui mecum erant, sicut est consuetudo monachis dare, his tamen, quos libenti animo suscipiunt in monastriis suis.

3. There, moreover, around the well no others dwell except the clerics of the very church which is there, and monks having their monasteries nearby, whose manner of life the holy bishop recounted to us—indeed, truly unheard-of. And so then, oration having been made in the church, I went with the bishop to the holy monks throughout their monasteries, giving thanks both to God and to them, who deigned to receive me throughout their monasteries, wherever I entered, with a willing spirit, and to address me with those discourses which it was fitting to proceed from their mouth. For they also deigned to give eulogies (blessed bread) to me and to all who were with me, as it is the custom for monks to give, yet to those whom they receive with willing spirit in their monasteries.

4. Et quoniam ipse locus in campo grandi est, de contra ostensus est mihi a sancto episcopo vicus ingens satis forte ad quingentos passos de puteo, per quem vicum iter habuimus. Hic autem vicus, quantum episcopus dicebat, fuit quondam villa Laban Syri, qui vicus appellatur Fadana. Nam ostensa est mihi in ipso vico memoria Laban Syri, soceri Iacob, ostensus est etiam mihi locus, unde furata est Rachel idola patris sui.

4. And since that place is in a great plain opposite there was shown to me by the holy bishop a huge village roughly five hundred paces from the well, through which village we had our route. Now this village, as far as the bishop was saying, was formerly the villa of Laban the Syrian, which village is called Fadana. For there was shown to me in that very village the memorial of Laban the Syrian, Jacob’s father-in-law; there was also shown to me the place whence Rachel stole the idols of her father.

5. Ac sic ergo in nomine Dei pervisis omnibus faciens vale sancto episcopo et sanctis monachis, qui nos usque ad illum locum deducere dignati fuerant, regressi sumus per iter vel mansiones, quas veneramus de Antiochia.

5. And so, then, in the name of God, with all things thoroughly seen, bidding farewell to the holy bishop and the holy monks, who had deigned to conduct us as far as that place, we returned by the road and the stations, by which we had come from Antioch.

XXII. 1. Antiochia autem cum fuissem regressa, feci postmodum septimana, quousque ea, quae necessaria erant itineri, pararentur. Et sic proficiscens de Antiochia faciens iter per mansiones aliquot perveni ad provinciam, quae Cilicia appellatur, quae habet civitatem metropolim Tharso, ubi quidem Tharso et eundo Ierusolimam iam fueram.

22. 1. However, when I had returned to Antioch,
I spent afterward a week, until those things which were necessary for the
journey were prepared. And so, setting out from Antioch and making the journey through
several stations, I came to the province which is called Cilicia, which
has its metropolitan city at Tarsus, where indeed at Tarsus also, when going to Jerusalem,
I had already been.

2. Sed quoniam de Tharso tertia mansione, id est in Isauria, est martyrium sanctae Theclae, gratum fuit satis, ut etiam illuc accederem, praesertim cum tam in proximo esset.

2. But since from Tarsus at the third mansio, that is, in Isauria, there is the martyrium of Saint Thecla, it was quite welcome
enough that I should also go thither, especially since it was so close at hand.

XXIII. 1. Nam proficiscens de Tharso perveni ad quandam civitatem supra mare adhuc Ciliciae, quae appellatur Pompeiopolim. Et inde, iam ingressa fines Isauriae mansi in civitate, quae appellatur Corico.

23. 1. For, setting out from Tarsus I came to a certain city upon the sea, still of Cilicia, which is called Pompeiopolis. And from there, now having entered the borders of Isauria, I stayed in a city, which is called Corico.

Ac tertia die perveni ad civitatem, quae appellatur Seleucia Isauriae. Ubi cum pervenissem, fui ad episcopum vere sanctum ex monacho, vidi etiam ibi ecclesiam valde pulchram in eadem civitate.

And on the third day I arrived at the city which is called Seleucia of Isauria. When I had arrived there, I went to the bishop, truly holy, formerly a monk; I also saw there a very beautiful church in the same city.

2. Et quoniam inde ad sanctam Theclam, qui locus est ultra civitatem in colle sed plano, habebat de civitate forsitan mille quingentos passus, malui ergo perexire illuc, ut stativa, quam factura eram, ibi facerem. Ibi autem ad sanctam ecclesiam nihil aliud est nisi monasteria sine numero virorum ac mulierum.

2. And since from there to Saint Thecla,
which place is beyond the city on a hill yet level, it had from the city perhaps 1,500 paces, I preferred therefore to go all the way out there, so that the stop which I was going to make I might make there. There, moreover, at the holy church there is nothing else except monasteries without number of men and of women.

3. Nam inveni ibi aliquam amicissimam mihi, et cui omnes in oriente testimonium ferebant vitae ipsius, sancta diaconissa nomine Marthana, quam ego apud Ierusolimam noveram, ubi illa gratia orationis ascenderat; haec autem monasteria apotactitum seu virginum regebat. Quae me cum vidisset, quod gaudium illius vel meum esse potuerit, nunquid vel scribere possum?

3. For I found there a certain very dear friend to me,
and to whom all in the East bore testimony of her life, a holy
deaconess by the name Marthana, whom I had known at Jerusalem, where she
had gone up for the sake of prayer; moreover, she was governing the monasteries of the Apotactites, or virgins.
When she saw me, what joy could have been hers or mine—can I even write it,
I pray?

4. Sed ut redeam ad rem, monasteria ergo plurima sunt ibi per ipsum collem et in medio murus ingens, qui includet ecclesiam, in qua est martyrium, quod martyrium satis pulchrum est. Propterea autem murus missus est ad custodiendam ecclesiam propter Isauros, quia satis mali sunt et frequenter latrunculantur, ne forte conentur aliquid facere circa monasterium, quod ibi est deputatum.

4. But to return to the matter, there are therefore very many monasteries there along that very hill, and in the middle a huge wall, which encloses the church, in which there is a martyrium, which martyrium is quite beautiful. For this reason moreover the wall was erected to guard the church on account of the Isaurians, because they are quite wicked and frequently engage in banditry, lest perchance they attempt to do anything around the monastery, which is appointed there.

5. Ibi ergo cum venissem in nomine Dei, facta oratione ad martyrium nec non etiam et lecto omnis actus sanctae Theclae, gratias Christo Deo nostro egi infinitas, qui mihi dignatus est indignae et non merenti in omnibus desideria ss complere.

5. Therefore there, when I had come in the name
of God, a prayer having been made at the martyrium, and indeed also the entire Act of Saint
Thecla having been read, I rendered infinite thanks to Christ our God, who deigned for me—unworthy and not deserving— to fulfill in all things my desires.

6. Ac sic ergo facto ibi biduo, visis etiam sanctis monachis vel apotactitis, tam viris quam feminis, qui ibi erant, et facta oratione et communione reversa sum Tharso ad iter meum, ubi facta stativa, triduana in nomine Dei profecta sum inde iter meum. Ac sic perveniens eadem die ad mansionem, quae appellatur Mansocrenas, quae est sub monte Tauro, ibi mansi.

6. And so then, after a two-day stay there,
having also visited the holy monks and apotactites, both men and women, who
were there, and prayer and communion having been made, I returned to Tarsus to my route,
where, a halt having been made, of three days, in the name of God I set out thence on my journey.
And so, arriving the same day at the mansio which is called Mansocrenas,
which is beneath Mount Taurus, I lodged there.

7. Et inde alia die subiens montem Taurum et faciens iter iam notum per singulas provincias, quas eundo transiveram, id est Cappadociam, Galatiam et Bithyniam, perveni Chalcedona, ubi propter famosissimum martyrium ssnctite Euphemiae ab olim mihi notum iam, quod ibi est, mansi loco.

7. And from there, on another day, ascending Mount Taurus and making the already known route through each of the provinces which, in going, I had traversed, that is Cappadocia, Galatia, and Bithynia, I came to Chalcedon, where, on account of the most famous martyrium of Saint Euphemia, long since known to me already, which is there, I stayed in the place.

8. Ac sic ergo alia die transiens mare perveni Constantinopolim, agens Christo Deo nostro gratias, quod mihi indignae et non merenti praestare dignatus est tantam gratiam, id est, ut non solum voluntatem eundi, sed et facultatem perambulandi, quae desiderabam, dignatus fuerat praestare et revertendi denuo Constantinopolim.

8. And so then on another day, crossing
the sea I came to Constantinople, giving thanks to Christ our God, because to me,
unworthy and not deserving, he deigned to bestow so great a grace, that is,
that he had deigned to grant not only the will of going, but also the faculty of perambulating, which I desired,
and of returning again to Constantinople.

9. Ubi cum venissem, per singulas ecclesias vel apostolos nec non et per singula martyria, quae ibi plurima sunt, non cessabam Deo nostro Iesu gratias agere, qui ita super me misericordiam suam praestare dignatus fuerat.

9. When I had come there, through each of the churches and the apostles and likewise through each of the martyria, which are very many there, I did not cease to give thanks to our God Jesus, who had deigned so to bestow His mercy upon me.

10. De quo loco, dominae, lumen meum, cum haec ad vestram affectionem darem, iam propositi erat in nomine Christi Dei nostri ad Asiam accedendi, id est Ephesum, propter martyrium sancti et beati apostoli Iohannis gratia orationis. Si autem et post hoc in corpore fuero, si qua praeterea loca cognoscere potuero, aut ipsa praesens, si Deus fuerit praestare dignatus, vestrae affectioni referam aut certe, si aliud animo sederit, scriptis nuntiabo. Vos tantum, dominae, lumen meum, memores mei esse dignamini, sive in corpore sive iam extra corpus fuero.

10. From that place, ladies, my light, when I was giving these things to your affection, it was already my purpose, in the name of Christ our God, to go to Asia, that is, to Ephesus, on account of the martyrium of the holy and blessed apostle John, for the sake of prayer. But if also after this I shall be in the body, if I shall be able to become acquainted with any places besides, either I myself, being present, if God shall have deigned to grant it, will relate to your affection, or certainly, if something else shall have settled in my mind, I will announce it in writings. Only do you, ladies, my light, deign to be mindful of me, whether I shall be in the body or now outside the body.