THEODERICH'S JOURNEY TO THE HOLY LAND






Theoderich
Brief Biography: Unfortunately, the only thing known of Theoderich comes from what he relates to us in his journal. From his journal, it is ascertained that he is a German monk, who traveled to the Holy Land in the year 1172 A.D. In Titus Tobler's translation of the fifteenth century manuscript used by Aubrey Stewart to translate Theoderich's Journal into English, he stated that Theoderich was from Wurzburg. However new information stemming from Dolbeau's translation from the Saint Barb de Cologne, Germany manuscript suggests that Theoderich came from the independent abbey of Hirsau, which lies forty miles east of Strasbourg. All agree that he was most definitely a Rhinelander. Stewart, in his preface in the Palestine Pilgrims Text edition, suggests that Theoderich might have been the monk to whom John of Wurzburg wrote on his pilgrimage in 1170 A.D. In addition, Stewart suggests that Theoderich became the Bishop of Wurzburg in 1223. However, all of the information that Stewart puts forth is based on speculation.

Brief Itinerary: Theoderich traveled to the Holy Land between the second and third crusades around the year 1172. He set out from his native home of Wurzburg, Germany into Bavaria and crossed the Alps to reach the port city of Genoa, Italy. Upon reaching Genoa, Theoderich continued his trek to the Holy Land by sea. From his journal Description of the Holy Land, the port city of Ptolomais (Acre) was Theoderich's first glimpse of the Holy Land. Theoderich then began his southern, coastal journey to Jerusalem. Along the way, he visited Mount Carmel, Caesarea, Joppa and Ascalon. Turning inland, he traveled through the Judean Hills, Hebron, Bethlehem, Bethany and entered Jerusalem from the Northern gate. While in Jerusalem, Theoderich visited sites that every good Catholic Monk would visit, namely those in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. On his return journey to Ptolomais, Theoderich traveled along the Jordan River to the Sea of Galilee and visited the cities of Nazareth, Tiberias and Tyre. Theoderich's stay in the Holy Land probably lasted three or four months.


Brief History of the Text: The book Theoderich Guide to the Holy Land is based on a journalkept by Theoderich himself. It is unknown what language Theoderich wrote his original journal, but a German manuscript from the fifteenth century survived into the nineteenth century. This manuscript was located at the Osterreichishe Nationalbibliothek in Vienna, Austria. Titus Tobler used this manuscript to create a Latin translation of Theoderich's travels. Tobler's version titled Theodorici libellus de locis sanctis was published by St. Gaul and Paris in 1865. From Tobler's Latin version, Aubrey Stewart translated Theoderich's journey into English. In 1897, Stewart's English version called Description of the Holy Places was published in volume five of the Palestine Pilgrims Text Society Series(London). A reprinting of the entire series occurred in 1971. Stewart's version also exists in a printing from Italica Press. This version of Stewart's Description is titled Theoderich Guide to the Holy Land. In the Italica version, Ronald Musto translates Stewart's Victorian English into modern English. Another manuscript of Theoderich's Pilgrimmage was found by Francois Dolbeau. Dolbeau used this manuscript to publish Theodericus, De locis sanctis. Un second manuscrit, provenant de Saint-Barbe de Cologne in 1985. This book was published by Analecta Bollandiana.







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