Bertha Spafford Vester and the Red Cross

Bertha Spafford Vestor, The American Colony, and The Red Cross<
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General Introduction      Webster’s Dictionary describes pilgrimage as a journey of a pilgrim or the course of life on earth.   Simon Coleman and John Elsa say that reaching the goal of a pilgrimage is like attaining the summit of a mountain. In their pilgrimage, Horatio and Anna Spafford reached the summit of the highest mountain they could imagine.
     On October 8, 1871, Chicago, Illinois, fire and destruction claimed the proud city. The Great Chicago fire destroyed homes and businesses, killing and injuring many people. Anna Spafford was there to help. Anna was born Anna Tuben Larrssen on March 16, 1842, in Stravanger, Norway. Norwegians were innately religious people, and she believed her faith called for her to help anyone and everyone in need. She turned her and her husband Horatio’s home into a house of healing, helping anyone that came to her door.
    The Spaffords became interested in the Holy Land after a friend, Dr. Piazza Smith, went to Giza. When he came back, he told Horatio that he believed the pyramids were made by divine inspiration. This visit with Dr. Smith made Horatio and Anna take an interest in the prophecies of the Old Testament and turn to the Holy Land.
     The major event that made the Spaffords want to take a pilgrimage, happened on November 22, 1873. Anna and her four daughters were aboard the SS Ville du Havre, traveling to France for a vacation. The SS Ville du Havre and the Lochearn collide. Both ships were badly damaged and the Ville du Havre began to sink. Anna was saved alone; her four daughters died.
     Anna Spafford’s life was tough after that. Five of her children died (one died previous to the ship-wreck) and she needed a change. Horatio knew this; he felt the Holy Land was a good place to go to witness prophecy and refresh the body and soul. Horatio and his wife, Anna, became quite religious after the shipwreck. Horatio said, "Jerusalem is where my Lord lived, suffered and conquered and I wish to learn how to live, suffered and especially to conquer".
     Mrs. Vester tells of how she came to Jerusalem with her heart-broken parents in 1881. Five of their children had passed away since 1873; all of them were quite young. They went to Jerusalem to get away from things and to help others. They brought with them their family and a small group of Protestant followers.
     The group that came to Palestine was known at first as the "Spaffordites" or the "Overcomers" because they wanted to overcome the tragedy that they had experienced. These people built the American Colony with a sense of purpose, and made sacrifices in following what they considered to be divine commands. Thus the pilgrimage began. It is not your typical pilgrimage, however. It turned into a mission to help anyone who came in need of help.
    In August 1881, the Spaffords started their journey to Jerusalem. They arrived in September 1881, and bought a house on October 9, 1881. This house was located on the top of the Hill of Bezetha, the highest spot in the walled city. It was located between the Damascus Gate and Harrod's Gate. It overlooked both the old and the new sections of the city. The house became the American Colony. This colony's mission was one of humanitarian aide.
     The colony provided education, religious education, nursing to the sick and fed many people. The colony was used a Red Cross facility during World War I. The American colonists also set up medical facilities, orphanages, soup kitchens, schools, and a pediatric hospital. The good works of the colony live on today with hospitals and the Spaffords Children Centre in Jerusalem.
     In 1992, secret negotiations were held at the American Colony Hotel, between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization which later culminated in the 1993 peace accord. What a Mountain! Biography of the Author Bertha Spafford Vester was born Bertha Spafford to Horatio and Anna Spafford on March 24, 1878 in Chicago, Illinois.
      In 1881, her parents went to Jerusalem to witness prophecy and refresh the body and soul.   Anna and Horatio brought a group of people along with their daughters, three year old Bertha and seven month old Grace, to Jerusalem. With this pilgrimage began the American Colony in Jerusalem, of which Bertha was a vital part. Her father and mother educated Bertha. Horatio was a lawyer and was well educated.   Anna taught nursing, housekeeping, and general humanities.
    Bertha performed many jobs for the American Colony. She served as a nurse during World War I and she taught school prior to that. Above all, she was a humanitarian. She cared for the sick, fed the hungry and housed the homeless. In 1895, at the age of 16, Bertha met he future husband, Frederick Vester.   They were married in 1904 and this marriage brought them six children.
Frederick and his family were friends of the American Colony and the two got along wonderfully. One problem was that Frederick was a German citizen. This posed problems for him at the beginning World War I. The German Army wanted him to fight for the "Fatherland"; this problem was straightened out when he was given immunity for his humanitarian efforts.
     Mrs. Vester was also a very accomplished person. She was an excellent painter, mainly painting landscapes and flowers of the Holy Land. Some of these paintings were complied into a book called Flowers of the Holy Land by Hallmark in 1964.
     Mrs. Vester has written Our Jerusalem (1950) and also a supplement called Supplement to Our Jerusalem (1954). These are the main books that deal with the American Colony in Jerusalem. History of the Text     Our Jerusalem: An American Family in the Holy City, 1881-1949 was first published by Doubleday & Company Inc. in Garden City, NY, in 1950. This version has an introduction by Lowell Thomas.
     In 1951, Evans Brothers Limited published the book again out of London. This version is identical to the 1950 version except for an introduction by Sir Ronald Storrs and a conclusion by Mrs. Vester.
     In 1977, Arno Press reprinted the 1950 edition in New York. Another reprint of the 1950 version appeared in 1984 from Ayer publication in Salem, New Hampshire. The book was also translated into Hebrew by Eli Schiller and published in Jerusalem in 1992.
     In Jerusalem, 1988, the American Colony Ariel Publishing House reprinted the 1950 edition, but also added eighty or so pictures and an epilogue, this is the book sold at the American Hotel for $20.
Itinerary

· On August 17, 1881, at 9:10 p.m. the Spaffords leave Chicago, Illinois for Jerusalem.
Chicago, Illinois rests on the Southwest shore of Lake Michigan in the North Central part of the continental United States of America. This city has been know for its steel mills, factories and it’s shipping business. In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed much of the city. The Spaffords were there to help with the injured and the homeless.
· From Chicago, the Spaffords went to Quebec.
Quebec is the largest province of Canada, at the time under British rule. The Spaffords delegation took the St. Lawrence River out of the North American continent, to get to Jerusalem. The reason why they took this route, instead of going through NY, was that in November of 1873 Anna and four of her children were aboard the SS Ville du Havre when it sunk. The four Spafford children aboard died. So, on the way to Jerusalem the delegation took the long way around, to avoid sailing over the wreck.
· On September 8, 1881, the Spaffords arrived in London via Quebec.
London is the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This was just a lay over spot for the Spaffords on their way to Jaffa.

· September of 1861, the Spaffords arrived in Jaffa from London.
Jaffa (Yafo) at the time of the Spaffords arrival was south of Tel Aviv. Jaffa was the principle outlet to the Mediterranean Sea from Jerusalem. Tiglat Pilesser destroyed it in 732 BCE. In the 17th century, the Crusaders conquered Jaffa. 1799 brought Napoleon and its destruction. The 19th century brought many immigrants to Jaffa on their way to Jerusalem. Today, Jaffa is part of Tel Aviv, and is mainly a tourist attraction.
· From Jaffa the Spaffords board spring wagons that would take them to Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is one of the most holy places on earth. Pilgrims came from all over to visit this famous city. It is located in the center of the Juden Mountains, surrounded by the wall that has protected the city for centuries.

Introduction to Our Jerusalem

Our Jerusalem is not a diary that tells of the day by day happenings. However, Mrs. Vester does keep the reader up to date with the important happenings in her orbit.
Horatio Spafford, the American Colony's founder was born in 1828 in North Troy, New York. Horatio was a lawyer and a successful real estate investor. He was also very religious. After the death of his four daughters, he wrote the popular hymn: “It is Well With My Soul. “ It is Well with my Soul
Horatio Spafford -1873
When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea-billows roll,
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to know;
"It is well, it is well with my soul."

Tho' Satan should buffet, tho' trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed his own blood for my soul.

My sin - oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin - not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross and I bear it no more;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh, my soul.

And, Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend-
"Even so - it is well with my soul."

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live,
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou shalt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

     Upon their arrival in Jerusalem, the Spaffordites decided to live a communal life, with property held in common by the group. They did not send their children to school, but they educated them themselves. The community also practiced sexual abstinence; husband and wives lived in separate quarters and marriage was forbidden in the group for over two decades.
     However, these rules did not keep the colony small. New arrivals came every day. They looked for medical attention, education, and sometimes they joined the group. The Spaffords were on a mission, to help as many people as they possibly could.
     The work of the American Colony was varied. The Spaffords did many things to help the people of Palestine. The Spaffordite women taught Arab and Jewish mothers how to care for their children and provided nursing for the sick. The males of the colony taught English along with nursing to the people, along with the Protestant faith.
     All was not peaches and cream for the American Colony. They had their share of problems, some of which came from their religious dedication that sometimes bordered on fanaticism.   The problems began after Horatio's death in 1881.
     Anna, Bertha’s mother, became the leader of the group. She abandoned her husband’s convictions and adopted understanding of the perfect life, sin, and death more in line with holy teachings. The colonists decided to follow Jesus’ commands for those destined to enter Heaven: “and there be eunchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kindgom of Heavens sake “(Matthew 19:12); “and They which shall be accounted worthy, to obtain that world, and the resurrection for the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage “(Luke 20:34-36). Children were separated for their parents and Anna Spafford became Mother of the whole community.
     One problem this caused happened after the death of John C. Whiting. Whiting was an original member of the colony. Whiting's in-laws demanded custody of his children because they believed they were being raised in an eccentric commune without a proper education. The children’s grandparents blocked the transfer of funds from Whiting’s estate to the colony. The colony took this seriously because it reflected on its reputation and financial situation. Anna Spafford, Mary Whiting, John’s widow, and others went to Chicago to be at that the trial. Luther Laflin Mills agreed to present the Colony’s case free of charge in order to fight religious persecution.   The public saw that not only Mary Whiting’s rights as a mother were on trial, but the American Colony’s legitimacy was to be determined as well. The judge’s decision to give custody to Mary not only gave her the children, but also gave the Colony some legitimacy.

     The Colony also had problems with the American Consul in Jerusalem. But, these problems only happened when Republicans held the Presidency of the United States. Sean Merrill was the American Consul from 1882-1885 under President Chester A. Arthur, 1891-1893 under President Benjamin Harrison, and 1898-1907 under Presidents McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. Merrill was a Congregationalist minister and a scholar of the Holy Land. He did not care for the Colony’s religious practices and agreed with others in the British and American Protestant communities who believed that people in the Colony were dangerous. While Merrill did not deal with the people who left the Colony, he noted that such people were not reimbursed for their contribution to the community, nor for property they had entrusted to the Colony.
     The biggest thing about the Colony Merrill hated was the Colony's messianic fervor and informal prayer meetings. He also did not care for the requirement of celibacy, and was appalled by the communal lifestyle. Merrill warned tourists against visiting the colony and described it in very negative terms.
     By the early 20th Century many young people in the Colony had reached marriageable age, including Anna's daughter Bertha. Anna, in 1904 began to allow marriage and Bertha married Fredrick Vester. As a dowry to the Colony Fredrick gave them his family store, renamed The American Colony Store, which became the Colony’s main source of income.
     After Anna’s death in 1923, Bertha took over the Colony. The religious rules were then relaxed greatly. Bertha did not have revelations like her mother and was not a fanatical religious leader. The people of the colony were now busy with raising their families, and were not as interested in Jewish immigration and settlement in the Holy Land. Without these intense religious principles to adhere to, the colony ceased to be a religious sect in 1930.

Historical Context of Book 1871-1949

When studying the historical center of this book, one must split it up into two sections--Ottoman Rule and British Rule. Ottoman Rule     When the Spaffords reached Jerusalem it was under he Rue of the Ottoman Empire. This rule lasted until 1918. The Ottoman Empire had been on the decline since 1699, when the Habsburg's conquered Hungary and it accelerated in 1805 when Egypt became virtually independent.
     The Spaffords came to Palestine at the very end of Ottoman Rule. The Ottoman Empire became increasingly weak in the late 19th century. Thus, young Army officers wanted to take control of the government. The Young Turks as they were called succeeded in the 1908 Revolution, and they were determined to hold their empire together.   In 1909 the Turkish government brutally killed thousands of Armenian Christians while an Arab revolt strengthen.
    In 1914, the Ottoman Empire joined forces with Germany and Austria-Hungary in World War I. The Turks did this because the Germans had helped them reform Ottoman armies and built railroads. This Turkish decision to side with the Central Powers basically made the war a true World War.
     The Russians fought the Ottomans in Caucasus and the British had to protect Egypt and the Suez Canal (the lifeline to India).
     After the 1918 Turkish Revolution, Palestine came under the control of the League of Nations via British mandate. British Rule      The mandate was a direct result of a secret French and British wartime agreement.
The Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916 decided that France would get modern day Lebanon, Syria, and much of Southern Turkey. Britain would receive Palestine, Jordan, and Iraq.
     In November of 1917, the Balfour Declaration came to light. This British declaration was in favor of a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine.   Some of the British felt that this was good politics. They thought that if given a homeland these people would be thankful, and therefore help British control. The Suez Canal was a vital waterway to the Jewel of the British Crown, India.

In 1921, the United States of America reduces immigration from Eastern Europe. Therefore, those immigrants ended up in Palestine; this was because the British began honoring the Balfour declaration of 1917. These immigrants began buying farmland and displacing Arabs. This greatly upset Arabs and in 1935 and undeclared civil war erupted. This forced the British to slow Jewish immigration. They proposed an independent Palestine with a cap of 75,000 new Jewish immigrants.
At the end of World War II, a civil war in Palestine began. On May 14, 1948, the British withdrew from Palestine and Israel became a state. It is the homeland of the Jewish people linked by history and one common language Hebrew.

Exegesis
The Red Cross In May of 1918, the Red Cross came to Jerusalem. They came to give aid and relief to the war torn areas. Bertha was one of the first to volunteer her assistance to this relief effort. The American Colony, throughout World War I gave as much assistance as they could to the people, but they did not have the monetary means or medical skills needed to treat the suffering patients adequately. The Red Cross did. They brought in tons of medical equipment that was vital to the success of medical treatment. An interesting fact is that the only flags that flew over Palestine, were the flags that flew over hospitals. The Red Cross flag flew over the Red Cross headquarters beside the British and American flags.

Founding of the Red Cross

During the war for Italian unification (June 1859), Franco-Sardinian forces battled Austrian troops in Northern Italy. Henry Dunant, from Geneva, Switzerland, was on his way to meet Napoleon III. During that evening he went to the village of Castiglione, were 9,000 wounded people had sought refuge. The sight of these people made Dunant ask himself this question: Would it not be possible in time of peace, to form relief societies for the purpose of have care give to the wounded in wartime by zealous, devoted and thoroughly qualified volunteers? This was the question that led to the founding of the Red Cross.
    On February 9, 1863, Dunant's proposal was sent to a committee. This committee consisted of Dunant, Gustave Moynier (chairman of Geneva Public Welfare Society), General Guillaume-Henri Dufour, Dr. Louis Appia and Dr. Theodore Maunoir.
     This committee was originally known as the International Committee for Relief to the wounded. It later changes its name to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). On February 17, 1863, it met for the first time.
      The purpose of the first meeting was to figure out how the Red Cross volunteers could be told apart from civilians so that the soldiers would know they were neutral. Hence, came the Red Cross emblem and the concept of giving neutral status to medical services and volunteer nurses.
October 1863 brought about the ICRC conference in Geneva. Its goal was to study ways of overcoming the inadequacy of army medical services.   It was attended by 36 participants, which included 14 government delegates, six delegates of organizations and seven private individuals.
     The conference adopted ten resolutions for the establishment of relief to wounded soldiers. They are:
Resolutions of the Geneva International Conference. Geneva, 26-29 October 1863.

The International Conference, desirous of coming to the aid of the wounded should the Military Medical Services prove inadequate, adopts the following Resolutions:

Article 1. Each country shall have a Committee whose duty it shall be, in time of war and if the need arises, to assist the Army Medical Services by every means in its power.
The Committee shall organize itself in the manner which seems to it most useful and appropriate.

Art. 2. An unlimited number of Sections may be formed to assist the Committee, which shall be the central directing body.

Art. 3. Each Committee shall get in touch with the Government of its country, so that its services may be accepted should the occasion arise.

Art. 4. In peacetime, the Committees and Sections shall take steps to ensure their real usefulness in time of war, especially by preparing material relief of all sorts and by seeking to train and instruct voluntary medical personnel.

Art. 5. In time of war, the Committees of belligerent nations shall supply relief to their respective armies as
far as their means permit: in particular, they shall organize voluntary personnel and place them on an active footing and, in agreement with the military authorities, shall have premises made available for the care of the wounded.
They may call for assistance upon the Committees of neutral countries.

Art. 6. On the request or with the consent of the military authorities, Committees may send voluntary medical personnel to the battlefield where they shall be placed under military command.

Art. 7. Voluntary medical personnel attached to armies shall be supplied by the respective Committees with everything necessary for their upkeep.

Art. 8. They shall wear in all countries, as a uniform distinctive sign, a white armlet with a red cross.

Art. 9. The Committees and Sections of different countries may meet in international assemblies to communicate the results of their experience and to agree on measures to be taken in the interests of the work.
Art. 10. The exchange of communications between the Committees of the various countries shall be made for the time being through the intermediary of the Geneva Committee.

Independently of the above Resolutions, the Conference makes the following Recommendations:

(a) that Governments should extend their patronage to Relief Committees which may be formed, and facilitate as far as possible the accomplishment of their task.
(b) that in time of war the belligerent nations should proclaim the neutrality of ambulances and military hospitals, and that neutrality should likewise be recognized, fully and absolutely, in respect of official medical personnel, voluntary medical personnel, inhabitants of the country who go to the relief of the wounded, and the wounded themselves;
(c) that a uniform distinctive sign be recognized for the Medical Corps of all armies, or at least for all persons of the same army belonging to this Service; and, that a uniform flag also be adopted in all countries for ambulances and hospitals.

     The ICRC and the Geneva Convention created the modern international humanitarian law. The Red Cross has been active in World War I and all other subsequent wars.
The Red Cross and its Role in World War II
     During World War II only Latin American and five European counties were not involved in the war. Airplanes and bombs made it easy to destroy huge parts of territory and killed many people. The people killed were not only soldiers but also civilians. The Red Cross was in great need.
The Red Cross was worried about the civilian population. That was because at the time humanitarian law only covered rules for treatment of Prisoners of War, not civilians.
In September 1939, the ICRC sent delegates to France, Germany, Poland and the United Kindgom. Their main task was to visit prisoners of war camps and assisted in medical needs for these camps.
By the end of World War II, the Red Cross had 179 delegated in 76 permanent delegations that were assisted by hundreds of volunteers.   During the war, ICRC delegated traveled and equivalent of 400 trips around the world.

The ICRC and POWs during World War II

During World War II these were millions of P O W S scattered through the world. These people under the July 27, 1927, Geneva Convention had a number of right that could claim form their detainors. The ICRC was the main body that tried to uphold their rights. The ICRC had three main tasks:
---Centralizing all information on POWs
--- Handing over this information to the countries of origin
---Keeping up contact between POWs and their families
During the conflict, the ICRC visited POW camps and their main concern was to monitor conditions and happenings at the camps.
Through their efforts in medical attention, and providing of supplies, the ICRC improved living conditions of many POWs. The only failure for the ICRC was their efforts in the Soviet Union, and the Far East where they were not allowed to visit POWs.

The ICRC and the Civilian Population during World War II

Unlike POWs, civilian had no legal basis for help from the ICRC. However, the ICRC arranged for civilians that were under enemy control to be treated within the rules governing treatment of POWs.
Bombing had become commonplace during World War II. In September 1939, the ICRC tried and failed to set up security zones, where civilians that took no part in the war could find shelter. The ICRC appealed many times for the protection of civilian from bombardment, but each time they failed.
The ICRC also tried to prevent civilians from starvation. It did succeed in saving hundreds of thousands of starving people. But, they did not have the means to stop famine in the Far East.
The International Red Cross has been and still is one of the major humanitarian organizations in the world. This organization has been of great help to many people throughout the world, not only in wartime but also in peace. They world should be grateful to Henry Dunant for his valuable gift.
Conclusion
Although the American Colony might have been full of religious loons, they were full of good intentions. The Spaffords were always willing to help anyone in need. Their legacy still lives on today in hospitals, baby clinics, and good will.
The book Our Jerusalem is about a pilgrimage turned mission. The people described should be considered pilgrims because they went to Jerusalem to reach a goal. They went to witness prophecy and refresh the body and soul. They saw the making of the Jewish Homeland in Israel in 1948 and were a vital part of the humanitarian efforts throughout WWI and WWII, as well as the time between wars.
Their teachings to the people Jerusalem helped lower the mortally rate of babies and brought people together. This colony was a place of peace, where everyone was welcome and appreciated. Therefore, the Spaffords and the members of the American Colony were true pilgrims.

Annotated Bibliography

Ariel, Yaakov, and Ruth Kark. "Messianism, holiness, charisma, and community: The
American-Swedish Colony in Jerusalem, 1881-1933." Church History. 65.4
(1996): 641-657.

This journal article reviews the religious aspects of the American Colony in Jerusalem. It points out many things that Vester's book does not.

Broder, Jonathan. "A family, a colony, a life of good works in the Holy City." Smithsonian. 27.12 (1997): 120-136.

This article profiles the colony and it's storied past. It also talks about an incident with Anna Spafford and a bed sheet.

Coleman, Simon and John Elsner. Pilgrimage: Past and Present in the World Religions. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1995.

This book was used for background information on pilgrimages.

"Centenary of Zionism: 1897-1997” Israel Information Center, Jerusalem 1997.

This Government pamphlet deals with the history of Zionism in Israel from 1897- 1997.

"Map of Israel: Jewish Sites" Herzliya, Israel: Landface, 1994.

This map has many historical summaries that were helpful in writing about the history of the area.

McKay, John P., and others. A History of World Societies: From French Revolution to
the Present. 4th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1996.

This book is a general history source; it was used for background information. It is a survey book dealing with the world from 1795- present time.

"History of the American Colony." [http://americancolony.com]. February 1999.

This article, from the American Colony Hotel web site, deals with a brief history of the American Colony, and talks about the hotel's history.

"How the International Red Cross began." [http://www.pgs.ca/pages/mem/redcrossh.html]. March, 1999.

This web site article deals with the beginnings of the International Red Cross.

Surbek, Jean Jacques. "Founding and early years of the International Committee of the International Red Cross." [http://www.icrc.org/unicc/icrcnews.nsf/5845147e46836989c12561740044a4f7/17c5905 5321795e14125656b004e99e0?OpenDocument]. March 1999.

This web article describes the founding and early history of the International Red Cross.

Surbek, Jean Jacques. "The International Committee of the Red Cross and the Second World War." [http://www.icrc.org/unicc/icrcnews.nsf/c1256212004ce24e4125621200524882/5b66cbe4276a8abb41256577002b3679?OpenDocument] March 1999.

This web article deals with what the role of the Red Cross was in WWII.

Vester, Bertha. Our Jerusalem. Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1950.

This is my main book. It has an introduction by Lowell Thomas.

Vester, Bertha. Our Jerusalem. Lebanon: Middle East Export Press, 1950.

This is another version of my main book. It has an introduction by Lowell Thomas, along with a conclusion by Mrs. Vester.

Vester, Bertha. Our Jerusalem. London: Evans Brothers Limited, 1951.

This is another version of my main book. It has an introduction by Sir Ronald Storrs, K.C.M.G.; it also has a conclusion that Mrs. Vester added after the original publication

Vester, Bertha. Flowers of the Holy Land. Kansas City: Hallmark Cards, Inc., 1962.

This book deals with Mrs. Vester's art. It has a “Biographical Sketch“ by Lowell Thomas and a note by Norman Vincent Peale.

Vogel, Lester I.. To See a Promised Land: Americans and the Holy Land in the Nineteenth Century. University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press., 1993.

This book is full of insights on American travelers in the Holy Land.