John of Würzburg (LatinJohannes Herbipolensis) was a German priest who made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in the 1160s and wrote a book describing the Christian holy places, the Descriptio terrae sanctae (Description of the Holy Land).[2]
The opening of John's Descriptio from the Tegernsee manuscript. It begins Johannes, Dei gratia in wirziburgensi ecclesia, id quod est, dilecto suo socio et domestico Dietrico salutem et supernae Jerusalem... ("John, who by the grace of God is that which he is in the church of Würzburg, wishes health and a sight of the heavenly Jerusalem to his beloved friend and follower Dietrich...")[1]
All that is known of John's life is what he records in his Descriptio. He says that he was a priest of the church of Würzburg and he dedicated his work to a friend named Dietrich (Theoderic). The Tegernsee manuscript calls John the bishop of Würzburg, but there was no bishop named John. Possibly the copyist or whoever added the description of John to the Tegernsee manuscript confused him with his friend, who is sometimes identified with Dietrich of Hohenburg, who was bishop of Würzburg in 1223–24. This identification is not certain.[2] Nor is the identification of Dietrich with the man of the same name who went on a pilgrimage around 1172 and wrote his own account of it, the Libellus de locis sanctis.[3]
John's pilgrimage took place while the holy places belonged to the Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem, but before the major renovation of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. He may have written his Descriptio several decades after the pilgrimage, possibly after 1200.[4] His account is not entirely based on what he himself saw, he admits that he made use of eyewitness reports and in some cases borrowed from other travel guides (especially Fretellus[5]). He probably landed at Acre, when he travelled to Nazareth, Jenin, Nablus, Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Jaffa, where he took ship home. His description of these places is mostly that of an eyewitness.[2]
John's purpose in writing was to update the 7th-century description of the Holy Land, De locis sanctis, which he knew from the version edited by Bede, based on the construction projects that had taken place since the First Crusade.[5]
The Descriptio is the earliest western source to contain information about the different Christian denominations in the Kingdom of Jerusalem.[5][6] It has also aroused interest for its early indications of the rise of national feeling in Europe. John was a German patriot who laments the lack of credit given to the German crusaders.[3] In his thirteenth chapter, he writes:
Three days afterwards is the anniversary of noble Duke Godfrey [of Bouillon] of happy memory, the chief and leader of that holy expedition, who was born of a German family. His anniversary is solemnly observed by the city with plenteous giving of alms in the great church, according as he himself arranged while yet alive. But although he is there honoured in this way for himself, yet the taking of the city is not credited to him with his Germans, who bore no small share in the toils of that expedition, but is attributed to the French alone.[7]
Johannes von Würzburg (1874). "Descriptio terrae sanctae". In Titus Tobler (ed.). Descriptiones terrae sanctae. Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs. pp. 108–192, 415–448.
^ abAlfred Wendehorst (1974), "Johannes von Würzburg", Neue Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 10, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, p. 577; (full text online).
^ abcdeTimothy S. Jones (2000), "John of Würzburg (fl. 1160)", in John Block Friedman; Kristen Mossier Figg (eds.), Trade, Travel, and Exploration in the Middle Ages: An Encyclopedia, Routledge, pp. 309–310
^Jonathan Rubin, Learning in a Crusader City: Intellectual Activity and Intercultural Exchanges in Acre, 1191–1291 (Cambridge University Press, 2018), p. 140.
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John of Wurzburg Latin Johannes Herbipolensis was a German priest who made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in the 1160s and wrote a book describing the Christian holy places the Descriptio terrae sanctae Description of the Holy Land 2 The opening of John s Descriptio from the Tegernsee manuscript It begins Johannes Dei gratia in wirziburgensi ecclesia id quod est dilecto suo socio et domestico Dietrico salutem et supernae Jerusalem John who by the grace of God is that which he is in the church of Wurzburg wishes health and a sight of the heavenly Jerusalem to his beloved friend and follower Dietrich 1 Contents 1 Life 2 Descriptio 3 See also 4 Editions 5 ReferencesLife editAll that is known of John s life is what he records in his Descriptio He says that he was a priest of the church of Wurzburg and he dedicated his work to a friend named Dietrich Theoderic The Tegernsee manuscript calls John the bishop of Wurzburg but there was no bishop named John Possibly the copyist or whoever added the description of John to the Tegernsee manuscript confused him with his friend who is sometimes identified with Dietrich of Hohenburg who was bishop of Wurzburg in 1223 24 This identification is not certain 2 Nor is the identification of Dietrich with the man of the same name who went on a pilgrimage around 1172 and wrote his own account of it the Libellus de locis sanctis 3 John s pilgrimage took place while the holy places belonged to the Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem but before the major renovation of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre He may have written his Descriptio several decades after the pilgrimage possibly after 1200 4 His account is not entirely based on what he himself saw he admits that he made use of eyewitness reports and in some cases borrowed from other travel guides especially Fretellus 5 He probably landed at Acre when he travelled to Nazareth Jenin Nablus Jerusalem Bethlehem and Jaffa where he took ship home His description of these places is mostly that of an eyewitness 2 Descriptio editThe Descriptio is known from four manuscripts The earliest and longest now Clm 19418 in the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek in Munich dates to the late 12th or early 13th century and comes from Tegernsee Abbey 5 John s Latin is educated but ordinary 2 John s purpose in writing was to update the 7th century description of the Holy Land De locis sanctis which he knew from the version edited by Bede based on the construction projects that had taken place since the First Crusade 5 The text is structured around the life of Jesus and divided into seven sections highlighting his birth baptism passion descent into Hell resurrection ascension and judgement This structure was considered irrational by Titus Tobler who rearranged the text for his edition 5 The Descriptio is the earliest western source to contain information about the different Christian denominations in the Kingdom of Jerusalem 5 6 It has also aroused interest for its early indications of the rise of national feeling in Europe John was a German patriot who laments the lack of credit given to the German crusaders 3 In his thirteenth chapter he writes Three days afterwards is the anniversary of noble Duke Godfrey of Bouillon of happy memory the chief and leader of that holy expedition who was born of a German family His anniversary is solemnly observed by the city with plenteous giving of alms in the great church according as he himself arranged while yet alive But although he is there honoured in this way for himself yet the taking of the city is not credited to him with his Germans who bore no small share in the toils of that expedition but is attributed to the French alone 7 See also editTravelogues of PalestineEditions editJohannes von Wurzburg 1874 Descriptio terrae sanctae In Titus Tobler ed Descriptiones terrae sanctae Leipzig J C Hinrichs pp 108 192 415 448 John of Wurzburg 1890 Description of the Holy Land Translated by Aubrey Stewart London Palestine Pilgrims Text Society References edit John of Wurzburg 1890 p 1 a b c d Stewart Preface to John of Wurzburg 1890 pp ix xii a b Alfred Wendehorst 1974 Johannes von Wurzburg Neue Deutsche Biographie in German vol 10 Berlin Duncker amp Humblot p 577 full text online So the early modern historians Johann Albert Fabricius and Bernhard Pez believed a b c d e Timothy S Jones 2000 John of Wurzburg fl 1160 in John Block Friedman Kristen Mossier Figg eds Trade Travel and Exploration in the Middle Ages An Encyclopedia Routledge pp 309 310 Jonathan Rubin Learning in a Crusader City Intellectual Activity and Intercultural Exchanges in Acre 1191 1291 Cambridge University Press 2018 p 140 John of Wurzburg 1890 p 40 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title John of Wurzburg amp oldid 1128167750, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
