Christian Pilgrim Jacques of Verona Noted the Long Established Jewish Community in the Land of Israel
An Augustine Monk, Jacques of Verona, who visited Israel in 1335 CE, wrote that Jews from Gaza, Ramla, and Tsfat were considered “ideal guides” in the Holy Land. He noted “the long-established Jewish community at the foot of Mount Zion, in Jerusalem,” and wrote:
“A pilgrim who wished to visit ancient forts and towns in the Holy Land would have been unable to locate these without a good guide who knew the Land well or without one of the Jews who lived there. The Jews were able to recount the history of these places since this knowledge had been handed down from their forefathers and wise men.”
Overview
Jews from Gaza, Ramla, and Tsfat (Safed) were considered the “ideal guides” in the Holy Land, as Jacques of Verona, a visiting Christian monk, attested. He noted “the long-established Jewish community at the foot of Mount Zion, in Jerusalem,” he wrote
“A pilgrim who wished to visit ancient forts and towns in the Holy Land would have been unable to locate these, without a good guide who knew the Land well or without one of the Jews who lived there. The Jews were able to recount the history of these places since this knowledge had been handed down from their forefathers and wise men.”
Martin Gilbert, Exile and Return, The Struggle for a Jewish Homeland, p. 17.
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