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Egeria Diary Of A Pilgrimage Analysis

Decent Essays

Though the author’s identity and the time period in which the events of the Diary of a Pilgrimage took place remain unconfirmed, the elusive Egeria’s manuscript is a clear example of a specific type of work known as an “itinerarium or travelogue” that details her pilgrimage to various locations within the Holy Land; however, it is more than just a detailed record of her journeys through the Near East. The frequency with which she addresses her “sisters” or “ladies dear to me” all but confirm the assertion that her diary of events was composed in the form of a letter, though the intended recipients remain controversial. However, the information contained within offers significant insight into the history of the Near East, the beliefs and rituals of members of the early church, and the liturgy of early Christians around the early 5th century A.D. …show more content…

Of the four major journeys through the Holy Land upon which she embarked, all four were true pilgrimages “motivated by a specific religious objective” . At each destination—Sinai, Mount Nebo, Hauran, and Edessa —Egeria visits Biblical locations “marked by the action of God on man” such as Mount Sinai “where the Law was given, at the place…where the Glory of the Lord descended on the day when the mountain smoked” . Additionally, she pointedly seeks out opportunities to “meet and pray in the company of [monks] who she considered best exemplified the Christian life” , like the “holy man, monk, and confessor” she met upon arrival at

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