He is considered one of the first Westerners to mention China by that name, nearly 100 years before Marco Polo.īenjamin of Tudela traveled and wrote from approximately 1160 until 1172. Included in Benjamin’s writing were also comments on life under Muslim rule and Christian rule, observations on Samaritans and Karites, and descriptions of encounters with al-Hashishim (“Assassins”). He recorded facts such as demographics and took note of the local leadership (both political and religious) and customs. In addition to general travel commentary and location descriptions, Benjamin wrote a great deal about the many Jewish communities that he encountered. Visiting over 300 cities, Benjamin went from the Iberian Peninsula to Central Europe (France, Italy, Greece) to Constantinople and on to the Levant (Syria, Lebanon, Palestine) and Mesopotamia (Iraq and Iran) before heading home via Arabia and Egypt. The rest, the details of his travels, Benjamin compiled and published as Sefer Masaot Benjamin MiTudela ( The Book of Itineraries of Benjamin of Tudela). Nor is it known why he set out on his great journey to most of the regions of the known world. There is no real information about the early years of Benjamin’s life other than that he was born in Tudela in the Kingdom of Navarro (which is now Spain). For most, traveling was not even a thought, but for Medieval Jewish traveler Benjamin of Tudela, it became a way of life. In the 12th century, however, traveling between cities, let alone countries, was fraught with many dangers. In fact, thousands of young adults do it every year.
Today, when someone talks about traveling through Europe or Asia, it is hardly surprising.
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