By September 28, 2008 Read More →

Pilgrims Arrested, 1556

Pilgrims arrested by Turkish authorities in Palestine

Pilgrims_Arrested

Pilgrims Arrested, by Melchior von Seydlitz, 1556.

“The Travels of Martin Baumgarten,” in Churchill’s Voyages, London 1704, p. 469-

“We had not got far from the city when there comes a Mameluke and falls like thunder upon one of our company who was riding on an ass, and is indisposed; he presently gets off and offers him to the Mameluke. But not being satisfied with the ass, he commands a Jew who was riding on a horse to dismount. The Jew delay’d it a little, and endeavour’d to prevail with him by fair words, but the Mameluke—enraged at his disobedience—falls a-drubbing of him and railing at him and knock’d the poor old and feeble Jew off his horse. Our muledrivers came about the Mameluke, praying and intreating him to have pity on his infirmity and old age and kiss’d both his hands and feet. And the poor Jew did the like. And so trying the last remedy they greased his fist and sent him off satisfied. But the Jew had been so thrash’d and wounded, that he had much ado to mount again with the help of another man.”

Cited in Schur, Nathan. Twenty Centuries of Christian Pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Tel Aviv- Dvir Publishing House, 1992.

Posted in: Ottoman Period

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