Walk about Zion, and go round about it . . . [Psalms 48:13]

Christian pilgrimage received a considerable stimulus in the fourth century AD when Empress Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, identified the traditional sites associated with the life and death of Jesus. The sites themselves and the magnificent churches and shrines erected over them have attracted Christian pilgrims in large numbers since that time, as have the holy sites from the Old Testament.

One of the Five Pillars of the Islamic faith is the hajj, an obligatory pilgrimage to Mecca. Nevertheless, Jerusalem is known in Arabic as el-Quds ("the holy one"), and the city is home to some of the most important Islamic shrines. Foremost among them is the Dome of the Rock, the magnificent mosque sheltering the rock from which Muhammad is believed to have ascended to heaven. The Temple Mount upon which it stands, along with the great Mosque of el-Aqsa, is reverently called el-Haram esh-Sharif, "The Noble Sanctuary."

Early pilgrimages from Europe to Jerusalem were long and difficult journeys. The flow of pilgrims was influenced by many circumstances including travel facilities, wars, epidemics, and political, religious, and economic conditions. Accounts of these journeys are rich sources of information regarding historical events, geography, fauna and flora, and various cultures, religious practices, customs, and languages. Pilgrims' itineraries and maps were sometimes distorted by inaccurate observation, hearsay, deliberate exaggeration or fabrication, or religious preconceptions. They nevertheless provide valuable insights into the history and topography of Jerusalem and surrounding regions. Because of Muslim and Jewish prohibitions against "graven images," the majority of maps were by Christian pilgrims.

	21. BERNHARD VON BREYDENBACH German, ca. 1440-1497 ERHARD REUWICH German, fl. ca. 1460-1490 Untitled map of Palestine and view of Jerusalem From: PEREGRINATIO IN TERRAM SANCTAM Mainz, 1486 Woodcut, 27.4 x 128.4 cm Osher Collection
	Detail: Jerusalem, in center of image, oriented to the west

This is the earliest printed map of the Holy Land based on contemporary eyewitness sources. It appeared in the first illustrated travel guide to the Holy Land, written by Bernhard von Breydenbach, a Deacon of the Mainz Cathedral. Breydenbach's account is based on his pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1483, accompanied by Erhard Reuwich, an accomplished Dutch artist who made on-site sketches for later use as woodcut illustrations.

Oriented to the East, the map presents a panoramic depiction of the region extending from Damascus and Tripolis in the north to the Red Sea and Alexandria in the south. Many biblical sites are portrayed, together with other features of interest to travelers and pilgrims, such as the Pyramids of Egypt and locations where indulgences could be obtained. At the lower left, pilgrims are disembarking from a ship at the harbor of Jaffa.

Inserted into the central portion of the map is a large and detailed view of Jerusalem oriented to the west, as seen from the Mount of Olives. This view differs from the rest of the map in both scale and perspective, and should be viewed separately. Although this map was made at a time when Jerusalem was under Islamic rule, the holy sites are designated by their Christian names. The Dome of the Rock ("Templum Salomonis") is seen at the center, with the Church of the Holy Sepulchre ("Templum gloriosum Domini Sepulchri") above and to the right; a hospice for pilgrims stands between the two shrines. These and many other sites are depicted with unusual accuracy stemming from firsthand observation, in contrast to the more common renditions based on vague scriptural descriptions or pure imagination. Accordingly, the map was extraordinarily useful to pilgrims and was widely copied.

	22. CLAES JANSZ VISSCHER Dutch, 1587-1652 DIE HEYLIGE EN WYTVERMAERDE STADT IERUSALEM, EERST GENAEMT SALEM From a Dutch Bible [Amsterdam?], 1642 Engraving, hand colored, 30.2 x 40.8 cm Osher Collection
	Detail: Calvary, with Visscher's graphic pun on his name, at lower-left

The practice of illustrating Bibles with maps began early in the sixteenth century. By the seventeenth century, Bibles typically contained maps illustrating five traditional subjects: the Patriarchs; the Exodus; the Twelve Tribes of Israel in the Promised Land; Christ and the Gospels; and, the Wanderings of Saint Paul. Some mapmakers, such as the eminent Visscher family of Amsterdam, added a plan of Jerusalem. This is the first such plan, an imaginary bird's-eye view of the ancient walled city with east at the top. The Second Temple, Mount Zion, and Herod's Palace are among 40 sites identified. A vignette at the lower right depicts the anointment of King Solomon, and another at the lower left portrays the Crucifixion. The fisherman in the lower left corner represents a visual signature of the mapmaker, whose Dutch name "Visscher" is equivalent to the English "Fisher."

23. D. HAINES American, fl. 1815-1833 A New Map of the LAND OF PROMISE AND THE HOLY CITY OF JERUSALEM Philadelphia, 1828 Lithograph, hand colored, 58.5 x 146.5 cm Osher Collection

Although this map was made more than 300 years after that of von Breydenbach (object 21), they have much in common. Both are panoramic maps of the Holy Land from Damascus to Alexandria, oriented to the east, with inset views of Jerusalem and depictions of many Biblical sites. The Haines map, however, is considerably more detailed. It presents an encyclopedic portrayal of the geography and events of the Old and New Testaments, with graphic scenes and extensive explanatory texts. At the top center there is a large plan of Jerusalem, clearly derived from Visscher's (object 22). In the lower left corner there is view of Jerusalem from the east, with Jesus approaching the city on Palm Sunday. This map exemplifies the power of a well designed map to transmit information by using a combination of images and words; by itself, it could serve as a comprehensive guide for the pilgrim or Bible student.

	24. ANONYMOUS PANORAMA OF JERUSALEM ON THE DAY OF THE CRUCIFIXION Historical Pub[lishin]g. Co. Litho., Philadelphia, 1890 Colored lithograph, 22.5 x 309.5 cm Kyram Collection
	Detail: The Crucifixion

This dramatic scene is taken from The Cyclorama, an enormous three-dimensional panorama of Jerusalem on the day of the Crucifixion. It was created in Munich between 1878 and 1882, and has been on view since 1895 in Ste-Anne-de-Beaupre, near the city of Quebec in Canada. The tableau is of monumental size, measuring 46 feet in height and 361 feet in circumference. The lifelike character of the display creates the illusion of being a spectator at the historic event, a quality that is captured in the illustration.

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