CARMOLY, E[ljakim]. Notice Historique sur Benjamin De Tudele. Followed by: LELEWEL, J. Examen Geographique des Voyages de Benjamin De Tudele, 1160-1173

(BENJAMIN OF TUDELA).

Kiessling & Compagnie

Brussels and Leipzig

1852

FIRST EDITION. Text in French interspersed with Hebrew. Two maps: Foldout map of Travels of Benjamin of Tudela and Pethachia of Regensburg in Latin and Hebrew (Brussels, Sept. 1847); Map of Palestine with Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela, in Latin (Brussels, January 1851)

Freimann, p.166; Rohricht, Bibliotheca Geographica Palaestinae, p. 38; cf. Laor, 199

“There is no general account of the Mediterranean world or of the Middle East in this period which approaches that of Benjamin of Tudela in importance, whether for Jewish or for general history” (EJ, Vol. IV, col. 537). In 1847, Alsatian scholar Elyakim Carmoly (1802-75) published his Itineraires de la Terre Sainte des XIII-XVII Siecles. Carmoly provides a bibliography of editions of, and works concerning, Benjamin of Tudela, as well as Carmoly's correspondence with A. Asher, who produced an English translation of the The Intinerary of Benjamin of Tudela (London and Berlin, 1840-41). Carmoly severely criticizes Asher for relying upon the second edition (Ferrara, 1555), rather than the first edition of the Mas'oth shel Rabbi Binyamin (Constantinople, 1543). See Carmoly, pp. 32-34. Unfortunately, Carmoly himself at various times in his literary career was exposed as a falsifier and plagiarist. Carmoly served as Rabbi of Brussels from 1832-39. See JE, Vol. III, pp. 579-580. Lelewel augments the book with his analysis of the exact geographic locations traversed by Benjamin