Comparing with Egeria’s Travels

 

Profile of a Pilgrim

Profile of a Pilgrim
egeria-profile val-profile
Name: Egeria Name: Valerie Kisselback
Place of Origin: Galicia, Spain Place of Origin: Albany, NY, USA
Date of Pilgrimage to the Holy Land:  late 4th or early 5th century, likely AD 381-384 Date of Pilgrimage to the Holy Land:  July 1 – 31, 2014
Length of Pilgrimage: 3 years Length of Pilgrimage: 1 month
Route Traveled:

After exploring the Jerusalem area, Egeria traveled through Egypt to Alexandria. Returning to Jerusalem, she remained there, and spent time traversing region of modern day Israel, Palestine, and Jordan. Then, she made a circuit of the Sinai Peninsula. After coming back to Jerusalem again, Egeria traveled north to Antioch and Esseda, and finally on to Constantinople. (ET 36-44).

 Route Traveled:

After arriving in Tel Aviv, I took up residence in the Student Village on the Mount Scopus campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for the month of July. I could see the Dome of the Rock in the near distance as I walked to class each morning. When I wasn’t in class, I was exploring the city of Jerusalem. Throughout the month I made trips with classmates to Haifa, Medula and the border with Lebanon, the border with Syria in the Golan Heights, Masada and the Dead Sea, and Tiberias, Magdala, and Capernaum along the Sea of Galilee.
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Time spent traveling to/from destination:

About 13 months (JPBC 35)

 Time spent traveling to/from destination:

Initial Flight: JFK, NYC to Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv: 10hrs 25 min

Reverse trip: 11hrs 40min
Mode of Transportation: Foot and donkey Modes of Transportation: Jet, sherut, light rail, taxi, bus, and foot
Methods of Communication:

Egeria recorded the experiences of her pilgrimage in a diary and sent an account of her trip to her “sisters,” most likely a community of consecrated lay women, back in Galicia. She wrote most of her account to her sisters after her travels had taken place, while she was in Constantinople (ET 142). At the conclusion of her account, Egeria expresses to her sisters a desire to continue travelling, this time to Ephesus in the Roman province of Asia (ET 142). It is unclear when and if Egeria ever returned home. (And I sometimes felt that navigating a 7 hour time difference to call home was challenging!)

 Methods of Communication:

Like Egeria, I recorded the experiences of my pilgrimage in a personal prayer journal. However, extensive technological advancements since Egeria’s time enabled me to keep in touch with a wide range of people instantaneously. I used my Samsung Galaxy S4 to call home to my parents each day and periodically post photos and updates for friends and family who were following on Facebook. Once I returned home, the internet has enabled me to keep in touch with the friends I made in Jerusalem, and the creation of this website has allowed me to share my experiences with all of you!