E05225: The pilgrim Egeria, in her Itinerary, describes her visit to a church outside Carrhae/Karrhai (Mesopotamia) on the precise site of the house of *Abraham (Old Testament patriarch, S00275), a place of great veneration for Christians, 'for the memory' of Abraham; she also mentions tombs of his kin. Written in Latin during Egeria's journey to the East, probably in 381-384.
Creators: name: Robert
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2018
Subjects: History

description: Egeria, Itinerary 20.2-4 and 20.8<br><br><br>Egeria visits Carrhae (biblical Haran), the home for many years of Abraham, his family and kin:<br><br>20.2 Ibi ergo cum uenissem, id est in Charra, ibi statim fui ad ecclesiam, quae est intra ciuitate ipsa. Vidi etiam mox episcopum loci ipsius uere sanctum et hominem Dei, et ipsum et monachum et confessorem, qui mox nobis omnia loca ibi ostendere dignatus est, quae desiderabamus. (3) Nam duxit nos statim ad ecclesiam, quae est foras ciuitatem, in eo loco ubi fuit domus sancti Abrahae, id est in ipsis fundamentis et de ipso lapide, ut tamen dicebat sanctus episcopus. Cum ergo uenissemus in ipsa ecclesia, facta est oratio et lectus ipse locus de genesi, dictus etiam unus psalmus, et iterata oratione et sic benedicens nos episcopus, egressi sumus foras. (4) Item dignatus est nos ducere ad puteum illum, unde portabat aquam sancta Rebecca. Et ait nobis sanctus episcopus: "ecce puteus unde potauit sancta Rebecca camelos pueri sancti Abrahae, id est Eleazari", et singula ita nobis dignabatur ostendere.<br><br>'20.2 When I reached Charra I went straight to visit the church inside the city, and was soon seeing the bishop of the place. He was a very godly man, and he too was both monk and confessor. He readily agreed to show us all the places we wanted to see. (3) First he took us to a church outside the city on the site of Abraham's house. According to the holy bishop it was built of the same stones and on the same foundations. In the church we had a prayer and read the passage from the book of Genesis [Genesis 12.1-4], then one psalm and a second prayer; the bishop blessed us, and we went outside. (4) Then he kindly took us to the well at which holy Rebecca used to draw water. "This", said the holy bishop, "is the well where holy Rebecca drew water for the camels of Eleazar the servant of holy Abraham", and he was at pains to show us all there was to see.'<br><br>There follows a passage on the tomb and feast of *Helpidius (monk and martyr of Carrhae, S01069), whose martyr shrine was in this same church - for this passage, see $E05226. In this passage Egeria tells us that those who attend the feast of Helpidius also come to commemorate Abraham (propter memoriam sancti Abrahae). Egeria then returns to the subject of Abraham:<br><br>20.8 In ipsa autem ciuitatem extra paucos clericos et sanctos monachos, si qui tamen in ciuitate commorantur, penitus nullum christianum inueni, sed totum gentes sunt. Nam sicut nos cum grandi reuerentia attendimus locum illum ubi primitus domus sancti Abrahae fuit, pro memoria illius, ita et illae gentes forte ad mille passus de ciuitate cum grandi reuerentia adtendunt locum, ubi sunt memoriae Naor et Bathuhelis. <br><br>'20.8 I found almost no Christians in the city, apart from a few clergy, and any holy monks who happen to be living there. The whole city is heathen, and just as we venerate the place which was originally the house of Abraham for his memory, so they greatly venerate the tombs of Nahor and Bethuel [Genesis 24:24], which are about a mile outside the city.'<br><br><br>Text: Franceschini and Weber 1965, 62-63. Translation: Wilkinson 1971, 118-119, lightly modified.<br>