Image:1283 Descriptio Terrae Sanctae.jpg

In 1455 Philip the Good ordered Jean Mielot, canon of Lille, to translate the Descriptio Terrae Sanctae, by the Dominican monk, Burchard du Mont-Sion (1283). Against a stylized and conventional background, the artist has set details which show authentic knowledge; one might even think that he had been to the Holy Land himself. At the foot, by the edge of the sea, stands a ruined stronghold, with a great tower. Perhaps this is Athlit, the Pilgrims Castle that the Templars abandoned in 1291. The first town, bristling with minarets, may well be Ramleh; the one on the left is certainly Bethlehem, with its great basilica. Jerusalem is viewed from the west; the Dome of the Rock still retains its octagonal shape, although the bulbous dome is imaginary; to the right stands Al-Aqsa, shown as a church. On the left the Holy Sepulchre displays its large, open-topped dome, and its outer enclosure. In the foreground the Tower of David can be seen complete with its four corner towers. The Dome of the Ascension dominates the Mount of Olives, up which winds a zigzag road. One might even, with a varying degree of certainty, be able to identify also St. James, St. Anne, Latin-Saint-Mary and the Hospital.

The image and description are from Jerusalem by Michel Join-Lambert. Elek Books, 1958

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