Benjamin of Tudela, Spanish explorer
2010; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 25; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1080/09518967.2010.494093
ISSN1743-940X
Autores Tópico(s)Sephardic Jews and Inquisition Studies
ResumoAbstract The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela, written in the late twelfth century, has long been recognized as a unique source for both Jewish and Mediterranean history. This paper attempts to shift the focus to the text and its history, and examine the process of its translation and reception in early modern Europe. I focus on the first Latin translation (Antwerp, 1575), prepared by the Spanish biblical scholar Benito Arias Montano. In his dedication and preface, Montano presents Benjamin as an eminent member of the illustrious Spanish tradition of explorers and geographers. Moreover, he sees in the Itinerary a document that may be significant for the understanding of Scripture. Montano's conceptualization allows us to understand the complexities of translation as a cultural process – the attempts to bridge linguistic, religious, and chronological barriers that separated Benjamin from his early modern readers. Keywords: Benjamin of TudelaBenito Arias Montanoearly modern Spainearly modern geographytravel literaturetranslation historycultural translationHebraism Acknowledgements A shorter version of this paper has been distributed on a CD-ROM to participants of the 10th Mediterranean Research Meeting (March 2009, Montecatini, Italy). I would like to thank Natalie E. Rothman, Eric Dursteler, Elhanan Reiner, Yitzhak Hen, Ram Ben Shalom, Gadi Algazi, Limor Mintz-Manor, and Miri Eliav-Feldon for their wise suggestions. Most of all I am indebted to Adam G. Beaver for invaluable comments and references. Notes 1. Burke and Hsia Burke, Peter and Po-chia Hsia, R., eds. 2007. Cultural Translation in Early Modern Europe, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar], Cultural Translation. 2. Livingstone Livingstone, David. 1988. Science, Magic, and Religion: A Contextual Reassessment of Geography in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries. History of Science, 26: 269–94. 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