Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
The Journey of Symon Semeonis from Ireland to the Holy Land (Author: Symon Semeonis (Simon FitzSimon))

Section 92

From this city [Gaza] we came to a spot about two miles distant where the road bifurcates, the right-hand turning leading to the very ancient city of Hebron, situated in the territory of the Damascenes, and once a city of the Philistines. It was the place in which God fashioned Adam our first father, and in which in two caves are buried our four reverend fathers, Adam, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, with their wives, Eve, Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah [cf. Gen. xlix, 29-31]. Leaving this on one side, we reached the base of the mountains of Israel, a most beautiful country, as is all the land that once belonged to the Philistines, whose memory is now buried in oblivion. Proceeding over very beautiful mountains and through the very fertile valleys of Israel, we came to a certain monastery in which reside schismatic monks called Cumani. Under the


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high altar of their church is the spot where the most precious wood of the cross was hewn. This monastery is distant one mile from Jerusalem.