Benjamin of Tudela

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Benjamin of Tudela
בִּנְיָמִין מִטּוּדֶלָה
Bronze bust of Benjamin by Ricardo Varela Andrés in Tudela, Navarre, 1994
Pronunciation	binjaˈmin mituˈdela
Born	Tudela, Kingdom of Navarre
Other names	Benjamin ben Jonah
Years active	c. 12th century
Known for	Travels throughout the Old World

Benjamin of Tudela^{[note 1]} (fl. c. 12th century), also known as Benjamin ben Jonah, was a medieval Jewish traveler who visited Europe, Asia, and Africa in the twelfth century. His vivid descriptions of western Asia preceded those of Marco Polo by a hundred years. With his broad education and vast knowledge of languages, Benjamin of Tudela is a major figure in medieval geography and Jewish history.

The Travels of Benjamin is an important work not only as a description of the Jewish communities, but also as a reliable source about the geography and ethnography of the Middle Ages. Some modern historians credit Benjamin with giving accurate descriptions of everyday life in the Middle Ages. Originally written in Hebrew, his itinerary was translated into Latin and later translated into most major European languages. It received much attention from Renaissance scholars in the sixteenth century.

His journeys reveal the concurrent interconnectedness and diversity of Jewish communities during this time period.
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