The Egeria Way

The lecture has two objectives: 1. Introducing the figure and importance of Egeria, the first Hispanic traveller and writer, who undertook in the year 381 a long journey to the Holy Land and wrote her impressions in a book entitled Itinerarium ad Loca Sancta. Lecture by Carlos Pascual; and 2) Presenting the project The Egeria Way as a Jordanian route, which includes the following stages: Mount Nebo; Moses Spring; Kherbet Mahatta, Salem Spring; Al-Rama (Livias); Kherbet Garaba and Betania (the place of the Baptism and Elijah’s Hill). Presentation by Oscar Koshebye.

Carlos Pascual, Spanish renowned writer and journalist, author of the book El Viaje de Egeria, republished as Viaje de Egeria (Ed. La Línea del Horizonte, Madrid 2017). Also author of numerous books and travel guides, Carlos Pascual is a regular contributor to the travel supplement of El País (El Viajero) and Viajes National Geographic. He has also occasionally collaborated with other magazines such as Viajar, Condé Nast, Lonely Planet, etc.

Oscar Koshebye, tourist guide and founder of The Egeria Way project, will explain the importance of the Jordanian route and its’ different stations and the work that is being carried out by the Jordan Tourism Board to improve and condition the route for visitors and promote it as a place of historical-cultural attraction and adventure in Jordan, in addition to its already determined religious identity.

Possibly originally from the province of Gallaecia, in Roman Hispania, this lady from a noble or wealthy family made a long pilgrimage journey to the Holy Places between 381 and 384, recounting her trip through letters or missives. She began her journey to get to know and venerate the Holy Places that were recently "discovered" by Saint Helena. Crossing the Via Domitia, she arrived at the capital of the Empire's pars orientis, Constantinople, she continued to Jerusalem, and visited biblical sites, including Sinai and some places in Roman Mesopotamia. Her story, copied by a monk in the eleventh century, was found in 1884 in an Italian library. After an arduous investigation, it became possible to name this personage, Egeria, the first Hispanic traveler and writer of whom we have records.