The gift of God: the nature of the Middle East in the pilgrimage writings of Russian hieromonks Leontius and Meletius, 18th Century

Russian Christian pilgrims who visited the Holy Land in the eighteenth century and have left written accounts were interested in more than simply the customary religious aspects of pilgrimage. They also explored secular motifs and issues. In addition to religious concerns, they sought to understand the nature of the Middle East and the striking diversity and exoticism that characterised the region. The article focuses on the theme of nature as presented in two narrative sources: the pilgrimage accounts written by the Russian hieromonks Leontius (1763–1765) and Meletius (1793–1794). Leontius’ notes on his journey to the holy sites of Egypt and Palestine are currently in the archive and awaiting publication. Meletius’ “Journey to Jerusalem” was published twice (1798 and 1800), but failed to gain much scholarly attention. Analysis of these travelogues reveals that both inquisitive pilgrims articulated their perspectives on the Middle East with remarkable candour and openness. They are extremely emotional about its natural phenomena, guided by the God-centred perception of the world through the prism of Russian Orthodoxy. In describing the nature of the Middle East, Leontius and Meletius conveyed to us the sacred image of the Holy Land, which looked like a beautiful but elusive mirage, evoking nostalgic thoughts of the very distant past, but not of the present.