The Medieval Perception of Jews, Christians and Muslims in Benjamin of Tudela’s Travelogue

Travelogues are narratives that provide insights into the lives, customs, and religions of different societies. They offer reflections on human interactions and cultural exchanges, helping to develop a comprehensive understanding of societies. Medieval travelogues, often based on personal observations, offer genuine portrayals of complex and diverse medieval societies. Edward Said argues that Western depictions of the East have historically been distorted and oversimplified to justify European dominance and imperialism. However, adapting Said’s perspective to the Middle Ages appears problematic. He emphasizes how the construction of the East as the Other in Western discourse has influenced the production of knowledge about the East. The main concern of this paper is to explore the concepts of self and other, as well as the medieval East and West, opposing Said's perspective. This paper aims to show that the binary oppositions of Orientalism are unfounded by analyzing the travelogue by Benjamin of Tudela, a medieval Jewish traveler. In other words, this paper explores how Benjamin’s Jewish identity shaped his perspective and how he embraces a tolerant view of Jews, Christians, and Muslims, challenging the East-West dichotomy.