Newsletter 30 September 2009
Pilgrimage or Tourism
Peter J. Miano
For many Western Protestant Christians, the concept
of pilgrimage is poorly understood. Indeed, the effect of high volume commercial
tourism in the lands of the Bible—pilgrimage in name only—has
been to blur, if not completely obscure the meaning and significance of pilgrimage
as a spiritual discipline. Commercial tourism so dominates Christian travel
that many do not realize there is an alternative. Scripted, choreographed,
sanitized tours masquerade as pilgrimage, co-opting the language, but falling
way short of the redemptive, transforming, inspiring impact of authentic pilgrimage.
The Society for Biblical Studies seeks to redeem pilgrimage from the polluting
effects of commercial tourism. You have been part of this mission.
Pilgrimage has a long a noble history. It is a sacred obligation for Muslims
and Jews. Although it has never been obligatory, Christian pilgrimage can
be traced to the middle of the 2nd Century AD, when Melito of Sardis journeyed
from Anatolia to Palestine for the purpose of better understanding his Bible
by exploring the places mentioned in it. In 214 AD, Alexander of Cappodocia
went to Jerusalem for prayer and historia,i.e., investigation of the places
associated with biblical events, especially those associated with Jesus and
his ministry. By that time, the places were well identified, indicating that
he was not the first such pilgrim. Egeria, the 4th Century AD pilgrim, left
a complete journal of her four year pilgrimage. For both early pilgrims, pilgrimage
was a spiritual discipline involving the heart, soul, body and the mind. From
the beginning of Christian pilgrimage, the journey involved prayer, praise,
biblical inquiry, investigation and personal, face to face encounters with
the people in living, worshiping communities encountered along the way.
The biblical record indicates that Jesus himself participated in at least
one pilgrimage to Jerusalem. On the other hand, his encounter with the woman
at the well (John 4:1-42) seems to suggest that he did not place high priority
on particular places, favoring instead, worship in spirit and in truth (John
4: 23-24). Early church leaders exploited this passage to discourage believers
from journeying from Anatolia and Europe to Palestine. Their concern was the
practical one that when people travel, they travel with their money and they
spend their money in distant places, rather than in their local economies.
As the volume of Christian pilgrims grew, some early church leaders feared
the revenue hemorrhage implicit to pilgrimage. Not so coincidentally, but
conveniently, places of spiritual significance began to spring up throughout
Anatolia and Europe. Relics proliferated. Stories of disciples and prominent
Gospel figures, such as Peter and Mary, the mother of Jesus, migrating to
places in Asia Minor and Europe circulated and became entrenched traditions.
The believer no longer had to travel to distant shores to investigate places
associated with key events and people in the Gospel stories. Pilgrims could
spend their money in their own backyards. Pilgrimage has long been associated
with practical considerations and money.
Above all, Pilgrimage requires geographical travel. The requirement of travel
necessitates tourist services such as transportation, lodging, meals and even
souvenirs. Archaeological excavations reveal that amulets, charms and votive
offerings were popular souvenir items in the time of Jesus when the population
of Jerusalem would balloon from about 25,000 year round residents to as many
as 100,000 people during festivals, such as Passover. Where did all those
people stay? Where did they eat? How did they get around? How did they know
which sites to visit? From the beginning, practicalities and simple economics
influenced the development of Christian pilgrimage.
By the time Egeria embarked on her four year pilgrimage to the Holy Lands
(ca. 380 AD), the sites associated with biblical events and people were well
identified. The routes were well worn. The practicalities of lodging, transportation
and even guiding services were well established. Depending on changing economic
and political conditions, the volume of pilgrims expanded and contracted over
the centuries. Some of these early pilgrims chronicled their journeys. Many
left telltale signs of their presence, such as graffiti expressing veneration
of a site. Still others left declarations of their coming, either inscribing
their names on walls, columns or rock or, if they could not write, they would
inscribe a simple “x,” of which there are thousands on holy sites
dating back to the early Byzantine period. These telltale signs, along with
archaeological data and written records, help us piece together an understanding
of the significance and impact of pilgrimage from the earliest times through
the Medieval period and our own day.
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