Описание:This course explores by a combination of primary and secondary source material the meaning of Jerusalem and the power of place for only one of the confessions being present in this territory, the Christian Orthodox encompassing Greeks, Serbs, Bulgarians, Russians, Georgians and others. The timeframe of the course is rather broad, from the very discovery and institution of the holy places in the 4th century under Roman Emperor Constantine until the beginning of the Ottoman Rule (1517-1917). This class investigates complex relations arising between the peoples belonging to Eastern Christian Medieval Cultures and the Holy Land. More precisely, it focuses on three aspects of these relations, the foundation and development of monastic communities, the travelling and pilgrimages, and the presence of orthodox, primarily Byzantine, rulers in the places related to the Gospel narratives. It aims on the understanding of motivations driving people of Byzantium, Georgia, Medieval Rus’ and Serbia to visit and to inhabit the land ofPalestine. This aim is going to be achieved through the reading of relevant medievalsources in English translation and secondary bibliography clarifying and explaining thesources under consideration