Asa Simon Mittman, Professor of Art and Art History at California State University, Chico
This brief video considers the formal elements and design of a pair of medieval Jewish maps of the region around Jerusalem, sets them in the contexts of their production in Europe and their response to Jewish biblical commentary, compares them to more famous medieval Christian maps, and then attempts to explain key differences in these mapmaking traditions.
Video
Further Reading
Kedar, Benjamin Z. “Rashi’s Map of the Land of Canaan, ca. 1100, and its Cartographic Background.” In Cartography in Antiquity and the Middle Ages: Fresh Perspectives, New Methods. Leiden: Brill, 2008: 155–168
Smith, Catherine Delano and Mayer I. Gruber. “Rashi’s Legacy: Maps of the Holy Land.” Map Collector 59 (1992): 30-35.
Wajntraub, Eva and Gimpel Wajntraub. “Medieval Hebrew Manuscript Maps,” Imago Mundi 44 (1992): 99-105.
Discussion Questions
- How do these maps reflect and reinforce the values of their creators?
- In what ways are modern maps similarly reflective of the values of their creators, and how are they designed to influence their intended audiences?
Cite
Mittman, Asa Simon. "'You Shall Draw A Line': Mapping Medieval Worldviews," October 22, 2024. Accessed [date]. https://middleagesforeducators.princeton.edu/you-shall-draw-line-mapping-medieval-worldviews