RAMAo 
389 
the oldest writer by whom Rama is mentioned.* Bernard visited 
the Holy Land in the ninth century.f Oriental geographers 
describe it as the metropolis of Falaestine,| In this -place the 
famous tutelar Saint of our ancestors in England is said, by 
some, to have suffered martyrdom ;$ although, according to 
most authors, his reliques reposed in a magnificent temple at 
Lydda or Diospolis.|| We observed the remains of very con¬ 
siderable edifices within this desolated city : no one was pre¬ 
sent to give us any information concerning them; even the 
monastery, which for centuries had entertained pilgrims at 
Rama,** was deserted and left to ruin. Its distance from 
Jerusalem, usually estimated at a day’s journey,ff is described 
by Phocas as equal to thirty-six or thirty-seven miles^I Phocas 
distinguishes Jrmathem , the native place of the prophet Samuel, 
from Ramola r or Rama, with which Adrichomius seems to have 
confounded it ;§§ and places the Church of St. George within 
the latter city ; which position, although disputed by Reland 
and other authors, not only seems to coincide with the testi¬ 
mony already given from the Alexiad of Anna Comnena, but 
also with the evidence afforded by Bernard the Monk, who 
mentions a monastery of St. George near Ramula. |j|| 
There is not a part of the Holy Land more fertile than the 
plain around Rama; it resembles a continual garden; but 
cultivation had been neglected at the time of our arrival, on 
account of the dreadful plague with which the whole country 
had been infested. Rama arid Lydda were the two first cities 
of the Holy Land that fell into the bauds of the Christians* 
Palaest, Must. tom. II. p. 959. Utr. 1714. 
t A. D. 870. His Itinerary was published by Mabillon, in the “ Add Sanctorum Or » 
dinis Benedicti printed at Paris in 1672. It follows Arculfe’s Itinerary, as given by 
Adamnanus, abbot of Iona. These are Bernard’s words: “ Deinde venerunt Alarixa ; 
de Alarixa in Ramula, juxta quam est Monasterium beati Georgii Martyris, ubi ipse 
requiescit.” Bernardus deLocis Sanctis, ap. Mabill. p. 524. 
X “ Abulhasen Persa in geographia sua MSta vocat Ramolam caput Palaestinae.l I; 
Bel. Pal. Must, toim II. p. 959 Utr. 1714. 
§ ETtci ixErOtv xcm\a(3ov to 'PAjijA, iv w xal 6 ^sjaKofiipros Pfccpy.iGs-jds^apTvprM^ 
H Postea tamen in Ramel transeunt, ubi magnus Martyr Georgius martyrium subiit. 9 ’ 
Annae Comnenae Alexiad. lib. ki. p. 328. Par. 165L 
|| See the long account given by Adamnanus, de Loc. Sanct. lib. iii, c. 4. Apud 
Mabillon, Acta Ord. Benedict. Saec. 3. p. 520. Par. 1672. Alse Quaresm tom, II. 
p. 9. AntV. 1639, Ac. 
Hospitantur enim Peregrini in ea domo, quae Nicodemi Christiocc'ultidiscipuH 
fuit. Haec domusin Monasterium fuit co-aptata, nunc et Monasterium, et Hospitium, 
Peregrinorum est.” Bonifacius, lib. ii. de Perenni Cultu Terrae Sanctae, 
jf “ Abesse ab urbe Hierosolymitana iter unius diei.” Rel. Pal. Must. tom . SI* 
pi 960. Utr. 1714 
|t Phoeae Descript. Terr. Sanct e 29. p. 44. Colon. 1653. 
U Theatrum Terr. Sanct. p. 29. Colon, 1628. 
([II “ Xjyddam sive Diospolin iatelligit, quae patria est S* Georgil j)0fi josge 
inola^ P,el. Pal, Must. torn. II. p, 963. Utr. 1714, 
2 B 2 
