c. 1127
Tudela, Spain

1173
Castile, Spain

Rabbi, traveler, and writer

"The city of Bagdad [Baghdad] is...situated in a land of palms, gardens and plantations, the like of which is not to be found in Shinar....Wise men live there, philosophers who know all manner of wisdom, and magicians expert in all manner of witchcraft."

—Benjamin of Tudela, The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela: Travels in the Middle Ages.

Benjamin of Tudela (pronounced to-DAY-la) is the author of one of the most famous early travel books, The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela. A rabbi (religious scholar and leader) originally from Spain, Benjamin set out on a world journey around 1159. During the next fourteen years he traveled to more than three hundred cities,...