the other hand, Catholics from France may be more sophisticated, more Cartesian and have a different way of encountering the sites central to their faith.” Other than these differences in approach, Protestant pilgrimage itineraries are more likely to incorporate Old Testament sites. Spiritual - and Tangible Souvenirs Pilgrimage is a time of soul-searching, and inevitably pilgrims come away with clearer thoughts about their own life, family, future. It may be a time of new resolutions and strengthened commitments. The experiences of the pilgrim are usually shared with others - either spiritual leaders or co-travelers, or people along the way. Very often, close interpersonal relationships are forged on such a journey. Pilgrims return home enriched by the love and concern of the people they have met. These new friendships may be the best memories of all, for did Jesus not say, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)? The memories that a pilgrim brings home are unique. The journey has been an intense spiritual experience. The words of the Bible have become a living reality and Sunday readings will never be the same again. Early pilgrims were always searching for pieces of the true cross, the remnants of cloth worn by the Virgin Mary, and other holy relics. Though what may be termed
“the age of the relic” flourished between 1000 and1200 AD, pilgrims in the fifth and sixth centuries mention the horn of oil used to anoint David and Solomon as King of Israel, as a recognized relic then. With the onset of the modern wave of Holy Land pilgrimage travel, and the recognition that part of the pleasure of traveling in foreign places, comes from acquiring and accumulating tangible objects that are pregnant with meaning in their own right, or take on significant because of the circumstances under which they were obtained, this custom was reinvented in the form of souvenirs. Mementoes are the stuff of which memories are enriched and maintained, and just as in the early Byzantine Christian world, when an important goal of a pilgrimage was to find, salvage and possess a relic of Jesus and His followers and the objects they touched, or a memento of the places visited by these holy forefathers, so do most modern pilgrims make an effort to bind memory to reality with the aid of tokens of their trip. Rare is the traveler that does not acquire certain objects on route. Objects of religious significance are sought- after purchases, including jewelry, handmade candles, pictures and olive-wood carvings. Natural products are popular gifts, too (cosmetics and beauty care products from the Dead Sea, spices, locally grown herbs, olive oil). Other recommended Israeli products include handicrafts, pottery, glass and leatherwear. Not to be forgotten are videos and books, and of course, lots of personal snapshots guaranteed to keep the memories alive for years to come.
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