Adomnán and the holy places

"Adomnan, ninth abbot of Iona, wrote On the Holy Places in the closing years of the seventh century CE. It provides a detailed account of the sites mentioned in the Christian scriptures, and the overall topography and shrines of Palestine and Egypt at the time. The work is an attempt to compile a biblical studies manual according to the demands of Augustine, one of which was a demand for empirical witness. He thereby produced the desired manual, which remained in use until the Reformation." "In this study Thomas O'Loughlin shows how Adomnan's work can be used to study the nature of scriptural studies in the Latin work of the time, shedding light on perceptions of space, relics, pilgrimage, and Islam. While a study of how the work was used, transmitted and reworked by other figures, such as the Venerable Bede, brings unique insights into the theological world of the time including the dynasty of the Carolingians."--Jacket.