Rare travel account of Egypt and Palestine with description of the Wailing Wall

A rare 19th-century travel account of Egypt and the Holy Land by American bishop Henry C. Potter (1834–1908), offering rich detail and poignant observation.

In this insightful travelogue, Bishop Potter—an influential figure in the Episcopal Church—narrates his journey from Italy to Egypt and onward to the Holy Land. The first half of the book is dedicated to Egypt, with vivid chapters on Cairo, the Copts, Nile voyages, and the Pyramids.

The second half explores the sacred yet complex landscapes of the Holy Land. Traveling from Port Saïd to Jaffa, Potter continues through Ramla (Ramleh), Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives, Bethany, Jericho, the Dead Sea, the Jordan River, and Bethlehem.

What sets this account apart is Potter’s candid commentary: he expresses disappointment in the Holy Land’s commercialism and the “profanation” of sacred sites. Yet, in Jerusalem, he witnesses a deeply moving moment: Jewish mourners gathering on Friday afternoons at the Wailing Wall:

“There were exhibitions of feeling so intense and so uncontrolled that it became, in some instances, most painful to witness them [...] I felt as if I were almost guilty of an indecorum.”

The appendix includes a literal English translation of the Jewish lamentations recited at the Wailing Wall, offering valuable insight for scholars of religious history, Jewish studies, and 19th-century travel literature.