ABSTRACT
Jerome of Stridon (c. 347–420) formulated his perception of pilgrimage and the importance of visiting sacred sites in the Holy Land in the context of his long-running conflict with Christian communities in Jerusalem. Kamimura focuses on the reasons behind the changes in Jerome’s views of the contemporary Jerusalem, from his previous firm support for pilgrimage to the city, to its denunciation in Letter 46 and Letter 58. This chapter argues that Jerome’s interest in sacred geography is indicative of his search for a new religious identity, one that promoted the creation of a Christian utopia, and that this affected his discourse on the role of Jerusalem.
