Rabbi Petachia of Regensburg traveled all over Eastern Europe and into the Middle East. The following is a description of him from the Jewish Encyclopedia:
“Pethahiah ben Jacob Ha-Laban (called also Pethahiah of Regensburg): Traveler; born at Prague; flourished between 1175 and 1190. He journeyed from Ratisbon (Regensburg) to the East, traveling through Poland, southern Russia, Armenia, Persia, Babylon, and Palestine. His notes of the journey, part of which he had mislaid in Bohemia, were collected by his compatriot Judah b. Samuel he-Ḥasid, and were first published, under the abbreviated title “Sibbub,” at Prague in 1595; then by Wagenseil, with a Latin version, in “Exercitationes Sex” (pp. 160-203, Strassburg, 1687); by Carmoly, in Hebrew and French under the title “Sibbub ha-‘Olam,” at Paris in 1831; and finally by A. Benisch, in Hebrew and English, as “The Travels of Rabbi Petaḥyah,” at London in 1856. The latest edition of Pethahiah’s work appeared at Lemberg in 1859.”
His description of Slavic lands is not very detailed (even more so than Benjamin of Tudela, in each country Petachia seems interested mostly in the local Jews, if there any, or, if none, in their absence) but, in the interest of completeness, it is given here in the English Benisch translation.
“These are the travels undertaken by Rabbi Petachia, who travelled through all the countries. He set out from Prague, which is in Bohemia, going to Poland, from Poland to Kiev in Russia,* and from Russia he went in six days to the river Dnieper. On the other side of the river he commenced his travels in the land of Kedar [Tartary?]. They have no ships, but sew together ten extended horse hide, and a thong on the border round; they then seat themselves on the hides, pacing there also the wagons and luggage. They then tie thong, on the border of the hides, to the tails of the horses, which swim, and thus they pass over the water. They eat no bread in the land of Kedar, but rice and millet boiled in milk as well as milk and cheese. They also put pieces of flesh under the saddle of a horse,** which they ride, and, urging on the animal, cause it to swat. The flesh getting warm, they eat it. They only travel in the land of Jedar under escort. This is the manner in which the sons of Kedar pledge their faith to each other. One thrusts a needles into his finger, and invites the intended companion of his journey to swallow th eblood of the wounded finger. He then becomes, with the person, as it were the same blood and flesh. There is also another mode of taking an oath. They fill a vessel of cast copper of the shape of a human face, then the trailer and his escorted drink thereout, after which he never proved faithless to him. They have no king, but only princes and (noble) families.”
* note: that is Ruthenia
** note: compare Ammianus Marcellinus description of the Huns.
“Rabbi Petachia passed through the land of Kedar in its breadth in sixteen days. The inhabitants live in tents, they are far-sighted, and have beautiful eyes, because the eat no salt and enjoy fragrant plants. They are good archers, bringing down the bird whelkiest on the wing. They perceive and recognize (objects) at more than a day’s distance. There are no mountains in their country, but all is level. And a day’s journey behind ht eland of KEdar extends a gulf intervening between the land of Kedar and the land of Chazaria. There it is customary for women the whole day and night to bemoan and lament their deceased fathers and mothers. This they continue until any of their sons or daughters or other members of the family die, and the last lament those that preceded them in death. They teach their daughters lamentations. In the n ight they groan and howl, The dogs also whine and bark at their voice. He then travelled…”
“…In the land of Kedar there are no Jews, only heretics.* And Rabbi Petachi asked them, ‘why do you not believe in the words of the sages?’ They replied, ‘because our fathers did not teach them to us. On the eve of Sabbath they cut all the bread which they eat on Sabbath. They eat in the drank, and sit the whole day on one spot. Their prayers consist only of psalms. And when Rabbi Petachia imparted to them to them our ritual and prayer after meals they were pleased. They also said, ‘we have never heard what the Talmud is’…”
[*note: Caraites who reject the Talmud]
“…Rabbi Petachia, however, forgot the list in Bohemia, for he came from Bohemia hither. He related that ever since he set out from Bohemia it was all towards the east. Bohemia being to the east of Ratisbon [Regensburg], Russia to the east of Poland. From thence he turned to the east…”
“…Whilst at Bagdad he saw ambassadors from the kings o Meshech, for Magog is about ten days; journey from thence. The land extends as far as the Mountains of Darlness. Beyond the Mountains of Darkness are the sons of Jonadab, son of Rechab. To the seven kings of Meschech an angel appeared in a dream, bidding them to give up the laws and statutes, and to embrace the law of Moses, son of Amram. If not, he threatened to lay east their country. However,they delayed until the angel commenced to lay east their country, when the kings of Meshech and all the inhabitants of their countries became proselytes, and they sent to the heard of the academy a request to send them some disciples of the wise. Every disciple of the wise that is poor goes there to teach them the law and Babylonian Talmud. From the land of Egypt the disciples go there to study. He saw the ambassadors visit the grave of Ezekiel when they heard of the miracles, and that they who prayed there were heard…”
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