Cana of Galilee and the Pilgrims Text

The previous post describes Khirbet Qana and provides various explanations, from which we can conclude, that during the early periods, Christians believed that Jesus' first miracle happened in Khirbet Qana. There is also evidence that some of the Christians believed that Kfar Kanna is the miracle's place.

I've collected various quotes from "Palestine Pilgrims' Text Society" library, of pilgrims visiting Cana of Galilee and most of them point to Khirbet Qana as the relevant place.
The library is available online.

source: govmap.gov.il

JOHN POLONERS DESCRIPTION OF THE HOLY LAND. P.36 (1421 A.D.)

"Four leagues east of Acre is Cana of Galilee, where Christ turned the water into wine. The place of the wedding feast is a cave hewn out of the rock, which holds a few men, and the places are shown where stood the water-pots and the seats, and where the tables were set. These places are under- ground, like very many other holy places, as that of Christ's annunciation and nativity. Two leagues to the south of Cana of Galilee is the city of Sephor (Sepphoris)."
[read the previous post to learn more about this cave]

ANONYMOUS PILGRIM P.27 (<1187)

"It is one mile from Nazareth to Sephoria, where St. Anne was born. From thence it is six miles to Cana in Galilee, where the Lord turned water into wine."


BURCHARD OF MOUNT SION P.38 (1280)

"VI. In the second division of the eastern quarter starting from Acre to the south-east, four leagues from Acre one comes to Cana of Galilee, where the Lord turned water into wine. The place is shown at this day where the six water-pots stood, and the dining-room wherein the tables were.

Now, these places, like almost all the other places wherein the Lord wrought any work, are underground, and one goes down to them by many steps into a crypt. So it is in the place of the Annunciation, the Nativity, in this Cana of Galilee, and in many other places which are shown underground.
To the north Cana of Galilee has a tall round mountain, on whose slope it stands. At its foot, on the south side, it has a very fair plain, which Josephus calls Carmelion it reaches as far as Sephora, and is exceeding fertile and pleasant.

About two leagues to the south of Cana of Galilee, on the road from Sephora to Tiberias, is a village named Ruma, wherein the prophet Jonah is said to have been buried. This village stands beneath the mountain which comes from Nazareth, and bounds the aforesaid Valley of Carmelion on the south side"

MARINO SANUTO'S SECRETS FOR TRUE CRUSADERS TO HELP THEM TO RECOVER THE HOLY LAND P.23+ (1321)

Map from the book

"In twenty-two is Cana of Galilee. In twenty-five is Sephorum…"

"Two leagues and a half from Sephoris is Cana of Galilee, whence came Simeon the Canaanite, and Nathaniel. In it is shown the place where stood the six waterpots wherein Christ turned the water into wine, and the dining-room wherein the table stood. These places, like all the others wherein Christ worked miracles, are underground, and people go down many steps to them, into a crypt, even as they do into the place of the Annunciation, the Nativity, and many others."

"The order in which pilgrims visit these places is to go from Ptolemais [Akko], five leagues to the east, to Cana of Galilee, and thence to the south by Sephoris to Nazareth."

THE PILGRIMAGE OF SAEWULF TO JERUSALEM AND THE HOLY LAND P.26 (1102)

"From Nazareth, Chana of Galilee — -where our Lord changed the water into wine at the marriage — is distant about six miles to the north, situated on a hill. There is nothing left there except the monastery, which is called Architriclini [House of the Ruler of the Feast].
Between Nazareth and [Chana of] Galilee, about half- way, is a village which is called Roma, where all pilgrims going from Accaron to Tiberias are entertained, having Nazareth on the right and Galilee on the left."

And two quotes pointing to Kfar Kanna:

OF THE HOLY PLACES VISITED BY ANTONINUS MARTYR P.4 (~570)

"From Ptolemais [Akko], by the seaside, we came to the borders of Galilee, to the city of Diocaesarea [Syphoris] in which we adored with reverence the pail and basket of Blessed Mary. In that place, also, was the chair in which she was sitting when the angel came to her. Three miles farther we reached Chana where our Lord was at the wedding."

DESCRIPTION OF THE HOLY LAND BY JOHN OF WURZBURG P.4 (1160)

"Four miles from Nazareth, and two from Sepphoris, towards the east, is Cana of Galilee, from which came Philip and Nathaniel, wherein the child Jesus, when sitting with His mother at the wedding-feast, turned the water into wine"

Bottom line?
These quotes support the understanding that Hirbet Kana was regarded as the place of Jesus' first miracle for many centuries. Miraculously it seems that Kfar Kanna was also regarded as the place for the same event, possibly at the same time.

Addendum
In the book Palestine Illustrated by Sir Richard Temple from 1888, Sir Temple describes his journey in Palestine / Israel at 1883. I read it and was a bit surprised to read that he also mentions the doubts regarding the place of Cana of Galilee.
"The best opinions now incline to fix here (Kfar Kanna) the site of Cana of Galilee. But in past times another village named Kanna, some seven miles off on the north side of the Butauf plain, has been generally regarded as the Cana of St. John`s Gospel."

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