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How a deeply religious Christian artist captured the spirit of the Jewish holy land

JL;DR SUMMARY David Roberts, a 19th-century artist known for his fascination with landscapes and historic sites, made an extraordinary journey through the Holy Land and surrounding regions, capturing the spirit of these places through his detailed lithographs. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

HistoryArtTravelPhotography19th CenturyHoly LandBiblical SitesDavid RobertsMar SabaLithographs

Places mentioned

Seattle, Washington, United States
"I was briskly walking down the main drag of a swanky neighborhood in Seattle when I saw a faded, old-timey lithograph in the window of an art store."
Mar Saba, Bethlehem, Palestinian Territories
"I did a doubletake I knew that place; it was Mar Saba, an ancient monastery in the middle of nowhere."
Cairo, Egypt
"In 1838, he sailed from England all the way to Egypt. Almost no one in Europe had traveled there since Napoleon and his army invaded in 1798. He toured Cairo and sailed up the Nile to the temples, tombs and relics of the pharaohs, detailing them in his sketches."
Jerusalem, Israel
"After learning more about Roberts, where he traveled and what he did, I began collecting more of his lithographs, including a drawing of the Tower of David, which I saw regularly when I was a college student in Jerusalem."
Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Israel
"Years ago, when my wife and I were visiting Israel, we took a bus from Jerusalem to Bethlehem."
Eilat, Southern District, Israel
"Roberts drew the Isle of Graia where I traveled with a friend, Andy, when we were on spring break and took a trip to Eilat."
Jordan
"Off in the distance was the island. On the opposite coast were the mountains of biblical Edom, in todays kingdom of Jordan."
India
"Besides Israel, his wife and he have traveled to England, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and India."
Uzbekistan
"Besides Israel, his wife and he have traveled to England, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and India."
Tajikistan
"Besides Israel, his wife and he have traveled to England, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and India."
United Kingdom
"Besides Israel, his wife and he have traveled to England, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and India."
Turkey
"Besides Israel, his wife and he have traveled to England, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and India."

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Retrieved 2026-02-27 05:30:57 UTC
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