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Richard Pococke

(1704 – 1765)

Richard Pococke was a British ecclesiastic and traveler. From 1735 to 1742, he traveled extensively in the Near East, visiting Ereẓ Israel in 1738. He spent some time in Jerusalem, visited the Dead Sea to check Pliny’s account of it, and journeyed along the Mediterranean coast to Galilee, from there going to Lebanon, Baalbek, and Cyprus. These travels resulted in the Description of the East and some other Countries (2 vols., London, 1743–45), with numerous copperplate engravings.

He was a good observer, and the plans he made of the various sites are numerous, although not very reliable. He had a preference for less-traveled routes, which enhances the value of his journeys. He was appointed archdeacon of Dublin in 1745 and bishop of Ossory in 1756.


Source: Encyclopaedia Judaica. © 2007 The Gale Group. All Rights Reserved.