Earth of the Holy Land
Blessings (eulogiae) of the holy places
- Known today as
- Earth, stones, water, and oil brought back by pilgrims from the holy places of Palestine.
- Kind
- Sacramental, in 1 older authority
- Earliest authority here
- The Catholic Encyclopedia (New York, 1907–1914)
Revised October 1, 2026: An authority added from a text read in full. Version 1, first published September 28, 2026.
Earth of the Holy Land: what was it used for?
Kept and worn as protection and applied as a remedy; oil from the lamps of the holy sites was carried in small stamped flasks.
Earth of the Holy Land: what does modern science say?
Pilgrims still bring back soil, water, and stones.
Earth of the Holy Land: what lore surrounds it?
The sixth-century flasks of Monza, sent to the Lombard queen Theodelinda, held oil from the lamps of the holy places of Jerusalem, and are among the earliest surviving pilgrim souvenirs.
Earth of the Holy Land: what did the older authorities say?
- The Catholic Encyclopedia
- The Catholic Encyclopedia quotes St. Gregory of Nyssa that at a martyr's tomb “the dust is accounted as a great gift and the mould as a precious treasure,” and dates pilgrimage to the Holy Land from Bishop Alexander, who in 217 “performed a journey from Cappadocia to Jerusalem in consequence of a vow and the celebrity of the place.” It balances this with St. Jerome's warning to Paulinus “that it is not the fact of living in Jerusalem, but of living there well, that is worthy of praise,” and his line that the court of heaven lies equally open from Jerusalem and from Britain, and St. Augustine's paradox “that not by journeying but by loving we draw nigh unto God.”
Sources
- [21] Herbermann, C. G., et al. (eds.) (1907–1912). The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Online at newadvent.org. Articles: Agnus Dei (H. Thurston); Amulet (M. Hassett); Ash Wednesday (H. Thurston); Bells (H. Thurston); Holy Oils (H. Leclercq); Paschal Candle (H. Thurston); Scapular (J. Hilgers). Read in part · the text read
- Spencer, B. (1998). Pilgrim Souvenirs and Secular Badges. London: Museum of London. Book, seen in reviews
- The Catholic Encyclopedia (New York, 1907–1914), “Relics.” newadvent.org/cathen/12734a.htm Standard reference work
- The Catholic Encyclopedia (New York, 1907–1914), “Pilgrimages.” newadvent.org/cathen/12085a.htm Standard reference work
Verification
- Checked
- October 1, 2026
- Passes
- Every dated or regulatory claim checked by category across the database
- Each quotation from the older authorities checked word for word against the text, read in full
- Sources
- 4 cited: 1 read in part, 2 standard reference work, 1 book, seen in reviews.
- Corrections
- None were needed.
What was checked, how, and what was found is set out on the Verification page. A checked source is one whose record was found; it does not make the entry medical advice.
Cite This Entry
Version 1 · first published September 28, 2026 · last revised October 1, 2026
- Chicago
“Earth of the Holy Land.” In Materia Medica, edited by B. C. P. Statema. Version 1. The Thinking Press, 2026–. Last modified October 1, 2026. https://thethinkingpress.org/materia-medica/holy-land-earth.
- MLA
“Earth of the Holy Land.” Materia Medica, edited by B. C. P. Statema, version 1, The Thinking Press, 1 Oct. 2026, thethinkingpress.org/materia-medica/holy-land-earth. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.
- APA
Earth of the Holy Land. (2026, October 1). In B. C. P. Statema (Ed.), Materia medica (Version 1). The Thinking Press. Retrieved October 8, 2026, from https://thethinkingpress.org/materia-medica/holy-land-earth
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See Also
Also in The Catholic Encyclopedia
Epiphany chalk in The Catholic Encyclopedia · Crucifix in The Catholic Encyclopedia · Epiphany water in The Catholic Encyclopedia · Cornicello in The Catholic Encyclopedia · everything The Catholic Encyclopedia names →
Drawing on the same sources: Spencer
Nearby in the alphabet
Earthworm (washed in wine, dried, powdered, or boiled in oil) · Eagle-stone (A hollow nodule of iron oxide with a loose stone rattling inside) · Elder (Sambucus nigra) · Dragon’s blood · Elecampane (The root of Inula helenium) · Dover’s powder (with salts, in a powder) · Elf-shot (Prehistoric flint arrowheads turned up in the fields) · Dittany (Origanum dictamnus, famous in antiquity for drawing out arrows)
Historical description, not medical advice.