In his description of Rome, Benjamin of Tudela spends the vast majority of the passage describing the architecture. The only other factor he notes is the notable Jewish scholars who live there. He describes the palaces of the Roman emperors with specific emphasis given to Titus’ as it related to the capture of Jerusalem. The storage location of Titus’ pillaged temple relics is also specifically noted. He also talks about the Colosseum and catacombs with stories about the bones and statues contained within each. None of this, however, is done with much detail. His writing is very direct and to the point with little elaboration on any of his statements. No mention is given (at least this far into the reading) to the practical elements of travel aside from the number of days’ travel between locations. Also absent are Benjamin’s personal thoughts or opinions on any of the places he visits or sights he sees.
The most prominent feature of Benjamin’s writing up to this point is the presence of Jewish communities in the places he visits. Even in cities where he has nothing else written, he documents the notable rabbis and the approximate number of Jews. This shows the importance of the Jewish community to both his motivation for travel and his intended audience. He appears to be writing for a diasporic Jewish population to give them a sense of what community they can expect to find in various locations across the lands he travels. The bare bones descriptions and lack of narrative places this text squarely within the realm of travel accounts rather than narratives. This more utilitarian tone indicates that the text is meant more as a source of information rather than entertainment or ethnography. He centers the presence of Jewish community in his writing as it is the relevant touchstone for his audience and the core of what would be important for them to know about a place. The references to history also focus on events that hold specific relevance to Jewish history that his audience is more likely to recognize.
Benjamin’s focus on architecture shows his reverence for Rome as a city with great historical importance and lasting influence. Even the basic descriptions of its monuments are much more than what is given to the other cities he has passed through thus far. Genoa and Pisa have scant mentions of their fortifications, but nothing of beauty. Rome is prioritized as the first cultural center he is passing through. Benjamin is showing his scholarly merit through his knowledge of history. The cultural artifacts he notes are those of scholarly importance which indicate a minimum degree of education in his audience, as they would have to be aware of the names he was referencing. He is writing for an educated Jewish population that might find use in knowing the relative size of Jewish populations and their leaders in various locations. He lets them know who to contact and where they might find further learning, as all the most notable figures are scholars like himself.