Johann Michael Vansleb

Who was Johann Michael Vansleb?

Johann Michael Vansleb was a German theologian, linguist and Egypt traveller. He converted to Catholicism and was a member of the Dominican Order from 1666.

Vansleb was born in Erfurt. In 1663, after a long stay in London, Vansleb planned a journey to Ethiopia in search of religious manuscripts for his patron Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha. He never got beyond Egypt, however. It was while staying in Rome, during his return voyage, that he converted to Catholicism.

In the service of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Vansleb made another attempt to journey to Ethiopia, and once again went no further than Egypt. Beginning his travels from Marseille on 20 May 1671, Vansleb felt sick on arrival in Cyprus. Despite being very sick for an extended time he managed to visit Tripoli, Damascus, Aleppo and Seyda during the next 10 months, finally arriving in Bogas, Egypt, in March 1672.