While researching Twain's route through Syria and Palestine I found 
Richard Burton's book "Unexplored Syria".  He spent two years exploring 
the region in 1869 to 1871.  I've added some of his opening remarks to 
my site's section on The Innocents Journey Through the Holy Land. What 
is most remarkable about this section of his book is how it corresponds 
to Twain's remarks about Western preconceived ideas regarding the 
region.   Burton refers to this as "Holy Land on the Brain".

I continue to be impressed by the parallels between these two men.  I 
used a large number of Burton's observations of his coach journey from 
St Joseph to Carson City in 1860 in my Roughing It section of 
twainsgeography and I hope to find the like on his impressions of the 
sites visited by Twain's pilgrims.

https://twainsgeography.com/content/richard-burton-syria-and-palestine-1869-1871