Jerusalem is an incredible city filled with beautiful sights, and definitely worth visiting, even if you do not consider yourself a religious person, like myself. But Sadly every once in a while the news are focusing on the region yet again.
I wanted to understand what is happening, and whats behind the ongoing tension between Palestinians and Izraelis, and why this city and land is so important for both of them.
The 3 Abrahamic religions
Adam and Eve were the first man and woman according to the creation myth of the Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Abraham according to the Biblical book of Genesis departed for Canaan because God called him to found a new nation in an undesignated land.
- Abraham had a son named Isaac.
Over a thousand years after Abraham, the Jews were living as slaves in Egypt. Moses led the Jews out of slavery to the Holy Land. It is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River.
- Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, close to Jerusalem from a Jewish mother Mary. Christians believe he is the Son of the God, and sometimes referred to as the the King of the Jews. However the Jewish belief doesn’t accept him as a Messiah.
- Ishmael was the first son of Abraham. In Islam, Ishmael is regarded as a prophet and an ancestor to Muhammad. Muhammad is believed by Muslims to be a messenger for God and founded a third Abrahamic religion: Islam. In the story of Muhammad’s night journey he travelled from Mecca to the Jerusalem and ascended into heaven.
4 quarters of Jerusalem
All three religions have a close connection to Jerusalem and the land, and some of the most sacred places for each of them are found here, in Jerusalem.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Jesus preached and healed in Jerusalem. Tradition holds that he was arrested and had a trial in front of Jewish judges, and sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be crucified outside Jerusalem’s walls.
Located in the Christian quarter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre contains the two holiest sites in Christianity: the site where Jesus was crucified, and Jesus’s empty tomb, where have been buried and resurrected.
The Church is managed in separate parts by six of Christianity’s oldest churches under a complex tradition called the Status quo. It states that nothing can be changed without consensus from all six Christian communities. This is why there is a so-called “immovable ladder” outside a window for centuries.
The Foundation Stone
Jerusalem has been the holiest city in Judaism and is given special status in Jewish law. In particular, Jews outside Jerusalem pray facing its direction.
The Foundation Stone is considered the place from which the creation of the world began and this is where Abraham offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice.
Dome of the Rock
The Dome of the Rock – built over the Foundation Stone – is believed the place where Muhammad ascended into heaven. This part is considered a sacred site in Islamic tradition too, along with Mecca and Medina.
Christians and Jews may only visit the site as tourists and only for four hours per and they are not allowed to enter the Dome of the Rock or carry any religious items or pray.
Western Walls
Because of the Temple Mount restrictions, the Western Walls in the Jewish District is the holiest and closest place to the Foundation Stone where Jews are permitted to pray.
Today, the Old City is under Israeli control, but the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf manages the Islamic buildings on and around the Temple Mount, including the Dome of the Rock. Ownership of this site and Jerusalem is a contentious issue in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, because both nations consider it at its capital.
Eastern/Golden Gate
Howewer Jerusalem has been the scene of confrontations between Jews and Muslims for many years.
The Old City of Jerusalem is surrounded by a large wall which has eight major gates. The Eastern Gate, facing the Mount of Olives, is quite unique. The gate is said to be the point at which the Jewish Messiah will enter the city of Jerusalem, and therefore, in order to prevent this from happening, during the Ottoman Empire it was sealed.
Mount of Olives
Outside of the Golden Gate lies a Muslim cemetery to keep Jews away, as it is considered unclean for a Jew to enter a Muslim cemetery.
On the other side of the valley, there is jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives, because according to tradition, this is where the Messiah will come on the Day of Judgment and this is where the dead will be resurrected.
Dead Sea
If you are in Israel you should see the Dead Sea in the Negev Desert which is the lowest point on Earth. It is about 10 times as salty as the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and therefore no fish can survive – hence the name. But the salty water and the mud can have positive health benefits.
There are several tours to Ein Gedi beach and spa. But don’t shave before you go there, as the salty water will iritate the wounds.
Tel Aviv
The vibrant Tel Aviv was the temporary government center of Israel. The city was founded by Jewish immigrants in 1880, next to the neighboring, mostly Arab-inhabited Jaffa. Because it is quite new you will not find old, long-standing buildinds there, however Art Deco and Bauhaus architecure was quite popular when the city started to expand.
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Owning or occupying this land have been a centuries long debate between the followers of each religion.
The Cristian Church had many Crusades to the area between 11th and 15th century with the objective of conquering the Holy Land from Islamic rule.
Between the 14th and early 20th centuries Ottoman Empire controlled much of South-Eastern Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa. It was on decline and after World War I. it fell just like the German and also Astro-Hungarian Empire. More and more people in the region wanted to be not just ethnic group, but a distinct national identity with their own country, like the Palestinians who have been living in the area.
At the same time more jews were joining a movement called Zionism. Its main goal was the re-establishment of a Jewish state in the area of the Holy Land, because after hundreds of years of persecution that would be an only way for their survival.
Israel says they only defending themselves against terrorist organizations which want to destroy Israel (like HAMAS). This is why every Israeli Jew over the age of 18 is obligated military service in the Israeli Defence Forces. Palestinians still want a state that they could call home.
