Week 4 Reading Response: A Holy City for All

Again, Karen Armstrong's book doesn't disappoint! There were several points that she mentioned that got me thinking about the conflict today, specifically the history of who sees Jerusalem as holy and as such for what religions.

Jewish Holy City (supported by more than just Jews)

In Chapter 8 (pg. 155 in my book), she says that "the Temple had represented the heart of the world's meaning, the core of the faith. Now life had neither value nor significance, and it seems that in these dark days many Jews lost their faith." She goes on to say Jerusalem and the Temple were central to their religion. The fixation on the Temple and the return to Jerusalem manifests itself today (and many Protestant Christians support this notion as well) in what we see as the fight over Jerusalem. However, from a Christian theological standpoint, the fundamentalist Christian support seen today seems to be based on flawed logic. Armstrong mentions the Hebrew word "Shekhinah," which is the presence of God, specifically in the holy of holies. Jews would worship at the Temple and the smoke that came out of the top showed the presence of the Shekhinah. The Shekhinah had to be blocked by a veil at all times, as any human who laid eyes on God would instantly die, and only the high priest could even enter the holy of holies. However, in Jeremiah, this notion goes away: 

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:33-34, ESV)

The covenant has changed: people can directly access God through prayer and they are no longer required to go to the Temple to experience the Shekhinah. As Armstrong mentions, the Jews began to study Torah in order to experience the holy presence of God. However, in reading the Armstrong passage and reflecting on some of the actual words of the Bible, it makes sense that Jews want to return to Jerusalem and feel that it is necessary. However, it makes no sense to me that there seems to be such a Christian focus on the Jews returning to Jerusalem. There is of course the belief that in order for Christ to return, there must be the construction of a new temple; the words of Jeremiah suggest otherwise. The Temple suddenly becomes not a physical construction, but a concept. Yet still today we see a strong Christian push for Jews to return to Jerusalem and make it a strictly Jewish homeland and political state.

My reason for spending so much time on this is the fact that I have discussed with many Christians their strong support for not just the political state of Israel, but for Israel to encompass all of Jerusalem. This only adds fuel to the fire, as it adds a much more religious focus on the conflict rather than a political one (despite the fact that it has been obviously rooted in religion historically, but has expanded to a much more political issue).

Christian Holy City

While Christians see Jerusalem as holy for their own purposes, their focal point in modern times lies in the physical places where Jesus was. The picture above is the tomb of Christ at the Holy Sepulcher Church. Eastern Orthodox Christians have their roots in Jerusalem. Other sects of Christianity go on pilgrimages to Jerusalem, parts of Israel, and parts of Palestine in order to see these holy sites that impacted their religion so greatly. Armstrong discusses how early Christians in Jerusalem often kissed and touched the ground where they believed Christ had once walked and experienced events noted in the Bible. As Armstrong notes, this excited physical love and worship unfortunately did not lead to a more peaceful group rooted in their beliefs. These ancient Christians began to see Jerusalem as the Jews did. The idea of sacred geography begins to apply to the Christians who were supposed to, according to the synoptic gospels, travel around the world to spread the good news. They found their roots in Jerusalem and did not want to leave either. While this is not the case in modern times, it has only added to a modern problem of Jews wanting to maintain a stronghold on their holy land, despite the fact that others want to peacefully live there as well. As we know, the Crusaders came into Jerusalem and committed horrid atrocities. This is a terrible part of history, but Christians are not really fighting for their right to be in Jerusalem now, as many peacefully go on pilgrimages today.

Islamic Holy City

As opposed to delving into the pre-Jerusalem portion of Islamic history, I am going to focus my response on Muslims once they entered Jerusalem. Having already taken several Islamic focused courses in college, I was really eager to see what Armstrong had written about Muslims in Jerusalem. I was glad to see her focus on the fact that it was not until the eighth century that there was any pressure to convert to Islam (despite the fact that Islam is still not supposed to be a universalizing religion). As the Islamic empire spread, there was only one Islamic holy site in all of Jerusalem, and Christians and Jews were treated with respect by their new governor. However, with Muslims being a majority, the Jews and Christians were not happy. The Jews were particularly unhappy about the fact that the Dome of the Rock, pictured above, was built where Isaac was almost sacrificed, but the descendants of Ishmael were in control. This place was considered a place where earth and heaven met and was incredibly holy. Jerusalem was becoming increasingly more focused on Islam, but the empire began to collapse. The Umayyad dynasty fell and the Abbasids rose to power, moving their capital to Baghdad. But Jerusalem would remain a holy city in the eyes of Muslims, especially when so many remained in Palestine. Their holy site at the Dome of the Rock is key, plus the three holiest cities to Muslims are Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem. This is another claim to the city. Plus, with many Arabs moving into the area and settling in Palestine and staying for so long, they also have a claim to part of the region.  This further complicates the issue, as it is impossible to push out Jews and/or Muslims.

Both Jews and Muslims have legitimate claims to the territory based on religion. Beyond that, their political claims are legitimate as well. They all lived in the area for years. They built up homes and raised their families in Jerusalem. How does one decide who must leave? Should anyone leave? Should they coexist? Can they coexist? Can they let animosity go? Is this too idealistic of an idea? Is it a realistic goal at all? These are all questions that must be discussed, but only time will tell us the answers.

Discussion Questions: 
1. For those who are religious, do you find that your faith impacts how you feel about the issue of Jerusalem in who should live there and control it politically? 
2. If Jews began to find ways to worship without having the Temple after the destruction in 70 a.d., does it seem to be religiously imperative for them that they have total control over Jerusalem? 
3. Do you think religion should play a role in considering who should control Jerusalem? Or is it feasible that Jerusalem remain divided?