What Is So Important About Jerusalem - Essay Example

What Is So Important About Jerusalem? Judaism The “Western Wall” is a remnant of the great wall that once surrounded the holy temple of Jerusalem. The site of the wall is arguably the holiest place in the Jewish religion. The wall is believed to have been constructed between 18-19 BCE under the command of Herod the Great1. Recent archeological evidence has revealed that the wall was not completed during Herod’s reign2. The studies have revealed that constructions may have been completed at the end of the seven the century. The wall and the temple courtyard that it encloses have been a pilgrimage site for the Jews over the centuries. Since the establishment of the Zionist movement, the wall has been a major cause of conflict between Jews and Muslims3. Both the Muslims and the Jews claim right of ownership including the right to worship and pilgrimage to the wall and the temple. Indeed the wall is a fundamental aspect of the Jewish religion. According to the Jews, King Solomon constructed the western wall and it serves as the only remnant of the first temple. The Jews regard the wall as the only accessible spot of the holy land. The site is the closest to even ha-shetiya (the foundation stone) located in the temple mountain4. The foundation stone is regarded ans the holy of holies and no one is allowed to set foot upon it. The Jews used to pray by the walls during the time of tribulation and it is believed that God heard their prayers. Through the ages, Jews of all age gathered and prayed beside the western wall. Thus, the wall serves as a pilgrimage site for the Jews and as a source of spiritual perfection. During the first century, Bar Kokhba revolt led to the defeat of the Romans. Jews were banned from settling in Jerusalem and accessing the holly site. However, some Roman emperors of the 1st century permitted the Jews to visit the holy sites ones per year5. The Roman Empire later adopted Christianity and the Jews were permitted to visit the site on the ninth day of Av to lament over the destruction of Jerusalem. Thus, the fall of Jerusalem barred hews from accessing the holly grounds for prayers and lamentation. The Jews had to request permission from the emperor to allow them visits the holly site. At the beginning of the twentieth century, British forces captured Jerusalem from the Turks. Following this capture, the British troops pledged that they would conserve all religious sites and places of worship in the holy city. In the same era, Chaim Weizmann, a Zionist purchased the area surrounding the wall in order to make it accessible to other Jews. This event shows that the Jews were willing and able to sacrifice their wealth in order to gain access to the western wall. Christianity: Church of the Holy Sepulchre is an ancient church in Old City of Jerusalem. The church is believed to be the site of Jesus’ burial and resurrection. The church has an extensive history that stretches all the way from the 4 century AD. Currently, the church serves as the control center for Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem. The control of the church and adjacent land is under the control of several Christian churches around the world. The church is believed to be the center of key phenomenon and sites in the Christian faith that include Golgotha, the hill of Calvary, and the original cross of Jesus. The church is of immense significance to Christian of all ages. Being the main Christian establishment in the holy land, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is of interest to many world leaders. Moreover, the church was the target of crusaders who travelled from Europe to the holy land6. The church was an important symbol in ancient early civilization and it was destroyed and reconstructed many times. For example, the churchy was demolished by the Persians in 614 AD under the command Khosrau II. The church underwent numerous demolitions and reconstructions under various authorities. In the 7th century, the Persians invaded Jerusalem and removed the Cross-from Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Its removal from the church had considerable impacts on the church. Certainly, Christians were concerned with the cross since it symbolized Jesus’ presence within the church. Islam 1. What is the Dome of the Rock? What is its significance for Muslims? The dome of rock is a Muslim place of worship that was constructed in the 691 AD. The shrine was constructed in the temple mountain and it is considered as the holiest place in the Muslim world. The shrine gets its name from the fact that it was constructed on the highest point of Mount Moriah. The mountain is believed to be the place where Abraham prepared his son Isaac in order to offer him as a sacrifice to God7. Thus, the Dome is believed to sit on a holy place, where god made his first covenant with Abraham. The place is also believed to contain an altar that was built by David. Consequently, the rock is believed to be approximately the holy of holies, the place where Jewish priests used to offer sacrifices to God. The dome of rock is part of the larger Muslim holy grounds. The dome is built in a 35-acre piece of land and it contains the Al-Aqsa mosque that was built in the 1st century AD under the authority of Herod as an attempt to restore the first temple8. The area around the dome of rock is highly contested by both the Muslims and the Jews. The dome commemorates Muhammad's miraculous Journey into the heaven where he met other prophets and god. During the 11th century, the crusaders captured the dome of the rock from Muslims occupying Jerusalem. Following this capture, the dome was converted into a church and the Al-Aqsa mosque was converted into a royal palace. In 1967, Israel captured the area around the dome after success in the Six-Day War. Shlomo Goren an Israel military officer and a rabbi entered the dome with a scroll of torah. This signified Jewish success in the recapture of the holy land as indicted in the torah. The holy land has been intertwined between the Jews and Muslim. The conflict between the two religions has its origin from the time of Abraham and it is recorded both in the bible and Koran. The conflict is never ending and it has continuously defined the Jewish and Muslim history. Synthesis and Analysis Religion has been a major force in world’s politics and therefore it is difficult to separate the two. Territorial struggles over the holy land territories have persisted for ages as both Muslim and Jews clam territorial rights of these places. The main factor that led to the integration of religion and politics is that political authority intends to use religious influence in order to control people. Certainly, people have greater value for religion and this is a major stronghold for the politicians. The holy grounds sites are somehow controversial since they were destroyed through either wars or natural calamities over the years. Therefore, some of the holy places and artifacts are none existent. For example, it is impossible to locate the tomb of Jesus since his burial was not a state affair. Furthermore, the place that bears his tomb might be unknown due the effects of earth movements and wear out. I believe that political authorities and government brainwash the people into upholding the holy sites. Certainly, the holy sites bear no significance to our faith besides their historic significance. Moreover, the vicinity of the holy land cannot accommodate modern place of worship and, therefore it is not necessary to struggle over their access. Of course great events such as Jesus’ assent to heaven and Mohamed’s night journey to heaven occurred at the holy of holies. However, this does not mean that these places are as holy as they were. The site “History by Topic” provides a general approach to the issues of territories and religion. The site explores the issue from a political rather than a religious approach. Certainly, religion and politics are two independent phenomenon as they depend on each other for their existence9. Other sites such as religionfacts.com are more inclined towards religion. The site portrays religious beliefs as the main factor that led to the struggle over the holy land. Such sites may be inclined towards certain selected sources and therefore they give biased pictures of events that followed the struggles. Although the holy land is contested by Abrahamic faiths, the sites are significant to the history and origin of humanity. Certainly, there are many unknown facts about the holy lands and their significance to the future of humanity. Therefore, modern religions cannot be based on these holy lands. Furthermore, the sites have no major significance to global religions such as Christianity. This is because Christian faith is based on a universal perspective rather that a localized perspective that is built around a religious site. Read More