Jerusalem

By: Honor Bennett, Olivia Crum & Sam Ludlow

Panorama of Temple Mount Outside Dome of the Rock
by Adam Jones, Ph. D. , used under 

Introduction

Jerusalem, one of the oldest cities in the world, is located in the Judean Mountains between the Mediterranean and Dead Sea. According to Biblical tradition, King David established the city as the capital of the United Kingdom of Israel. Israelis and Palestinians both claim Jerusalem as their capital. Israel maintains its primary governmental institutions in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is revered to be the third holiest city in the Islamic population. It is considered a holy city for the three major monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. This city is significant to these religions for both spiritual and emotional reasons. For Muslims, this city represents the goal of their Prophet Mohammad during his journey. It is also home to the place of two of Islam’s most sacred shrines, The Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The anomaly of Jerusalem is that while it is one of the most holy cities in the entire world, it has seen the most conflict. Jerusalem has been destroyed at least twice, besieged 23 times, attacked an additional 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times.

 

History 

 

Places of Religious Importance

There are two major infrastructures considered to by holy by Muslims in Jerusalem; they are the dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Both of these structures lie within the walls of the Holy Haram (sanctuary). This area is surrounded by walls of stone with several gates and roads leading into the main focal point of the city. 

The Dome of the Rock is the oldest structure in Islam, which was completed in 691 CE. It was built by the Umayyad Caliph and shelters the rock from where the Profit Muhammad ascended into heaven. The Dome gave a literal location to this holy figurative place mentioned in the Qur’an. However, this is a shrine used for Muslim pilgrimages, not a mosque for daily worship rituals. 

This structure has an apex reaching approximately 115 feet and is formed with many peers and columns. The center portion of the dome has remained unchanged for more than 14 centuries, but there have been many renovations. 

The Al-Aqsa Mosque, built in the early 8th century, was originally built to accommodate approximately three thousand worshipers. Over time, however, earthquakes destroyed the mosque. The majority of the current, visible structure of the mosque was constructed in the 14th century. The dome is comprised of an inner and outer wooden dome. The inside is lavishly decorated in raised and painted gesso with flora and geometric configurations; the lower half of the inner dome also contains inscriptions. The dome has under gone many reconstructions over time, including the repainting of all of the decorations on the inside of the dome. 

Under the Umayyad Caliph, the construction of the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa asserted historical importance in the Islamic faith were there was none before. Both of these shrines are of great importance to the Muslim people still today.

Religions in Jerusalem

Muslims formed a minority of the Arab population of Jerusalem in the first decade of the twentieth century. By the year 2000, Muslims outnumbered Christians by an overwhelming margin. Because Jerusalem is considered to be the third holiest place on earth, the pilgrimage to Jerusalem is viewed as an optional compliment to the hajj in Mecca.

Christians constitute the smaller, but most diversified portion of the population the main groups are orthodox Monophysite, Roman Catholic, and Protestant. The Greek Orthodox Church holds a patriarch with jurisdiction over the entire Holy Land. The Roman Catholic Church was established in 1099 during the First Crusade. This ruling was terminated when the Muslims won the city in 1244.

Jerusalem is the center of Jewish religious worship. The most sacred place is the Temple Mount. Many Orthodox Jews don’t step foot on the Temple Mount in fear of tainting the purity of the holy site. Another holy place includes the tomb of King David on Mount Zion. This includes the Mount of Olives ancient Jewish cemetery and the tombs of priestly families in the Valley of Kidron. Jerusalem is one of the world’s foremost centers of rabbinic learning and contains many schools for Jewish student learning. The most notable modern religious structure is the Jerusalem Great Synagogue.

 

Works Cited

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“History: Timeline for the History of Jerusalem.” Timeline for the History of Jerusalem. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/jerutime.html

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Studies in Conservation , Vol. 30, No. 3 (Aug., 1985), pp. 129-135

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