Jerusalem : Its Sanctity and Centrality to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

The recent celebration of the three thousandth anniversary of David's conquest of Jerusalem as well as the peace talks between Arabs and Jews raise anew the role of this holy city in the three major faiths of the Western world. In Jerusalem, over thirty world-renowned scholars reconsider the significance of Jerusalem in the thought and practice of Jews, Christians, and Muslims. The authors describe its tumultuous history from biblical times to the present, under Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religious rule. But they also probe its rich significance as a goal of pilgrimage, as the sacred center of the world, and as a symbol of eschatological fullness. The goal of the book is to search out the commonalities of the three faiths on the one hand, and to define the differences on the other, for the purpose of mutual understanding and coexistence.

One would be hard pressed to find a city that can compare to Jerusalem in age and religious importance. More than a city, Jerusalem is a symbol, a holy place, and center of pilgrimage. Its history has been and continues to be unsettled, with current events in the Middle East keeping it in the news. In 1996, 40 scholars gathered in Jerusalem to discuss the city itself. They considered how Jews, Christians, and Muslims shaped the city physically, politically, and socially when each ruled it. Levine (Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem) provides the 33 papers presented at the conference. Timely, interesting, and, challenging, this scholarly but nonetheless readable book will be welcome in academic and public libraries. John Moryl, Yeshiva Univ. Lib., New York Copyright 1998 Library Journal Reviews