I have been told by many of my friends, many of whom barely know of the existence of any city outside of the United States, that when they see the city of Jerusalem, the arid dry landscape, the bright blue sky, stone buildings as far as you can see, and the iconic golden dome which sits perched above all else, they know that this is unlike any other city in the world. Truth be told, Yes, this city is unlike any other city in the world. Very few cities hold religious significance, even fewer hold enough significance to attract many pilgrims each year. But there is only one city that attracts pilgrims of all faiths. Jerusalem is the only city of its kind to hold such religious significance to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. There are Churches Temples and Mosques within yards of each other. All three of these faiths have been fighting for control of the city for more than a millennia. And due to it’s long and rich history, we can see why Jerusalem holds such religious significance for all three faiths. And though all three faiths regard this land as extremely important, one religion has persisted in this land, longer than anyone else. The Jews were one of the first to inhabit this land. They are also certainly the longest to have lived on it. I do also believe that this land is more important to them than it is to the other faiths. Not to say that the other faiths don’t belong Jerusalem in anyway. I am not trying to advocate at all that Jerusalem should entirely belong to one religion, rather I feel that it should not belong to anyone at all, just shared amongst one another. But as the Vatican is sacred to the Catholics, and as Mecca is Sacred to the Muslims, I feel that Jerusalem is, in the same way, sacred to the Jewish.
Like I had said, the Jews have lived in Jerusalem longer than any other people. This city holds such religious significance for them. But to understand this significance, a little background history of Jerusalem would be necessary.
The...