1. Mesopotamia
Where it all starts

2. Ancient Mesopotamia

3. Modern day Mesopotamia
One Land…
Three Paths
Sacred Lands for World’s largest religions—Muslim, Judaism, Christianity
Majority of world’s conflicts attributed to these faiths
Foundations of all three very similar

4. Commonalities One God Adam and Eve Abraham
The Abraham Story divides and unites the religions
Muslims/Christians/Jews agree that
God told Abraham to go to Palestine and that it would be his

5. Judaism/Torah (Old Testament of The Bible)
Judaism: Abraham migrates from Mesopotamia to Jerusalem. God gives Abraham and his wife a son when Abraham is 99. The son is named Isaac. Isaac, through his son Jacob, is the founder of Judaism.
God promised Abraham that through his sons all the nations of the world would come to be blessed

6. Islam/The Koran
Abraham migrates from Mesopotamia to Jerusalem, and finally to Mecca. Abraham and his wife are unable to have a child, so his wife lends him her maid. The son is named Ishmael.
Abraham is considered a prophet of Islam.

7. The Holy Lands Bethlehem Jerusalem Mecca
Jerusalem remains the most contested city on earth, having fallen to invading forces more than 20 times throughout its recorded history. The land to which God sent Abraham some 4,000 years ago lies at the very crossroads of three continents. It is also holy to three religions.

8. Prophets Judaism: Awaiting the arrival of the Messiah.
Believe Christ to be a prophet, not the Messiah.
Believe in a descendant of King David who will rule Israel during the age of perfection. (Still waiting)

9. Prophets Christianity
Christians believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, sent to provide salvation.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem and lived in Jerusalem

10. Prophets
Islam
Muslims believe Muhammad (a descendant of Abraham) to be the prophet

11. Whose Land Is It?

12. Judaism/Jerusalem Dome of the rock
Moses led Isralites from Egypt (slavery) to Jerusalem.
David (God’s Chosen) made Jerusalem his capital and moved the Ark of the Covenant (10 commandments) there
Dome of the rock

13. Christianity/Bethlehem
Bethlehem/Jesus Birthplace

14. Islam/Mecca Muhammad proclaimed Islam in this city
Ishmael’s descendents from Mecca

15. The Holy Wars

16. Crusades
Goal was for Christians to recapture the Holy Lands/Jerusalem from Muslims
The Crusaders conquered Jerusalem in 1099 but failed to secure the Holy Land, and they were driven out by the late thirteenth century

17. Modern Israel/Palestine
After WWII Palestine is claimed as the Jewish state of Israel
Jews settled in Palestine and felt the land was theirs
Muslims were outraged because they felt the land was theirs (remember Abraham migrated to Jerusalem and then Mecca).

18. Modern Gaza

20. Intifadeh The First Intifadeh
An uprising of Muslim Palestinians against Israelis that involved sticks/stones against the Israeli modern army.

21. Second Intifadeh
Violent methods to further the goals of the original – suicide bombings are a common method of attack.

22. Future Goals