1. A Presentation by Aaron Cator, Molly Leaverton, and Jessica Power
The Holy Land Jerusalem Judaism, Christianity, and Islam’s relationship to the Holy Land of Jerusalem as rooted in Scripture and Tradition
A Presentation by Aaron Cator, Molly Leaverton, and Jessica Power

2. Where is the Holy Land?
Ancient Israel
Modern Israel

3. A Brief History of the Holy Land
Black: Date has significance to all faiths of the book
Blue: Significant to Judaism
Red: Significant to Christianity
Green: Significant to Islam
A Brief History of the Holy Land
ca.1800 BCE- God promises Abraham the Land
ca BCE- King David establishes Jerusalem as the capital of the United Kingdom of Israel
587 BCE- Destruction of the First Temple of Jerusalem
30 CE- Death of Jesus
70 CE- Destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem
621 CE- Muhammad descends into heaven from the city of Jerusalem during his “night journey”
633 CE- Islamic conquest of Palestine (beginning of 1300 years of the rule of more than 10 different empires)
1918 CE- British control of Jerusalem
1948 CE- establishment of the modern day state of Israel.

4. Scriptural/Traditional Attachment to the Holy Land: Judaism
Jerusalem has been the holiest place in Judaism since the 10th century and the establishment of the Kingdom of David
First Chron. 11:1-11
Exile/destruction of Jerusalem as punishment from God and restoration of Jewish rule of Jerusalem as a divine reward
Second Chron. 7:19
Babylonian Exile
Book of Lamentations
Love/Mourning of Jerusalem throughout the Hebrew Bible
"By the rivers of Babylon we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion." (Psalms 137:1)
"The builder of Jerusalem is God, the outcast of Israel he will gather in...Praise God O Jerusalem, laud your God O Zion." (Psalms 147:2-12)

5. Scriptural/Traditional Attachment to the Holy Land: Christianity
Significance in the Hebrew Bible, Christ’s Jewish identity
Birth of Christianity in Jerusalem
Place of some of Jesus’ teachings
Place of the Last Supper, Death and Resurrection of Christ
Site of Jesus’ burial at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher
Jesus and the Temple of Jerusalem
Jesus is presented as a child at the Temple (Luke 2:22)
Cleanses the Temple of Jerusalem (Mark 11:15)
Medieval Christians believed Jerusalem was the center of the World

6. Scriptural/Traditional Attachment to the Holy Land: Islam
Night Journey of Muhammad 621 CE
“In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. “Glory to (Allah) Who did take His Servant For a Journey by night From the Sacred Mosque Whose precincts We did Bless—in order that We Might show him some Of Our Signs: for He Is the One Who heareth And seeth (all things).” -Surah 17:1
Dome of the Rock
believed by Muslims to be the site of where Muhammad ascended into heaven.
Al-Aqsa Mosque
“So Sakariya came out to his people From his chamber: He told them by signs To celebrate Allah’s praises In the morning and the evening.” Surah 19:11
Cite of the first “Qibla” before it was changed to the city of Makka.
Shortly after Muhammad’s death, Muslims conquered Jerusalem.

7. Worksheet # 19b
Question # 2: Based on the assigned secondary readings, do you think the notion of “Holy War” is affirmed in any of the scriptures used by the three “Religions of the Book”?

8. Common Beliefs about Jerusalem
A Holy city, explicitly mentioned in all three religion’s holy scriptures
The Temple Mount is the place that Abraham nearly sacrificed his son
City that many prophets visited and prophesized in
Abraham, Moses, Elijah, etc.
Common Jewish heritage

9. Current Relationship to Jerusalem: Judaism
Zionism
Political movement that began in the 19th century for the state of Israel
"The builder of Jerusalem is God, the outcast of Israel he will gather in...Praise God O Jerusalem, laud your God O Zion." (Psalms 147:2-12)
Mainly secular, but rooted its legitimacy in biblical nationalistic claims
Religious Zionism
Jews have an inalienable right to the land of Jerusalem because God granted it to them
Orthodox Jews tend to adopt this view, while many other branches of Judaism vary from finding it insignificant to being completely opposed
The Modern State of Israel was established in 1948

10. Current Relationship to Jerusalem: Christianity
Site of the pilgrimage of thousands of Christians each year
Around 2.5% of population is Christian (ca. 150,000 people)
Although Jerusalem is a Holy site for Christians, God is everywhere and can be found in any place

11. Current Relationship to Jerusalem: Islam
Jerusalem is considered the third holiest city, next to Makka and Madinah
Dominated by current conflict
Most Arab Muslims believe that Israel belongs to the Palestinians
Most Muslims believe that the Palestinians have been unfairly portrayed through the media and that their position is not fully understood

12. Israeli/Palestinian Conflict
Before WWI what is now the state of Israel was under the control of the Ottoman Empire.
In 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement stated that once the Ottomans were defeated this land would be international territory
Balfour Declaration: 1917
The British create plans for the creation of an Israeli state
Palestinian Exile
Flee to nearby Arab states
Around 10 million people considered “Palestinian”
1948-Creation of the State of Israel and the Arab-Israeli War
Day War
Continued fighting over the West Bank, Jerusalem, Gaza Strip

13. Worksheet #19b
Question 3: What are your own thoughts regarding the ongoing struggle over the Holy Land? Do you think the media fairly represents the motives for each religion’s stake in the ongoing conflict?