early Islamic Jerusalem, the small Jewish population of the city was once permitted to pray at the site (Peters 194). After the construction of the Dome of the Rock, however, the atmosphere of the area changed (Peters 194). Jews who were temporarily allowed to enter the Temple Mount area as…
Jerusalem is mainly associated with Jewish customs and being known as the birthplace of Judaism, but the city is also enriched with other religions like Christianity and Islam and influenced by the cultures of Christians and Muslims. One religious site that is entwined with all three of these religions is the Dome of the Rock located on the Temple Mount. The Dome of the Rock which was finished under Caliph ‘Abd al-Malik around 692 was not a mosque but a shrine. This structure is significant not…
Ancient Israel was a nation in a state of constant flux. From thousands of years ago up to the present, the region has changed drastically, affecting the lives of millions. At the center of this discord lies the city of Jerusalem. Throughout its history, Jerusalem has been attacked, defended, destroyed, and rebuilt over its long history. Of the thousands of cities in the world, Jerusalem is lauded as one of the holiest, holding significance in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Thousands of years…
The history of those who practice Judaism is one that pre-dates Christianity. The history of Judaism is traced as far back as Abraham. The Hebrew Bible tells us that, Yahweh and Abraham had made covenant. In the covenant Yahweh promises Abraham land known as Canaan, the promise land, and an abundance of descendants. The descendants later become to be known as the children of Israel after Jacob, Abraham’s grandson that Yahweh renames as Israel. The people of Israel reside in Canaan until famine…
The Christians believed that they were fighting for Jesus to claim back his holy place of birth. However, the Muslims had it in their mind that they were defending THEIR land and the Christians were invaders. As a result, in 1099, when these Christian and Muslim armies collided in Jerusalem, it…
During the time of Samuel, why did the people of Israel desire a king? Saul, David, and Solomon are the most well-known kings of Israel, and the common attribute that each king either excelled in or struggled with was obedience. Obedience is what God asked from each king; unfortunately, not every king obeyed the commands of the Lord. Originally, they were not supposed to a king, but the people of Israel did not trust God and wanted to follow other nations. Samuel at the time was getting old and…
There is common idea in Israel that the standing for women, economically, socially and culturally has improved enormously in recent years, particularly the last two decades, and that mainstream society in Israel is moving towards an era of full and complete equality, regardless of gender. This opinion is extremely encouraging to many women and young girls have high aspirations for their part in Israeli society. It is also encouraging to men in Israel, who now can believe that their wives,…
northern Kingdom of Israel, Judah had to prepare for an Assyrian annexation and tried to differentiate itself from their northern neighbors. In order to do so King Hezekiah and King Josiah both created religious reforms attempting to centralize the Jerusalem cultic practice and unite the people against both Assyrian and Babylonian aggression. High places became an easy target in the reforms of both kings. A high place is an elevated cultic installation where religious rites were performed.…
Aqsa mosque also known as Bayt Al Mudaqddas. It is the third holiest site in Islam and it is located in Jerusalem Israel. Al Aqsa was the second house of Allah to be built after the kabbah. The mosque was originally a small prayer house that was built by Rashidun caliph Umar.it was upgraded by the Umayyad caliph Abu al Malik and finished by his son Al Walid in 705 CE (Common Era). The mosque was completely destroyed by an earthquake in 746 CE and rebuilt by the Abbasid Caliph Al Mansurin 754 CE;…
Mount Zion from the so-called Hill of Evil Counsel. It forms the southern border of ancient Jerusalem and is mentioned several times in the Bible. It's original Hebrew name is Gei ben-Hinnom which means Valley of Son of Hinnom. Nobody really knows who Hinnom or his son were but the name stuck through the ages. The earliest mention of the valley of Hinnom is in the Book of Joshua 15:8, where the boundary line between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin is described as passing along the bed of the…