21st Century Jerusalem 3/10/11

            Israel is an extremely small piece of land, and yet it is the center of one of the most controversial areas in the world.  In May of 2000 the Israeli Army pulled its troops out of Southern Lebanon.  The Israel government also decides to build a large wall between itself and neighboring Palestinian controlled West Bank.  The Palestinians criticize the way the wall was built as a land grab, as the wall goes into parts of the West Bank in an attempt to protect Jewish settlements there. 

            In 2004 the long time leader of the Palestinians, Yasser Arafat, dies and in the 2006 elections, the radical, militant group Hamas defeats his old party, Fatah.  July of 2006 brings about the Israel-Hizbulla war, which took place in northern Israel and consisted mainly of rockets being lobbed back and forth across borders.  The Israelis understand that when it comes to military strength, they will win every time, so they are in no rush for peace because every time they are attacked, they can go out and destroy their attackers.  Most recently, in 2010, Israeli Special Forces boarded a flotilla headed to the Gaza strip with aid, and when fired upon, responded accordingly and killed 9.  To this day Jerusalem is still being fought over, but hopefully a peace agreement can be reached in the near future.       

20th Century Jerusalem 3/8/11

            As nationalism was on the rise in Europe in the early 20^th century, the Jews had no homeland; so many flocked to Jerusalem as they were often persecuted in foreign lands.  After World War One the Ottoman Empire ceased to exist and the British took control over the Holy Land.  In the Sykes-Picot Agreement in 1916, the British and French split up the near east into spheres of influence.  The French got Syria and Iraq, while the Brits took Jerusalem and Palestine.  This British Mandate lasted from 1918 to 1948.  Arthur Balfour writes the Balfour Declaration in 1917 to Lord Rothschild setting in motion a plan for a Zionist state.  A few years later, Winston Churchill writes the “White Paper” to clarify the British position on the Balfour Declaration, that it did not want a Jewish state, but for a Jewish-Palestinian community.

            In 1937, the Peel Commission suggests a plan were the Palestinians and the Jews would have their own state.  The Jews reluctantly agree to it as a bare minimum, but the surrounding Arab nations will not let it pass.  The Arab-Israeli War of 1948, called the war of Independence by the Jews, results in a new Zionist state and the Jordanians gaining land.  In 1967 the “six day war” takes place and the Israelis defeat all of the surrounding Arab nations and take control of the whole city of Jerusalem.  After all this had happened the Palestinians feel cheated because they still do not have their own state, and as a result, many “infitadas” or uprisings occur in the Holy Land.  The Oslo Accords in 1993 bring a relative peace to the region for a short while, but soon after violence returns to Jerusalem.          

Mamluk and Ottoman Jerusalem 3/3/11

            The Mamluk period of Jerusalem lasted from 1244 to 1516, and during this time the City of Jerusalem had no outer walls protecting it.  Without stone barriers acting as protection the population decreases to less than 10,000 people and its economy suffers.  Its attention is turned to a religious city were the focus was spiritual growth and development.  It was no longer a desired city politically or militarily because it had no walls.  If any construction projects began they were for schools, hospitals, and religious centers.  The architecture used was still Islamic in that it mainly built with geometric shapes and images.  During this time period the former temple mount became the Haram.  The Jewish quarter also grows during this time. 

            Beginning in 1516 the Ottoman Turks gain control of the area and hold on to it until 1918.  Sultan Sulieman the magnificent completes many public works projects to help restore Jerusalem to its former glory.  Most important of which, the Sultan rebuilds the walls around the Holy City.  He also encourages the Jews to return and settle again in Jerusalem.  Sulieman gives the Jewish people the western “wailing” wall as a holy place to worship.  Jewish “Zionism” begins to rise to prominence in this time period as well, and Jewish settlements begin to pop in Jerusalem.    

Crusader Jerusalem 3/1/11

            As the Holy Roman Empire emerged as a major power in Western Europe the Christians began to look upon the holy city with longing eyes.  In 1095 CE Pope Urban II gave a speech explaining to the nobility of Europe that the Muslims were holding Jerusalem captive.  This speech lights a fire under the Christians in Western Europe to go liberate the holy land.  The crusades were considered a holy war between the Catholics and the Muslims.  Even though the Pope gave his apparently inspiring speech in 1095 CE the Crusaders, for the most part, did not make it to Jerusalem until 1099 CE.  This is because it took some time for them to collect themselves and gather up enough supplies to make it to the destination.  The Catholic Church offered indulgences to all who either went on a crusade, or if they donated money or supplies to a crusade. 

             This first wave of crusaders was eventually successful in gaining control of Jerusalem in 1099 CE when Godfrey de Bullion broke through the city walls.  The Christians ruled over the Holy City for about 100 years after that.  July 4 1187 CE the crusaders were defeated by Salah-ad-Din at the Horns of Hattin.  With no army left Jerusalem surrenders to the Muslim ruler.  The new Islamic ruler purifies the temple mount, gives the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to the Christians, and allows the Jews to come back to Jerusalem.     

Islamic Jerusalem 2/24/11

            The Sasanians take control of Palestine and Jerusalem from 614 to 628 CE, but the Byzantines take it back in 628.  The Sasanians allow the Jews to come back to Jerusalem, but when the Byzantines retake the city they end up massacring many of the Jews.  The Muslim Caliph Umar takes over Jerusalem in 638 CE.  At first he does not allow the Jewish population to return, at the request of the Christians, but later he changes his stance and the Jews slowly come back. 

            The prophet Muhammad was illiterate, and Muslims say that this is proof that what he wrote down was truly the word of God coming out of him.  After he died, there was no heir apparent.  Caliphs were established to lead the Islamic community.  Abu Bakr was his closest friend and was the first Caliph.  Umar was the second and then followed by Uthman.  After Uthman, islam split into two sects.  The supporters of Ali were kinship based and were called shi’ites, while the supporters of Mu’awiya were tradition based and were called sunnis.  The Qibla is the direction of prayer and the Mihrab is the niche pointing the direction of prayer.  Mecca becomes the most holy of all places for Islam, but Jerusalem is in the top three.  The Dome of the Rock is completed in 691 CE.  

Byzantine Jerusalem 2/22/11

            For early Christianity, Jerusalem was more of a symbol, and Christianity as a faith was more spiritual and faith driven.  There was no need for the temple.  The Holy City was still the place where Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected and therefore extremely important.  Constantine the Great ruled from 312 to 337 CE and in 313 he issued the Edict of Milan.  This edict legalized the religion of Christianity.  Constantine used this faith to unite his empire.  He commissioned the Council of Nicaea in 324 CE; which set the guidelines for Christianity.  He also moved the capitol to Constantinople. 

            His mother, Helena, went to Jerusalem on a pilgrimage and dedicated the Church of the Nativity and rededicated the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.  She supposedly finds the “true cross,” the one that Jesus was crucified on and establishes the Church of the Holy Sepulcher as the new axis mundi in Jerusalem.  On the Madaba Map the center of the map is no longer the temple mount but is instead the Church.  This map is very detailed and shows all the gates surrounding the city of Jerusalem.  Justinian builds the “Nea” Church, or new church, which is to replace the Jewish temple and in its architecture it resembles Solomon’s Temple.       

Jerusalem in Revolt 2/17/11

           When Herod dies, his kingdom is split up into parts and his sons take control.  For the most part, his sons were ineffective and eventually replaced by Roman procurators.  One of these governors was Pontius Pilate.  He governed from 26-36 CE.  He was ineffective and provoked the Jews.  Pilate is the only Roman Governor of Judea mentioned in the Gospel.  During this time period, Jewish nationalism was on the rise and in 66 CE the Jews were in open revolt against Rome.  The Jews minted revolt coins in an attempt to declare their independence.  This first “Great” revolt lasted till about 73 CE when the last holdouts in Masada committed suicide.  The emperor’s son Titus had the second temple destroyed in 70 CE. 

            The second revolt, the “bar-kokhba revolt” was led by simon ben kosiba.  Coins were once again printed but were often misspelled some were overstrikes.  Where they took roman coins and simply struck their new coin over the top of the Roman one.  Literally stamping out Rome.  In the end this revolt ultimately fails and the roman emperor Hadrian banns circumcision and turns Jerusalem into a full Roman city.  He even renames it Aelia Capitolina, and builds a temple to Jupiter there.  The Jews are banned from the city completely.