DISCUSSION TOPIC: ENTERING SACRED SPACE -- JERUSALEM
Some Questions
Why is Jerusalem considered so sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims alike?
Identify as many of the following and explain the significance of each:
Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary)
Temple Mount
Western Wall
Dome Of The Rock
Al-Aqsa Mosque
Solomon's Temple
Second Temple
Third Temple
Church Of The Holy Sepulchre
Via Dolorosa
Golgotha
Night Journey
Qibla
Ark Of The Covenant
Mount Moriah
Mount Of Olives
"Cleansing Of The Temple"
586 BCE
70 CE
1099 CE
Why is the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif such contested space? Is there a tradition also of finding common ground here?
How would you compare and contrast the role Jerusalem plays in the three faiths with that played by Abraham?
Possible Starting Places
Erica Chernofsky, "What
Makes Jerusalem So Holy?,"
BBC News, April 17, 2014.
"Jerusalem: Center Of The World,"
PBS, 2009 (Available through NIC and Films On Demand):
"Jerusalem -- The Making Of A
Holy City," BBC, 2011: A three-hour overview of the city's religious
history by Simon Montefiore.