27 June 2018 Why Jerusalem?

Why Jerusalem?

One of the cities I have enjoyed seeing is Jerusalem.  However, when I have been there I wonder what it is about that place that attracted people to stay there.  It is in the desert.  It has no river to get water or use for transportation.  It is not on the coast to be used as a port. But here you have a small piece of real estate that for over 3 thousand years has been at the center of conflict.  It is the holiest place for Christians and Jews.  It is the 3^rdholiest place for Muslims.  The Old City of Jerusalem is walled with greater Jerusalem around it.  The walled part is relatively small, about two and half miles around.  The three main religious sites, Western Wall, Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Dome of the Rock are very close to each other. 

When I stood in the walled city, I couldn’t believe it has been worth the conflict.  But it is not the real estate that is important.  It is the significance people put into the religious history and for that reason have been willing to shed a lot of blood over it. 

Even to this day there is controversy over the city.  President Trump moved the US embassy to Jerusalem.  This has caused challenges with the Islamic world as it recognized the city as the capital of the Jewish nation.  The Palestinians claim that East Jerusalem is their capital.  Each group has just as much claim the other as each has been there for centuries. 

I highly recommend you get to Jerusalem at some point in your life.  It is a fascinating place.  We think of a couple of hundred years as old here and a thousand years in Europe, but in Jerusalem time is much older.  It may not be the most beautiful city from a scenic standpoint but is has an intangible feel that permeates you.  Go there and experience it.