HOLY LAND BOOK - Draft

Jerusalem:
an
introduction
to the Holy
City
What springs to mind when you hear the word Jerusalem?
Is it ancient stone alleyways brimming with Jews and
Arabs on their way to prayer? Or perhaps a picture
postcard vista of the Western (Wailing) Wall? Or perhaps
the hustle and bustle of a Jerusalem market, with market
traders howling out their latest prices and bargains in
Hebrew and Arabic?
What you feel for Jerusalem will, of course, depend on
your faith. But forget that for a second, because however
much you might convince yourself that you’re a nonbeliever,
there’s something raw and empowering about
being in the Holy City that it makes you want to start to
believe…in whatever.
Jerusalem is a fascinating city; a city where old meets new,
holy meets secular, and where nature and beautiful
architecture merge into a melting pot of smells, sounds
and sights. I will never forget my first visit to Jerusalem
and the Old City, many moons ago, it was amazingly
inspiring!
Jerusalem is, of course, the meeting point of the three
main faiths: for centuries, Jerusalem has played a
significant role in Christianity as the place of Christ’s
crucifixion, while for Jews Jerusalem is the place of David’s
ancient throne, and the indivisible capital of modern
Israel. To Moslems the city is a sacred place of worship,
centered on the Dome of the Rock.
Located in the Judean Mountains, just north of the Dead
Sea, Jerusalem is home to some 747,600 residents over an
area of 125 square kilometers (including the disputed East
Jerusalem). Out of that 125 km it is, in fact, one square
kilometer which holds incredible importance to so many
over the world – the area known as the Old City.