Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths... Take 2. (Chapters 5 - 7)

As the journey continues throughout Jerusalem's rich history, I am excited that I am able to recognize many of the regions and people: Babylon, those "good" Samaritans, and of course the magnificent villainous star of 300, Persian King Xerxes. The further I delve into Armstrong's historical analysis of Jerusalem, the more I picture J.R. Tolkein's tale of Middle Earth unfolding before my eyes where transcendental beings roam and introverted society of Hobbits set out on an odyssey to retake their homeland. This definitely makes history on such a specialized topic more interesting, yet no good news can come without bad news. This mythical representation appears to be just that. When analyzing Armstrong's sources, 53 of the 59 citations come from the Bible, a higher percentage of citations than any of the previous chapters. These accounts may be biased to the writers' socio-economic status'. Considering the high illiteracy rates of the time period, it's probably safe to say that the writers were of relatively high status'.

Progressing through chapter 6, the events discussed make it clear why the Zionistic Jews of today would be so cautious of any outsiders near them. From the invasive nature of the Hellenes to the persecution brought about by other Jews to the sacrilegious acts committed by the Romans, this was a long and distraught time for the Jerusalemites. There are two major themes that I have spotted as follows. First, Jerusalem has been influenced by a wide range of views which eventually split Judaism into different sects with surprisingly powerful influences. This has made it difficult for the people of Jerusalem to unite and ward off "enemies" that may want to claim the sacred city as their own. Secondly, in tough times, the people have generally turned fluffed off modernization from outsiders in search of introspection within the Jewish religion. These are vital to note because the zionists of the current era may still be influenced from these concepts from their past. This would make it very difficult for any outsiders to attempt negotiation with them for their country and may actually polarize them in favor of their own Jewish faith.

Upon reading about the destruction of Jerusalem, it is much easier to understand why the Israelis would be so dead set on keeping the city for themselves. They have faced treacherous conditions and battles in the name of their holy city (particularly the temple) and can not let the work of their ancestors die in vain. As quoted from the text, the temple was held in regard as "a microcosm of the entire universe". This sense of spirituality for an object is held at the same level today which makes it difficult to just tell the Israeli citizens, or even the Palestinians for that matter, to give up already. As greek will ever forget the glorious battle that was fought against the Persians with a band of 300 spartan soldiers, neither will the Jews forget the stand that was taken by their ancestors within the temple against Titus' Romans. The argument over Jerusalem is more than just location or possession.... it's a battle over history.