Jerusalem is considered a focal point for the three main monotheistic religions of the world: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The view from the balcony of the apartment where I am staying this week is of the Mount of Olives. From biblical times until today, the mountain has been used as a Jewish cemetery. For many centuries, Jewish people have sought to be buried there because they believe the Mount of Olives will be the place where the dead will be resurrected. Christians also look to the Mount of Olives as a place where future events will occur. In the book of Zechariah, located within the Jewish Tanakh and the Christian Old Testament, the return of the Messiah is described. According to Zechariah, the Messiah will stand on the Mount of Olives during a time in which all nations are gathered together to battle against Jerusalem. When the Messiah stands on the Mount of Olives, it will split in two, forming a valley through which people can escape. Currently, the Mount of Olives is an Arab neighborhood, complete with many minarets. A minaret is a tower used in Islamic architecture from which Muslim believers are called to prayer five times a day by a muezzin (a Muslim religious leader). All three monotheistic religions consider the Mount of Olives to be a significant piece of real estate.
The view to the left of the balcony is part of the Old City in Jerusalem, a greatly contested piece of real estate. It is a 0.35 square mile area located within the modern city of Jerusalem. The walls around the city are not the original walls . The current walls were built in 1538 by Suleiman the Magnificent. I’ll post more on the Old City later.
