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The city of Jerusalem is considered hallowed by three different religions. They are Christians, Jews and Moslems but they all believe in the spoken word of God and the Christians and Jews use the same sacred Bible. The Christian Bible is made up of two parts--the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Jewish Bible is the first part of the Bible, the Old Testament. The word Bible comes from a Greek word, biblia, meaning books. The stories in the Bible teach us how people lived, fought wars and worshipped thousands of years ago. The lands described in the Bible are located at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. Jerusalem is situated in the Judean hills 35 miles from the Mediterranean Sea.
Jerusalem, the capital of Israel is declared the holy city of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In 1949 at the end of the first Arab-Israeli War Jerusalem was divided between Israel and Jordan. But, in 1967, Israel took control of the entire city. Although the Arabs resented it, Jerusalem was officially proclaimed the capital of Israel in 1980. Today, Jews make up about 75% of the population in Jerusalem and Arabs about 20% and both the Hebrew and Arabic language are spoken.
Jerusalem is divided into three sections, the Old City, New City (West Jerusalem) and East Jerusalem. The Old City was under Jordanian control from 1949 to 1967. During this time the Jordanians destroyed the Jewish quarter but today it has been restored. The New City built mostly by the Jews has developed greatly since the 19th century. East Jerusalem, just north of the Old City is considered the modern Arab section. The walled old city in the center contains Muslim, Jewish, Christian and American quarters.
Christian Religion:
You will find many places of worship located in Jerusalem. Christians can worship at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. This church was established in the 4th century AD and was rebuilt by the Crusaders beginning in 1099. The church is believed by Christian historians to stand on the hill of Calvary or Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified. For Christians the city is the site of many events in the life of Jesus Christ and his followers.
Jewish religion:
Jews can worship at the Wailing Wall, their most sacred shrine. This is the only remaining portion of the original wall of King Solomon's Temple. After the Jews were banished from the Temple Mount the Wailing Wall became their most sacred place of worship. Just above the wall is the Dome of the Rock, where Moslems worship. For Jews the city of Jerusalem is the site of their ancient Temple and their historical background.
Moslem religion:
Moslems can worship at the Dome of the Rock, which is also known as the Mosque of Omar. On top of the Temple Mount is the gold-domed Dome of the Rock (est. Ad661) and the silver-domed al-Aqsa (est. AD710) mosques. Behind the Dome is the Mount of Olives, important in Christianity as the site of the Garden of Gethsemane. In AD638 the Arabs took Jerusalem and built the Dome of the Rock on the site of the Temple. For Muslims, the city is their third holiest because it is the site from which Muhammad is said to have risen to heaven and the location of their mosque.
In 1917 the British occupied Jerusalem and it became the capital of Palestine. During this time the Arabs rioted against the Jews. In 1948 United Nations called for internationalization of the city but the Arabs rejected. From 1949 Jerusalem was divided into an Israeli and Jordanian region. In 1967 Israel took the complete city following the Six-Day War, when Israeli forces occupied the districts of Jordan. The city is reunited today under Israeli government, which promises religious freedom and refuge of all holy places.
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