As Professor Horwitz said in the previous class, I decided to look up some information on Karen Armstrong before I started to read the book. I have learned that she is a British Christian who has some previous unbiased writing history on the Middle East. It helped me get a better point of view from her because I know that she isn't leaning her opinions toward one side or the other.
We have started looking into Jerusalem from a historical perspective and Karen Armstrong imposed such a rich history within the first few chapters of this book. Although there is importance behind all of the history, how can all of this research be determined to be true? Yes, there are certain sources and the Bible that could be considered the truth, but nobody really knows. As I continued to read, it is so hard to understand if this really is the truth because someone's opinion from a certain side had to give their version of the history at some point or another. It could be that all of this history is twisting all together and causing overthinking, but I always have an extra thought in the back of my head.
Although the facts are shown about the history in the book, one of the points that stuck out to me was about all of the religions being able to shy away from the spiritual aspects of Jerusalem and finding G-d from anywhere. Jerusalem is considered one of, if not the, holiest place in the world. Millions of people go there to pray because they feel that special connection when there. As a reform Jew, I will say that I do not go to synagogue other than high holy days and special occasions. However, when I went to the Western Wall five years ago, I felt something unique. Something special. A feeling that you don't get when you are in the last row of synagogue talking to your friend while listening to your rabbi speak.
Experience is one of the greatest things in the world. Once you experience something, you know how it feels and more things seem to open up for you. Karen Armstrong has given us a background that will allow us to experience a broader view of Jerusalem and shape up how we have gotten to present day Jerusalem. But there are still questions to be asked...do we know who's Jerusalem it really is? Who is the next set of people to take over? We know the history is such a roller coaster and I think that is what makes Jerusalem such an interesting place in the world.
I agree with most of this. While I was reading the first couple of chapters, all I could keep thinking was, how much of this is true? Maybe it's the journalism major in me, but I'm always really skeptical of historical sources like the Bible, because I think they can be heavily biased. It's hard to separate the facts from the myths when you're dealing with a city like Jersualem.
ReplyDeleteI also think you raised a really interseting question with who's Jerusalem is it? Does it have to belong to one group? I'm sure that's something we'll talk about in class, but I've never really phrased the question like that before.