YearJerusalem
TRAVELING TO THE HOLY CITY
Next
///
BY MICHAEL KELLY
It has been called“ the holiest city in the world” and has been a religious site for more than 5,000 years. Sacred to three great world religions( Judaism, Christianity and Islam), it has been fought over throughout most of its history. Its ancient stones still whisper secrets to those who seek to understand.
It is Jerusalem.
As a child, I think I had heard of the city of Jerusalem before I heard of London, Rome or New York City. I probably heard the name Jerusalem before I heard the name Detroit. Having been taken to Mass from the first months of my life, words of the Scripture were part of my early verbal education. Even in that semi-consciousness that is childhood, I was able to discern the sacred and the profane. Jerusalem was named in the ancient texts and spoken of on the evening news.
For Jerusalem is not Pompeii or Ephesus, some unearthed remnant of long lost peoples. Jerusalem is very much alive. It has been sacked and depopulated many times but each time it grew again, refilling with life.
The original meaning of the city’ s name is“ City of Peace,” but it can sometimes seem as if that is a misnomer. From the ancient Canaanites to today, wave after wave of conquerors have swept through the land. Both Israelis and Palestinians presently claim the city as their national capital, and tensions between those communities can be high at times.
Yet millions of visitors come to Jerusalem every year from everywhere in the world. Undeterred by politics, the world still comes to Jerusalem in search of roots, understanding and meaning.
Jerusalem is woven into the fabrics of those“ many nations” promised to Abraham by the God of the Old Testament.
Located in the Middle East between the Mediterranean and Dead Seas, Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world. Jewish tradition holds that the creation of the world began with the foundation stone atop Mount Mariah within the city walls, the same rock on which Abraham was said to have been prepared to sacrifice his son, Isaac, and the spot where the Prophet Muhammad is traditionally believed to have ascended into heaven.
That stone still stands today beneath the Dome of the Rock, the oldest existing Islamic monument and a place sacred to both Muslims and Jews. The Dome is located on the Temple Mount, the site of Solomon’ s Temple. The remaining Western Wall of the Temple is the holiest place of worship in Judaism.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Jerusalem is what an intimate experience the old city is for residents and visitors. The narrow streets and ancient buildings of Jerusalem hum with contemporary activity and timeless history.
Although a modern city of more than 800,000 people, the heart of Jerusalem is the Old City, contained within the ancient walls. Sacred sites from three religions stand only a few hundred yards apart. Not only are the Western Wall and Dome of the Rock next to each other; the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is a short stroll away.
One need not be a person of faith to enjoy Jerusalem-- the architecture and vital cultural life stand on their own-- but to a person of faith walking on the Mount of Olives, praying at the Western Wall, or standing at the Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem may open one’ s heart to a rich, dense history that awaits the visitor around every corner of this complex, beautiful city.
One can walk the Via Dolorosa( the“ Way of Sorrows”), believed to be the path taken by Jesus as he carried the cross of the Passion. The Stations of the Cross are marked with signs on the wall; here Jesus fell for the
100
Innovative Health- Winter 2017