Jerusalem Idea and Reality [Paperback]

Jerusalem, the holy city of three faiths, has been the focus of competing historical, religious, and political narratives from Biblical chronicles to todays headlines. With an aura that transcends the boundaries of time and place, the city itself embodies different levels of reality  indeed, different realities altogether  for both observers and inhabitants. There is the real Jerusalem, a place of ancient streets and monuments, temples and coffee-houses, religious discourse and political argument. But there is also the imaginary and utopian city that exists in the minds of believers, political strategists, and artists. The study of this multifaceted city poses complex questions that range over several fields of inquiry.

The multidisciplinary studies in Jerusalem offer insights into this complexity. Chapters by leading scholars examine the significant issues that relate to the perception, representation, and status of the city at the historical, religious, social, artistic, and political levels. Together they provide an essential resource for anyone interested in the paradoxes that Jerusalem offers.

1. Introduction  Tamar Mayer and Suleiman Mourad  2. One City, One Faith, One God: Notes on Jerusalems Religious Complexity Frank E. Peters  3. Jerusalem in Jewish History, Tradition, and Memory Lee Levine  4. Early Christian Jerusalem: The City of the Cross O. Larry Yarborough  5. The Temple Mount in Jewish and Early Christian Traditions: A New Look Yaron Eliav  6. The Symbolism of Jerusalem in Early Islam Suleiman Mourad  7. The Holy Fool Still Speaks: Religious Radicalism and mental pathology in the Case of the Jerusalem Syndrome Alexander Van Der Haven  8. Sacred Space and Mythic Time in the Early Printed Maps of Jerusalem Rehav Rul3°