A review of “Jerusalem: Center of the World” (PBS)

“Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.”

– The Hebrew Bible, “The Book of the Prophet Isaiah,” Chapter 52, Verse 1 (as translated by the King James Version of the Bible)

Three of the world's great religions have looked upon Jerusalem as a “holy city” …

Three of the world's great religions have looked upon Jerusalem as a “holy city.” Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all have an intimate historical connection with the city. These three religions may be the most prominent of what scholars today call the “Abrahamic religions.” The city has long been hot real estate (and still is today), and has been the site of more than a hundred battles scattered throughout its history.

The “Temple Mount” in Jerusalem, with the Dome of the Rock in the center

Jerusalem really is the “Center of the World” (or at least, the “Old World”) …

I live in the distant United States, the most powerful country in the “New World.” By contrast, Jerusalem lies in the “Old World” – a world which consists primarily of three continents; which are Europe, Africa, and Asia. The Middle East in general – and Jerusalem in particular – lie in the middle of that “Old World.” This may be part of why this documentary calls Jerusalem the “Center of the World,” as it does here. As with the Middle East in general, the central location of Jerusalem may be both a blessing and a curse to it. It is a blessing in some ways, because it was at the center of the world's trade routes, and has long been such. But it is also something of a curse, because its central location accounts (at least partially) for why it has long been such hot real estate. The Middle East in general – and Jerusalem in particular – continue to be something of a battleground today. But the importance of Jerusalem also has strong religious components, which are rooted in the unique history of this city.

The early Jewish history of the city, with Abraham, Moses, David, and the Temple of Solomon

Of the three major religions that I mentioned earlier, the Jews were the first to control Jerusalem. The Hebrew Bible – or the “Old Testament,” as it is known to Christians – contains many stories that take place in the city of Jerusalem. Among the earliest of these stories involved the prophet Abraham, and his being commanded by the Lord to sacrifice his son Isaac on nearby Mount Moriah. But as the story goes, when Abraham raised his knife to do it, he was then forbidden by an angel to go through with it. As the Bible records, God now knew that Abraham would not hold back even his only son from the Lord. As you might expect, these “Abrahamic religions” get their name from the prophet Abraham. A later Hebrew prophet was Moses, but the Biblical records suggest that he never made it as far northeast as Jerusalem, and died within sight of the “promised land.” Later on, King David would conquer Jerusalem for the Jews, and begin a period of Jewish control of the city. His son Solomon later built a famous temple in that city, which was destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BCE. The temple was later rebuilt in 516 BCE, but this second temple was eventually destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. Thus, neither of these two temples survive, although local traditions often place their location at what is today known as the “Temple Mount.” Thus, this is among the holiest sites for all three of the world's major “Abrahamic religions,” and not just Judaism.

An artist's interpretation of the Temple of Solomon, which was destroyed by the Babylonians

The Western Wall in Jerusalem, also known as the “Wailing Wall”

The early Christian history of the city, and the later Jewish revolts against Roman rule there

During the Roman occupation of Judea, the new faith of Christianity was born near Jerusalem in the first century. It began as a Jewish movement, which later became a separate religion in its own right. The New Testament – one of the two books of the Christian Bible – records that Jesus Christ went to the temple as a child, and taught elder Jewish leaders there. Later on, He had a strong negative reaction to the practice of buying and selling within the temple walls. The New Testament records that He turned over tables in a controlled act of violence. These are among the Christian connections to the previously-mentioned temple sites. Other New Testament events taking place in and around Jerusalem include Jesus's “Last Supper,” His arrest in Gethsemane, His trial, His crucifixion at Golgotha, His burial nearby, and His eventual resurrection and ascension. The New Testament also suggests that His body is no longer buried there, because of its being “ascended” into heaven shortly after His resurrection. Some important events in Jewish history during this time include two major revolts against Roman rule. One was the “Jewish Revolt” of the later first century, today known as the “First Jewish-Roman War.” (It was in this war that the second temple, mentioned earlier, was destroyed by the Romans.) The other was a revolt led by one Simon bar Kokhba, which is today known simply as the “Bar Kokhba Revolt.” This documentary does not attempt to cover all of the battles that ever took place at Jerusalem, but these revolts were so important that they could not be ignored, even in a two-hour program like this one. Thus, it is good that they covered them here, at least in outline form.

Reconstruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, which was destroyed by the Romans

Church of the Holy Sepulchre, at the traditional site of Golgotha

The early Muslim history of the city, and the “Night Journey” of the Prophet Muhammad

The next period that they cover is the rise of Islam in the seventh century. As you may know, this religion comes from the Prophet Muhammad, and a book of scripture called the “Quran.” For a time, the Muslim direction of prayer was actually towards Jerusalem – rather than towards Mecca, as it is today. It was a revelation from the Prophet Muhammad that later changed that. The holiest city in Islam today is Mecca, with the second holiest being Medina. Both are located in what is today the country of Saudi Arabia. But the third holiest city in Islam is Jerusalem, for a number of reasons. For one, Islam has strong roots in Judaism and Christianity, and shares their recognition of Abraham and Moses as “ancient prophets.” Thus, they consider Jerusalem sacred for some of the same reasons that Jews and Christians do, since they are among the heirs of these preexisting religions. They also believe that Jesus was a prophet, but make clear that they do not consider Him to be the “Savior” or the “Son of God.” This is a belief that seems to be unique to Christians. Another reason that Jerusalem is sacred to the Muslims is the Prophet Muhammad's “Night Journey,” as recorded in the Quran. It is recorded that when he died, Muhammad actually rode on the back of a winged mule-like beast (called “Buraq”) to the “farthest mosque.” The phrase “farthest mosque” has traditionally been interpreted in Islam as the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. This may be the third holiest site in Islam. From there, the Quran records that he ascended into heaven, from what is today the “Dome of the Rock” in Jerusalem. This is why the Dome of the Rock is also considered sacred to Muslims.

The Dome of the Rock, a Muslim holy site in Jerusalem

Interior of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in all of Islam (also in Jerusalem)

The later Crusades by Christians against Muslims, and the twentieth-century state of Israel

In the Middle Ages, Christians later invaded the Holy Land in a protracted campaign known to history as the “Crusades.” The Crusades were fought in many places, but included battles in and around Jerusalem. The Christians temporarily took Jerusalem, but the Muslims would eventually retake the city. As mentioned earlier, this documentary does not attempt to cover all of the battles that ever took place in Jerusalem. But these battles during the Crusades were so important that they could not be left out, and so they are briefly covered in this documentary. This documentary also mentions the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, and how it gained the territory of East Jerusalem during the Six-Day War of 1967. These things, too, are so important that they cannot be left out of this story. Time does not permit me to really do justice to these topics, but readers interested in the Crusades are invited to consult this other blog post of mine. Readers interested in the Six-Day War are invited to consult this blog post of mine, in which I discuss the history of the Cold War in this general area.

Taking of Jerusalem by the Crusaders, 1099

Israeli paratroopers at Jerusalem's Western Wall shortly after its capture – Six-Day War, 1967

Archaeological aspects of this film, and footage of sites that few can afford to visit themselves

So far in this blog post, I have tried to describe what this documentary is about. I have tried to explain its focus on why Jerusalem is such a holy city, and why it has long been such hot real estate. But I must also give some comments on its style here. Most of its content is stuff that I already knew, and the brevity with which it covers these things was almost painful at times. But much of the focus was also archaeological, in that it shows the holiest sites in Jerusalem that few tourists have the travel budget to visit. This was one of its redeeming qualities. It also interviews scholars from all three of the major “Abrahamic religions,” allowing us to hear inside views on why this city is so sacred to these three groups.

Cenacle on upper floor of David's Tomb Compound – Mount Zion, Jerusalem

(claimed to be the site of Jesus Christ's “Last Supper” and Pentecost)

Some of this content may be better covered elsewhere, but this is a good primer and travelogue …

Some of the Jewish content is better covered elsewhere, in PBS's “Kingdom of David: The Saga of the Israelites” (which I review here). Some of the Christian content is also better covered elsewhere, in “Ancient Roads from Christ to Constantine” (which I review here). And some of the Muslim content is better covered elsewhere, in “The Life of Muhammad” (which I review here). But as an introduction, this is a good primer on the city's millennia-long history. As a travelogue, it is strong on the archaeology, and helps you to feel like you are visiting the city for yourself. And as a story, it is illuminating, in that it helps the viewer to understand something about why Jerusalem is so sacred to these faiths.

Section of the Jerusalem map (1925), showing location of Mount Moriah according to the TaNaKh sources

… and a great story

If I were asked “What is the most storied city in human history?”, my vote would not go to Athens or Rome or Paris or London. My vote would go to Jerusalem, which may still be the “Center of the World.”

“And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”

– The Hebrew Bible, “Micah,” Chapter 4, Verse 2 (as translated by the King James Version of the Bible)

DVD at Amazon

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If you liked this post, you might also like:

A review of “Kingdom of David: The Saga of the Israelites”

A review of “Ancient Roads from Christ to Constantine”

A review of “The Life of Muhammad”

A review of “Islam: Empire of Faith” (PBS Empires)

A review of “The Crusades: Crescent and the Cross”