The Holy Land: City of War & Worship

Ten measures of beauty came into the world: Jerusalem took nine and the rest of the world one. There are ten measures of suffering in the world—nine in Jerusalem and one in the rest of the world. There are ten measures of wisdom in the world—nine in Jerusalem and one in the rest of the world.

—The Babylonian Talmud

For Christians, Jews and Moslems alike, Jerusalem is infinitely more than just an embattled city in the Palestine desert. To Jews, it is, according to Deuteronomy, "the place where Yahweh chose to dwell." For Christian churches, Jerusalem marks the mysterious intersection of eternity and time, the spot where God's crucified son died and then was resurrected. In Moslem legend, it was in Jerusalem that Mohammed, borne from Mecca by a winged mare, ascended to heaven from the site of Judaism's Temple to receive his supreme illumination from God. Although Palestine contains numerous landmarks renowned in religious history (see color pages)—such as Bethlehem, Nazareth, the Dead Sea and the Jordan River—Jerusalem is unquestionably the holiest of holy places. With reverence, medieval cartographers called Jerusalem "the navel of the world" and placed it at the center of their maps.

Since the Arab-Israeli war in June, Jerusalem has once again been a matter for cartographic concern—not to mention diplomatic debates and tourist-promotion schemes. Joyful that the shrines of the Old City are in Jewish hands for the first time in nearly 2,000 years, Jews from all over the world are signing up for pilgrimages. Plane and boat reservations for trips from France to Israel are sold out for two months in advance. "Israel," says TWA sales manager in Chicago, John J. Sweeney, "is a hot destination." Wary about the possibility of renewed hostilities, gentiles have been more hesitant, although travel agents report increasing interest in future tours. One Israeli tourist agent in the U.S. tries to calm gun-shy travelers with the thought that "I would rather send people to Jerusalem than Detroit."

Sanctity & Savagery. Historically, Detroit has been more peaceful. Though Jerusalem is a symbol of an all-powerful God whose promise is universal brotherhood and eternal peace, the city has inspired as much savagery as sanctity. No city in history has been fought over so often—it has suffered more than 20 sieges—or destroyed so often. No spot on earth has been won and lost by so many nations.