Professor Cargill began his first lecture by introducing Jerusalem as the center of three major faiths: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam and as a city that has been of importance for at least 3,000 years. We then began a discussion regarding what makes a sacred space and how a place becomes sacred. Two of the main reasons a place is deemed sacred include: the belief that something supernatural happened there and someone important was born there. In addition, the development of a sacred space requires places for the multitude of people making the pilgrimage to stay when visiting a shrine that commemorates the place. Trade routes are also important to sacred spaces.
The lecture continued with discussion of the city’s geography as well as the application of the criteria that make a sacred space to Jerusalem specifically. Jerusalem lies on a hill, which is said to contribute to Jerusalem’s holiness by making it closer to heaven. It is also separated by three valleys (The Kidron, Tyropean, and Hinnom) which serve as contradictory low points that are closer to death and farther from God. Big cities in the ancient world require fresh water, a trade route, and a hill for protection. Jerusalem had all of these with the help of Hezekiah’s tunnel which brought water from the Gihon Spring up to the city. Additionally, Professor Cargill went into detail about the expansion of the City of David in the west into four separate quarters – the Christian, Islamic, Jewish, and Armenian, with the Temple Mount which is often considered the fifth quarter. Lastly, it was mentioned in lecture that Jerusalem is a magnet for legends, stories, and history.
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