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On the famous mappa mundi, housed in Hereford Cathedral, Jerusalem is at the center of the world.
For Jews, Christians, and Muslims, this holy city represents not merely a physical focus for their faith, but a theological and spiritual emblem: simultaneously a very earthly city and a uniquely celestial kingdom. How has this insignificant city become such a critical location in geopolitics and psychogeography? I'm Talking about Jerusalem explores the many and varied meanings and resonances of "Jerusalem"--in history, prophecy, theology, literature, imagery, and myth.
"Jerusalem" appears 806 times in the Bible. For the Jews, Jerusalem is not simply a significant physical place, past and present, but a religious concept transcending time. For Christians, it is the site of Jesus's last days--and of countless Christian structures, relics, and remains. Islamic tradition has celebrated the city with seventeen names; it was a key stage in Muhammad's night journey and became Islam's third holiest place of pilgrimage. For all three Abrahamic religions, Jerusalem is a major pilgrimage destination.
Aldous Huxley wrote, "We have each of us our Jerusalem"--a vision of what life might be. I'm Talking about Jerusalem considers Jerusalem as a political goal and eternal home; its place in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic eschatology; and as a metaphor for all we yearn for in this world and the next. A place of perfection and conclusion, a golden city, a paradise to be attained after death.
About the author
Tim Dowley is a London-based historian, author, and poet. His much-praised Introduction to the History of Christianity has been in print continuously since 1977. His most recent books include Defying the Holocaust; Christian Music: A Global History; A Christian Miscellany: Terrible Jokes, Curious Facts, and Memorable Quotes from the Garden of Eden to Armageddon; and I'm Talking about Jerusalem: Aspects of the Holy City.
