1/6/11

Jerusalem as Sacred Space:

The lecture began with a discussion about the concept of sacred space - areas that become holy due to supernatural events.  Professor Cargill alluded to the concept of a memorial where people would mourn the loss of loved ones.  Like this kind of memorial, which is holy to certain people, Jerusalem is considered holy by a variety of people.  Because its location roughly connects three continents, the city possesses special connective qualities that make it so unique.  The Book of Genesis references the Gihon river, which now exists as a spring in Jerusalem, as being linked to the Garden of Eden.  This and other etiological stories have contributed to Jerusalem's sacred qualities.

The other major portion of the lecture dealt with the city's geography and its relation to its growth.  There exists three main valleys and two main hills.  The Kidron Valley in the east, the Hinnom Valley in the west, and the Tyropoeon/Central Valley provide natural protective barriers for the city.  What began near the City of David in the west soon grew into four distinct quarters that separate the city.  The Christian portion exists in the northwest, the Islamic portion in the northeast, the Jewish portion in the southeast, and the Armenian portion in the southwest.  The Temple Mount, sometimes considered the fifth quarter, is located near the Islamic and Jewish quarters in the east.  Because it is not located directly on a river or trade route, some often wonder why Jerusalem grew to become "the center of the world." This answer, of course, is because it was sacred to so many people.