Religion has always played a huge role in the ancient holy city of Jerusalem. As a rare city that is tremendously important to 3 of the world’s biggest and most important religions, it is often a source of major conflicts and disagreements, but also a great ground for communication and cooperation between the world’s nations and religions. But how did it all start? and what makes Jerusalem so important and holy for billions of people around the world? Here, you’ll find everything you wanted to know about religion and Jerusalem.
Jerusalem in Christianity
Although Jesus was born in Bethlehem and Grew up in Nazareth, Jerusalem is the most important city in Israel for Christianity, and the second most important in the world, after the Vatican. Jerusalem is attributed to some of the most important events in Jesus’ life, as here he had his last meal, and was trialed, tortured, crucified, and resurrected.
Those major events have led to the building of numerous important churches in Jerusalem, mostly in the Old city and on the Mount of Olives. This has begun in the 4th century, which is when the first pilgrimages to Jerusalem have begun, following the footsteps of the Roman Empress Helena who was also the mother of Constantine the Great, the emperor who made Christianity the state religion in the Roman Empire.
The churches, which commemorate the major events in the life of Jesus, have become incredibly important religious sites, which attract millions of pilgrims every year. Those include the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is the most important church in the world, the Church of All Nations, and many more.
Jerusalem in Islam
Jerusalem is one of the holiest cities in Islam. In Sunni Islam, Jerusalem is considered the third most important religious site, after Mecca and Al-Madinah.
In Shia Islam, Jerusalem is the fourth most important place, after the Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf and the Imam Hussayn Shrine in Karbala.
One of the main reasons for the importance of Jerusalem in Islam is that at the beginning of Islam, Muhammad ordered to pray in the direction of Jerusalem, and later changed the direction of the prayer to the Kaaba in Mecca.
According to Muslim tradition, Jerusalem is where Muhammad has made his ascension to the heavens, right where the Al-Aqsa Mosque stands today.
The importance of Jerusalem in Islam began to increase in the 7th and 8th centuries, with the construction of the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount.
Jerusalem in Judaism
Jerusalem is the holiest city for Judaism, as the Western Wall is the holiest site in the world for Judaism.
The holiness of Jerusalem stems from several reasons, with the main one being the fact that Jerusalem housed the first temple at the beginning of the first millennium BC, and the second temple that existed in Jerusalem from the sixth century BC to the first century AD. In Jewish tradition, it is also said that the Foundation Stone is the rock from which the whole world was founded, and the place where Isaac was bound.
Today, the main tradition associated with Jerusalem is the pilgrimage, as it is customary for Jewish people to go to Jerusalem three times a year: on Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot. While the Temple was in existence, those who came to Jerusalem were required to offer sacrifices, in order to break vows or ask for atonement for sins. In addition, all Jewish people turn their faces towards Jerusalem at time of prayer.
According to Jewish tradition, it is forbidden to bury the dead inside Jerusalem, out of fear that the dead will defile the sacrifices offered in Jerusalem. Therefore, it was customary to bury the dead outside the city, at sites such as the Mount of Olives.
Jerusalem religion today
Through the years, Jerusalem has maintained its status as an incredibly important religious site for all Christians, Muslims, and Jews. Every day, it is visited by thousands of pilgrims, who flock to the city’s religious sites from all around the world. This is mostly felt on Fridays, when the Al-Aqsa mosque is visited by thousand of prayers, and the Western Wall right below it is frequented by countless Jewish prayers. In terms of demographics, today Jerusalem has a majority of Jewish residents, with 560,000 Jewish residents, in comparison to 350,000 Muslim residents.
