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David Ido
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October 18, 2022 How did Jerusalem become a holy place?
Different people associate different meanings with different locations in this world. It depends on their point of view—both visual and spiritual—on how they interpret particular settings. However, there are some locations that, according to the consensus of people, have a special significance. These locations often have a significant historical value, and their current meaning has been the subject of extensive thought and discussion. Jerusalem is one of them. Those who adhere to the three main religions in our world—Christianity, Judaism, and Islam—
view Jerusalem as a hallowed place. Jerusalem's status as a holy location is reaffirmed all through the Hebrew Bible, which offers unique examples to support Eliade's definition of sacred
space in his book "The Sacred and The Profane." Jerusalem is frequently shown in the Hebrew Bible as a location selected by God directly to be regarded as "Sacred." In certain cases, Jerusalem's economic and political significance is emphasized through the tales of the Hebrew Bible, underscoring its significance during the Iron Age. Although learning the Biblical stories on its own does not make it clear why Jerusalem is a sacred city in our present, when the ideas formed and described by Eliade, such as Hierophany, Axis Mundi, and Imago Mundi, are combined, it is difficult to contest the idea that Jerusalem is, in fact, a sacred place.
Eliade offers a notion in his writing regarding why a certain location is considered holy. "Hierophany" is the first term he defines. Eliade says, "a man becomes aware of the sacred because it manifests itself, shows itself" (Eliade, page 11). Hierophany means the appearance of
the holy. He continues to argue how once something has established itself as holy, it lacks its
inherent significance and is only revered for what it is now—a hierophany—rather than for what it used to be. Moreover, he clarifies that every believer experiences the space surrounding
them differently than a non-believer person. He explains how religious people notice a rupture in the space that surrounds them. Any Hierophany's expression of the holy disrupts space's uniformity (Eliade 21). Since the homogeneity of the area has been broken by sacred spots, a passageway that connects the three cosmic planes of heaven, earth, and the underworld has developed (Eliade 37). Eliade refers to this section connecting all three cosmic planes as the "Axis Mundi" (Eliade 36). He also refers to the microcosm of the globe that forms around this "Axis Mundi" as the "Imago Mundi,” the image of the world (Eliade 42). It is easier to comprehend Jerusalem's current status as holy land when the Hebrew Bible and the terms created by Eliade, are combined. It is easier for us to comprehend how Jerusalem had become a sacred city when we refer to scriptures from the Hebrew Bible and see how Eliade's terms are being shown. Genesis 22 describes how God picked Jerusalem's territory to turn into a holy site. In this text, God instructs Abraham to take his only son, Isaac, to Moriah and sacrifice him as a sacrificial offering. Abraham complies with the request of God out of reverence for him and trust in the divine power. In recognition of his faithfulness, God blesses him with a ram as a sacrifice instead of his son. Following this revelation, Abraham gave the location the name "the LORD will provide" (Gen22:14). Giving the location a name based on the occasion that occurred as a result of God's action elevates the location to a holy status and therefore constitutes a Hierophany. The area was selected by God directly to perform a ceremony, and the person chosen to perform the ceremony was so gratified by the deed of God that he felt the
sacredness of the place and gave it a holy name. This also reaffirms Eliade's assertion that "men
are not free to choose the sacred site, that they only seek for it and find it by the help of mysterious signs" (Eliade, 28). Genesis 22 was written with sympathy and admiration for God. We get all the details of this event and are exposed to the greatness of God. This reinforces the point of view of the writers on Jerusalem because this is the place where God showed his immense power. In keeping with the idea of finding illustrations from the Hebrew Bible, we can observe the existence of a Hierophany in 2 Samuel 24, in which God punishes David for his crimes by sending disease upon Israel. Although God was responsible for sending the disease upon Israel, he also prevented the angel from harming the population of Jerusalem, demonstrating his affection and particular relationship with Jerusalem. David sets an altar on the "threshing floor of Arau'nah the Jeb'usite" to prevent the disease from extending to other regions (2 Sam 24:18). We may again observe the turning of a site into a Hierophany under God's command in Jerusalem, and we can also perceive the attachment that God shares with the place, which explains why it is reasonable to regard it as a site of immense holiness.
It is apparent that the concept of Hierophany is present throughout the Biblical texts, and this idea assists us to comprehend why Jerusalem occupies the peak as the holiest place for
all religious strata. Throughout the passage, God's fondness for Jerusalem, whether by evaluating the devotion of his followers or assessing the allegiance of rulers to their kingdoms, is made abundantly plain. In addition to addressing the concept of hierophanies, the Hebrew Bible also contains examples demonstrating that Jerusalem served as a cosmic foundation.
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In addition to the involvement of God, the unwavering confidence of Kings and their Kingdoms in God also contributed to Jerusalem's success as a Holy Place. King Solomon was an ardent follower of God. As described in 1 Kings 6, king Solomon was the one who construct the temple in Jerusalem, “
The temple
that King Solomon built
” (verse 2),
since he devoted great attention to what the prophets advised him to do. King David, Solomon's father, conceived the idea of constructing the temple first. King David, who ruled Jerusalem for over thirty years, desired to construct a temple for God in order to honor him for his great rule, but God forbade him from doing so because David was a warrior that killed others and had blood on his hands. Solomon assumed responsibility for constructing God's temple and was capable of successfully completing it instead of his father. 1 Kings 6 reveals that
the concept of Solomon's temple corresponded to that of the Garden of Eden, as seen by the temple's description, “
The inside of the temple was cedar,
carved with gourds and open flowers” (verse 18), “he carved cherubim,
palm trees and open flowers” (verse 29). Both were constructed from comparable materials, and their purpose was to provide a place for God to interact with earthlings as he had in the past. It can be seen that the comparison of the Temple to the Garden of Eden creates a situation for Imago Mundi. We get the image of the Garden through the Temple. Since the Temple was elevated above the ground, it was believed to be more close to God; therefore, by producing a fracture in the homogeneous space, it establishes an Axis Mundi as it connects all three realms via this structure. Solomon brought the ark of the covenant, a very religious symbol, inside the Temple after it had been constructed. The temple played a significant role in establishing the sacredness of Jerusalem by establishing a space that
was sacred to the city's inhabitants, equaled the purity of the Garden of Eden, and housed one of the sacred objects.
In Psalms 46 and 48, the magnificence of God and his affection for Jerusalem are elaborated upon. Psalmists describe how Jerusalem, thanks to its spiritual presence, will be unaffected even if " its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging" (Ps 46:3). God always resides in Jerusalem and will defend from any and all tragedies, demonstrating how solid the City is and allowing it to be regarded as the home of God, the holiest place on earth. Moreover, Psalmists stated that "God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved;" (Psalm 46:5), which contributes to the significance of Jerusalem being the center of the universe (Axis Mundi) and an Imago Mundi (the image of the world), as it exemplifies a variety of natural activities that took place throughout the world. In addition, Psalm 48 illustrates that Jerusalem is closer to God by comparing the city to a mountain, "His holy mountain" (Psalm 48:1). God's presence in Jerusalem, which is not endowed with the most
beautiful scenery or richest resources, makes it much more desirable because God himself picked this location.
Undoubtedly, Jerusalem is a sacred city. The literature and the Hebrew Bible, along with
the deep and wealthy history and cultural uniqueness, imply the very same. As a result, a person whose persistent need for a religious ideology takes him to many places can complete his quest in Jerusalem because this city has plenty to offer. Now it is simple to comprehend why
Jerusalem is such a precious place, given the biblical verses and chapters as well as the contemporary discussions regarding its status in society.
Works Cited
Eliade, Mircea. The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion
. New York: Harper & Row, 1959.
Brettler, Marc, et al., editors.
The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha
. 5th ed., Oxford University Press, 2018.
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