One Holy Land, Three Holy Peoples
Islamic, Christian, and Jewish regard for the Holy Land,
and the impact of those beliefs on the current conflict
Lecture by Rabbi Reuven Firestone,
Professor of Medieval Judaism and Islam
October 20, 2002
Thompson 102
UMass Amherst
We invited Rabbi Firestone to UMass to provide some theological and historical context for the never-ending conflict in the "Holy Land" which in September 2000 flared anew—a conflict which seems as inexplicable as unresolvable.
He spoke about one of the most contentious issues at the center of the current Intifada, which in Arabic is called Intifadat al-Aqsa, the "Quaking of Jerusalem": how each of these three great religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—regard the holy city of Jerusalem.
"Whatever the origin of its sanctity," Rabbi Firestone said, "Jerusalem has become a sacred center for the largest number of religious adherents on this earth. Jews, Christians, and Muslims all revere the city, and all consider it their holy city. Each religious civilization claims Jerusalem for itself, but the meaning of its sanctity differs for each as well..."
Read the lecture in its entirety
Rabbi Firestone has traveled extensively in the Middle East, served on the international "Voice of Peace" radio project and a variety of committees exploring Jewish-Muslim and Jewish-Arab relations in the United States.
Detailed biography
More information about Rabbi Firestone
(Hebrew Union College web site)
This program was a collaborative effort of the Jewish Student Union, Hillel,
and the Office of Jewish Affairs.
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