Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths

A book that delves into the importance of Jerusalem for three religions. Great service from the seller.

Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths is the most comprehensive ancient to contemporary work on Jerusalem in modern libraries. Karen Armstrong's writing style is accessible for average readers while preserving academic integrity. Armstrong's work guides the reader through all of the tribes that have occupied this small piece of earth's geography, beginning with the ancient civilizations of the Akkadians, through the Israelites, Christians, and Muslims, and all of the pagan societies in between. The historical substance comprises theology, geography, topography, climatology, civil and ecclesiastical polity, archeology, logography, architecture, agriculture, warfare, and commerce. More than just another historical rendition, the breadth of the work is one that connects the timeline with real struggle in and over this holy place. Armstrong's perspective is uniquely informed through her Catholic heritage and her active participation with Jewish and Muslim communities. Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths tells the story of the sacredness of this place, from the three perspectives of the world's primary monotheist religions definition of "holy". The reader walks away with a sense of the whole story, instead of fragments gathered through opinions, rumors, and news reports that are incomprehensible without the fuller scope of theological archaeology. The sense of sacredness these three religions ascribe to this place come from the same species seeking something more divine than what is attainable within themselves. It is in this story that we find the Creator frustrated perhaps with the confounding process of humans being human while trying to be holy. It is a juxtaposing journey that Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths brings clarity and rouses contemplation.

Karen Armstrong’s “Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths” is a succinct historical portrayal of the city from its earliest know origins to the conclusion of her writing in 1996. Easily readable, the book captures the attention of the reader with the city in history, before it became Jerusalem. The historical account includes but is not limited to its Jewish, Christian, and Islamic history, much that seems to corroborate the Tanakh, the Old Testament, and the writings of Islam.It was interesting to learn of how the city, considered holy to many different religions and empires over the years, changed hands and was destroyed and rebuilt so often throughout the ages. Armstrong paints a clear picture of what the city was like when it was first made into the capital city known as Jerusalem including the role of David, the Jewish King of ancient BCE, had in building up and establishing the city as a center of government and religion. Even then, the city was diverse in its religious population and managed to have different sects and cults live among one another in the city. For the first time, under David’s rule, did a physical place become something ‘sacred’ to the Jewish nation. Under Solomon, David’s son and heir to the throne, the city was further built up and experienced a time of prosperity and harmony.Yet, as history proves for Jerusalem, success is often the precursor to downfall. The city was conquered by another empire and devastation of the city ensued. This pattern continued throughout history, as Armstrong makes clear in her book. The city continued to change hands between Israeli and Judean leadership as well as foreign rule. Because of this pattern, many different nations and religions came to settle Jerusalem over the years and have managed to either hold fast in the face of war and new rule or, in many cases, to resettle and reestablish themselves during times of transition.Knowing a little about Judaism and even less about Islam, I found Armstrong’s exposition of their history in Jerusalem as well as the insight into the various religions, cultures, and practices valuable to further the understanding of how this city became a holy city to all.In the latter half of the book, dealing with the Crusades and beyond, I began to see a thread of discontentment with Christianity, constantly painting it in negative light and criticizing its people as not portraying the scripture and lifestyle they preached and taught. While I have no doubt this was the case in many of the historical accounts of wars and governing leaders, I found it to be a bit over-critical of Christianity as a whole. Armstrong also narrowed her representation of Christian sects in the holy city throughout the 20th century, limiting her writings to mainly Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox accounts, excluding Protestants completely. After more in-depth look at author Karen Armstrong, one finds her cynicism of Christianity to be part of her history: a once-Catholic sister, Armstrong left the convent. One can deduce her well-versed understanding of Christian history and scripture as well as her separation from sisterhood bears on her writing.Still, the history of the city Jerusalem and the major faiths that occupied it throughout history and today are comprehensibly written and paint a vivid picture of the amazing holy city and some of its representative faiths. An enthralling book that kept me reading, I would suggest it to anyone with a love of history, faith, or geography, especially those who have a special place in their heart for Jerusalem.

this is the second book i have read of karen armstrongs and the second book on jerusalem.she knows her material and is a very talented storyteller......telling an objective story with no religious favorites.....and able to question scripture or myth for all 3she frames the ancient world with greek social platform and roman government as it seemed to be back then.......and most important......she is able to tell a tale about the search for god and "religion" as the backdrop for history......her sequential maps of jerusalem are very helpful for the reader to try and understand the physical realities of the tale.....i would highly recommend this book as the 'greatest story ever told'......among all the other 'greatest stories ever told'.........this subject requires scholarship, research, human insight, deep religious sensibility and honesty. she really delivers a quality work!!!!I learned a lot.......great work!!!!

Ms. Armstrong fails to fully disguise her pro-muslim bias in this history of Jerusalem. While it is true that atrocities were committed by all parties (Jews, Christians, Muslims and others) at different times during Jerusalem's long history, she focuses primarily on those inflicted upon the Muslims, ignoring the fact that the Christian crusades occured after more than 300 hundred years of Muslim invasions upon Christian, Jewish and pagan lands, often brutally, and with disastrous consequences.The "claim to Jerusalem", while a very touchy subject and one fraught with the landmines of what constitutes a claim, is presented with her usual bias towards Muslims, largely ignoring the very clear historical fact that it was the Jewish temples upon which all others were later built.Very readable and complete, worth adding to your library if you can take it for what it's worth and balance the information with other sources.

Very informative. A must-read along with Al-Quds history, religion and politics

excellent book about the history of the 3 most important faiths base on the facts, not the dogmas.

Best book to know much about all problems facing these 3 monotheistic religions through power politics of few humans.

I became aware of this book while reading Simon Sebag Montifiore's  Jerusalem: The Biography , which I highly recommend. In his preface he praises Armstrong's book. It is clear why he does so. Karen Armstrong has given the reader a thorough and highly intelligent history of the three monotheistic faiths that find the roots of their faith in Jerusalem. She does so with the utmost clarity and, I think, impartiality. Her scholarship is detailed and her writing flows, carrying the reader carefully through the centuries of peace and war in this very unique city. A solid foundation for any serious scholar or casual reader in religious history, a particular faith or the history of Jerusalem. Jerusalem: The Biography

I have worked in the Near East for many years. I know a lot of people from the area but I had to read this book to understand the basis of the tensions. Karen has such an amazing ability to explain such a complex story and make it compelling to read. She is a truly remarkable women with a God given insight.