Difference between revisions of "The Holy Land"
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In European culture, it has predominantly been identified as the home of the great Jew Jesus, believed by Christians to be the Son of God, and by Muslims to be a great prophet, before Muhammad. The Holy Lands, for Christians, include, notably, Jerusalem itself, holy to all three faiths. It was the city of [[King David#King David of Israel|David]] and site of the Temple of [[Solomon]], as well as the site of the Dome of the Rock, the Muslim building commemorating the ascension of Muhammad into heaven. it is also believed to be the Holy of Holies, or sanctuary, of both Solomon's Temple, destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE, and its successor, the Second Temple, destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE; and, traditionally, to be the site where Abraham intended to sacrifice his son Isaac (in Judaeo-Christian teaching) or Ishmael (in Islamic teaching). | In European culture, it has predominantly been identified as the home of the great Jew Jesus, believed by Christians to be the Son of God, and by Muslims to be a great prophet, before Muhammad. The Holy Lands, for Christians, include, notably, Jerusalem itself, holy to all three faiths. It was the city of [[King David#King David of Israel|David]] and site of the Temple of [[Solomon]], as well as the site of the Dome of the Rock, the Muslim building commemorating the ascension of Muhammad into heaven. it is also believed to be the Holy of Holies, or sanctuary, of both Solomon's Temple, destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE, and its successor, the Second Temple, destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE; and, traditionally, to be the site where Abraham intended to sacrifice his son Isaac (in Judaeo-Christian teaching) or Ishmael (in Islamic teaching). | ||
| − | *The Holy Land, as considered in mainstream European (Christian) usage, also contains the sites of Jesus's life: his [[Nativity|birthplace]] at Bethlehem; Nazareth in Galilee, the village where he grew up; Cana, where [[Saint John#John the Evangelist|John]]'s [[Gospel]] tells us that Jesus performed his first miracle; the river [[Jordan]], where he was baptized; the Sea of Galilee, where he recruited the first [[Disciple]]s; Bethany, home of Martha and [[Saint Mary#Mary of Bethany|Mary]] and their brother | + | *The Holy Land, as considered in mainstream European (Christian) usage, also contains the sites of Jesus's life: his [[Nativity|birthplace]] at Bethlehem; Nazareth in Galilee, the village where he grew up; Cana, where [[Saint John#John the Evangelist|John]]'s [[Gospel]] tells us that Jesus performed his first miracle; the river [[Jordan]], where he was baptized; the Sea of Galilee, where he recruited the first [[Disciple]]s; Bethany, home of Martha and [[Saint Mary#Mary of Bethany|Mary]] and their brother Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead, and many other sites mentioned in the Gospels. Jerusalem also contains the Holy Sepulchre, where he was buried before, as Christians believe, he rose from the dead. |
*Similarly, for Jews, the '''Promised Land''' contains the places mentioned in the [[Old Testament]] (after the Exodus from Egypt), such as Jericho, Bersheba, Ashkelon, Hebron, Gaza, Gilead, Sodom, Gomorrah and many others. | *Similarly, for Jews, the '''Promised Land''' contains the places mentioned in the [[Old Testament]] (after the Exodus from Egypt), such as Jericho, Bersheba, Ashkelon, Hebron, Gaza, Gilead, Sodom, Gomorrah and many others. | ||
| − | *For Islam, Jerusalem is the third most holy place in the world. But the two most holy cities, Mecca and Medina, are in modern Saudi Arabia, which, however holy, is not usually included in the 'Holy Land' by those who are not Muslims. This helps to explain the | + | *For Islam, Jerusalem is the third most holy place in the world. But the two most holy cities, Mecca and Medina, are in modern Saudi Arabia, which, however holy, is not usually included in the 'Holy Land' by those who are not Muslims. This helps to explain the difficulty with the term: |
'''Usage Note''': be careful with the term '''Holy Land'''. | '''Usage Note''': be careful with the term '''Holy Land'''. | ||
Latest revision as of 19:35, 23 February 2022
The Holy Land or Holy Lands is the name given to that region of the Middle East which is held to contain sites of special religious significance (sacred sites) by followers of all three Abrahamic faiths. In effect this means the lands around Jerusalem, mostly occupied by Israel at the present time (2010), and previously known as Palestine; it has had many other names, and many other occupants, in its long history.
In European culture, it has predominantly been identified as the home of the great Jew Jesus, believed by Christians to be the Son of God, and by Muslims to be a great prophet, before Muhammad. The Holy Lands, for Christians, include, notably, Jerusalem itself, holy to all three faiths. It was the city of David and site of the Temple of Solomon, as well as the site of the Dome of the Rock, the Muslim building commemorating the ascension of Muhammad into heaven. it is also believed to be the Holy of Holies, or sanctuary, of both Solomon's Temple, destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE, and its successor, the Second Temple, destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE; and, traditionally, to be the site where Abraham intended to sacrifice his son Isaac (in Judaeo-Christian teaching) or Ishmael (in Islamic teaching).
- The Holy Land, as considered in mainstream European (Christian) usage, also contains the sites of Jesus's life: his birthplace at Bethlehem; Nazareth in Galilee, the village where he grew up; Cana, where John's Gospel tells us that Jesus performed his first miracle; the river Jordan, where he was baptized; the Sea of Galilee, where he recruited the first Disciples; Bethany, home of Martha and Mary and their brother Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead, and many other sites mentioned in the Gospels. Jerusalem also contains the Holy Sepulchre, where he was buried before, as Christians believe, he rose from the dead.
- Similarly, for Jews, the Promised Land contains the places mentioned in the Old Testament (after the Exodus from Egypt), such as Jericho, Bersheba, Ashkelon, Hebron, Gaza, Gilead, Sodom, Gomorrah and many others.
- For Islam, Jerusalem is the third most holy place in the world. But the two most holy cities, Mecca and Medina, are in modern Saudi Arabia, which, however holy, is not usually included in the 'Holy Land' by those who are not Muslims. This helps to explain the difficulty with the term:
Usage Note: be careful with the term Holy Land.
The phrase dates back to the Crusades, and was used to justify them. Crusaders and those that drove them on spoke of 'reclaiming the Holy Places' from those they saw as infidels - the Muslims. To refer unthinkingly to the 'Holy Land' may revive memories of the slaughter and cruelties inflicted by the Crusaders, hence may be seen as conveying a particular set of prejudices, causing offence to some readers.
