Publisher's Synopsis
"On the famous mappa mundi, housed in Hereford Cathedral, Jerusalem is at the center of the world. For Jews, Christians, and Muslims, this holy city represents not merely a physical focus for their faith, but a theological and spiritual emblem: simultaneously a very earthly city and a uniquely celestial kingdom. How has this insignificant city become such a critical location in geopolitics and psychogeography? I'm Talking about Jerusalem explores the many and varied meanings and resonances of "Jerusalem"--in history, prophecy, theology, literature, imagery, and myth. "Jerusalem" appears 806 times in the Bible. For the Jews, Jerusalem is not simply a significant physical place, past and present, but a religious concept transcending time. For Christians, it is the site of Jesus's last days--and of countless Christian structures, relics, and remains. Islamic tradition has celebrated the city with seventeen names; it was a key stage in Muha
