Understanding the Spiritual Meaning of Jerusalem in Three Abrahamic Religions analyzes the historical, social and theological factors which have resulted in Jerusalem being considered a holy place in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It also surveys the transmission of the religious traditions related to Jerusalem. This volume centralizes both the biblical background of Jerusalem’s pivotal role as holy place and its later development in religious writings; the biblical imagery has been adapted, rewritten and modified in Second Temple Jewish writings, the New Testament, patristic and Jewish literature, and Islamic traditions. Thus, all three monotheistic religions have influenced the multifaceted, interpretive traditions which help to understand the current religious and political position of Jerusalem in the three main Abrahamic faiths.
Antti Laato, Ph.D. (1988), is Professor in Old Testament Exegetics and Judaic Studies at Åbo Akademi University. He has published monographs, edited volumes and written articles on the Hebrew Bible and its reception history, including the monograph The Origin of Israelite Zion Theology (Bloomsbury-Clark 2018).
Preface
Part 1 Hebrew Bible—Common Background
Understanding the Spiritual Meaning of JerusalemA Religious Historical and Theological OverviewAntti Laato Jerusalem as the Centre of Blessing in Isaiah 65–66 and 1 Enoch 26:1–2Stefan Green
Part 2 Early Judaism and New Testament
Sex and the CityEvidence from the Dead Sea ScrollsJutta Jokiranta Rival Visions of the Eschatological Temple of JerusalemJuho Sankamo Jerusalem as Seen by Ancient Historians and in Luke-ActsLukas Bormann
Part 3 Patristic Literature
The New Jerusalem in TertullianAnni Maria Laato Makarios’ Teaching about JerusalemMartin Tamcke Liturgical Representations of Jerusalem in Eastern Christian TraditionsSerafim Seppälä Two Daughters Competing for ChristJacob of Sarug on Edessa and JerusalemCatalin-Stefan Popa
Part 4 Qurʾan and Early Islam
Islam and the Sanctity of JerusalemJaakko Hämeen-Anttila The Status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem in the Prophetic TraditionsMustafa Abu Sway The Last Roman Emperor, the Mahdī, and JerusalemIlkka Lindstedt
Part 5 Confrontations and Encounters in Modern Times
Jerusalem – Religious Meaning and PeacebuildingYvonne Margaretha Wang With Faith, with Might or BothTwo Contemporary Jewish Understandings of Exile and RedemptionMia Anderssén-Löf General IndexIndex of Modern Authors
All interested to understand the spiritual meaning of Jerusalem for three Abrahamic faiths in religious and political context as well as in arts will find lot of interesting topics in this volume.