Holy Land

The expression The Holy Land (Hebrew ארץ הקודש: Standard Hebrew Éreẓ haQodeš, Tiberian Hebrew ʾÉreṣ haqQāḏēš; Latin Terra Sancta; Arabic الأرض المقدسة, al-Arḍ ul-Muqaddasah) generally refers to the Land of Israel, otherwise known as the region of Palestine (sometimes including parts of Jordan, Syria and Egypt). It concerns the areas that hold significant religious importance to any or all three monotheistic Abrahamic traditions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

The Crusades were started on the pretext of recovering the Holy Land for the religion of the New Testament. More recently, the region is at the center of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Judaism

For over 3,000 years, Jews have held the Land of Israel to be their homeland, both as a Holy Land and as a Promised Land. The Land of Israel holds a special place in Jewish religious tradition, encompassing Judaism's most important sites — including the remains of the First and Second Temple, as well as the rites concerning the Temple in Jerusalem. Starting around 1200 BCE, a series of Jewish kingdoms and states existed intermittently in the region for over a millennium. Recent archeological evidence suggests that the kingdoms of King David and King Solomon may have existed.

Under foreign conquests, Jewish presence in the province dwindled due to mass expulsions. In particular, the failure of the Bar Kochba Revolt against the Roman Empire resulted in widescale expulsion of Jews. During this time that the Romans gave the name Syria Palaestina to the geographic area, in an attempt to erase Jewish ties to the land. The Mishnah and Jerusalem Talmud, two of Judaism's most important religious texts, were composed in the region during this period.

Judaism's holiest cities are Jerusalem, Hebron, Tzfat and Tiberias. Jerusalem is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible over 700 times.

See also: Religious significance of Jerusalem in Judaism, Holy cities in Judaism, Zion.

Christianity

The Holy Land is significant in Christianity, mainly because it is believed to be the place of birth, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, the Saviour or Messiah to Christianity.

Holy cities for Christians of all denominations:

Jerusalem is believed to be the site of some of Jesus's teaching, the Last Supper, the subsequent institution of the Holy Eucharist as well as His entombment; Christians believe he was crucified on a nearby hill, Golgotha (sometimes called Calvary). It contains the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Church of All Nations; .
Bethlehem is the birthplace of Jesus
Nazareth is Jesus's hometown and the site of many of his acts and miracles

Islam

Sharing similar religious beliefs with Jews and Christians, Muslims consider the land west of (but not limited to) the Jordan River to be Sacred as mentioned in the Qur'an, (5:20-21).

Early Islamic tradition by Az-Zujaj describes Holy Land as "Damascus, Palestine, and a bit of Jordan", and by Qatada as "the Levant (ash-Sham)" and by Maad ibn Jabal as "the area between al-Arish and the Euphrates", and by Ibn Abbas as "the land of Jericho".

Muslims also consider the depression below Mount Sinai, also known as the Tuwa, to be sacred as mentioned in the Qur'an (20:12). This place is usually referred to as the "Holy Valley" (الوادي المقدس).

In the Holy Land, Jerusalem is considered to be the holiest city. Its significance emerges not only because of its association with the Israelite Prophets revered in Islam (see Prophets of Islam), but also because of the Isra and the Miraj, (the spiritual journeys of the Prophet Muhammad to and from Jerusalem).

In Arabic, the city of Jerusalem is commonly known as "al-Quds", meaning "the Holy".

See also: Religious significance of Jerusalem in Islam.

The term "Holy Land" is also sometimes used by Muslims (although not in the Qur'an) in reference to the Hijaz, land of the holy cities Mecca and Medina.

References

Hanan Isachar, Ceremonies in the Holy Land, Melzer 2005

External links

The names of the Holy Land (religioustolerance.org)
The Bible On Jewish Links To The Holy Land by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein (jewishvirtuallibrary.org)
Jerusalem: Jewish and Moslem Claims to the Holy City by Rabbi Ken Spiro (aish.org)
Hebron and The Struggle for the Holy Land by Rabbi Berel Wein (aish.org)
Continuous Jewish Presence in the Holy Land. Part 1, Part 2 (eretzyisroel.org)
The Land Called Holy by Robin Darling Young

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Holy Land

Judaism

Christianity

Islam

See also

References

External links