Israel – A Land of Timeless Stories

General Thoughts

The lands that constitute modern day Israel form the source of so many stories that are engrained in human culture and history. This is the Holy Land, where the figures from the world’s three largest monotheistic religions have treaded. The faithful from each of the world’s three largest religions continue to coexist within a relatively small land area, sometimes peacefully and other times, not so peacefully. It is incredible to realize how important these lands are to so many of the world population, both historically and in the world we live in today. 

None is more evident than the ancient city of Jerusalem. From its earliest days as the City of David, Jerusalem has been fought over, conquered, besieged, destroyed, rebuilt and reborn. To this day, it is the subject of dispute over who has sovereignty over this ancient city. The Western Wall, one of the holiest sites in Judaism, stands alongside the Temple Mount (also known as Haram esh-Sharif), which is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of the holiest sites in Islam, as well as perhaps the signature building of Jerusalem, the Dome of the Rock. A stone’s throw away is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the holiest sites in Christianity, the site of Jesus’s crucifixion and tomb. The proximity of these sites of vast religious and historical importance is astounding. Spending a day in the Old City of Jerusalem wandering the Armenian, Christian, Jewish and Muslim Quarters, is like navigating across different worlds within a space that is only about a square kilometer in size. Each quarter possesses its unique atmosphere, architecture, religious symbolism and gift shops. The sounds of church bells is interlaced with the call to prayer of the muezzin, and pious monks retracing Jesus’s path to crucifixion on the Via Dolorosa can be seen alongside the Jewish faithful travelling to the Western Wall for Shabbat ceremonies.

The continuous tension that we often hear about in the daily news can be felt during my visit. Only recently, a series of attacks on Israeli policemen and soldiers in Jerusalem have led to increasing confrontation, including the controversial installation (and later removal) of metal detectors leading to the Temple Mount. It is a conflict that has been unresolved for generations, and is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon. However, visiting Israel is a unique, transcendent experience. Standing atop the towering fortress of Masada after an exhausting hike in early dawn, I stared far into the horizon at the golden hues of the sun rising over the Dead Sea. This was the site where a group of courageous Jewish people made their last stand against an invading Roman army. Today, it is the site of a symbolic initiation ceremony for new members of the Israeli military. This is perhaps the common thread that unite the people who have lived in Israel throughout its ancient and modern history: a sense of unwavering perseverance and dedication to their homeland.