Reading Response 3

After reading the first four chapters of Karen Armstrong's book, I have gained an even better understanding of Jerusalem and its history. Prior to taking this class, I had little to no knowledge of the city, so I feel like this book will really help me gain a better understanding.

One thing that really stuck out to me in chapter one was how easily something could be named 'holy'.  The book talks about how anything "the unknown, the alien, or even the perfect seemed to.... point to something other than themselves." One question that has always been in the back of my mind is how certain objects become the symbol of a religion, and learning this has been insightful.  This makes me wonder why and how certain objects become so symbolic, more than just because they're "alien".

Another interesting fact I came across while reading was the conflict of what the bible says about Jerusalem versus what some archaeologists believe.  The book says that the first mention of Jerusalem is viewed as "enemy territory" but some archaeologists believe otherwise, finding little to no evidence of any type of conflict. This makes me wonder how those living in Jerusalem, as well as any religious scholar, feels about this revelation.  

This reading talks a lot about the cities and the conflicts surrounding religion. I find it ironic that there is so much violence that revolves around religion. I was not raised in a very religious household--I never went to on a regular basis--but I always associated religion with peace, and something that was helpful to people, not something that caused so much conflict.  I realize that many wars and conflicts have arose because of religion other than the one surrounding Jerusalem, and I wonder why this is the case. Do people use religion for power? Or because they fear others' religious views? Or because maybe they fear that if there are other beliefs then theirs may not be legitimate? I am curious to know the true reasons behind these conflicts, and not just what we see on the surface.