THE BIOGRAPHY OF JERUSALEM

THE BIOGRAPHY OF JERUSALEM

To know Jerusalem is to know the world

I want to tell you about the book “Jerusalem, the Biography” by Simon Sebag Montefiore, which I think has been out of print for some time.

However, I found it on sale in a bookshop, in a newspaper edition, divided into small paperback books, which I’m reading with great enthusiasm and voracity as I go through them.

The author traces the entire history of the Holy City over the last millennium with the extraordinary vision of a novelist and filmmaker. We seem to see all the events happening right before our eyes. Simon Sebag tells us the story of Jerusalem as if he were a cameraman, showing us how the city has been destroyed and rebuilt repeatedly.

I can assure you that the reading is captivating from the very first page.

Jerusalem: a treasure that everyone is clamoring for

Firstly, I would like to highlight one of the passages from the book: “Jerusalem is the Holy City, but it has always been a den of superstition, charlatanism and hypocrisy; Jerusalem has been the target of greed and the prize of empires, but it is a city without any strategic value. It harbours the cosmopolitan headquarters of multiple sects, each of which considers that the city belongs to it exclusively.”

Reading the book throughout its pages will demonstrate this.

A captivating read

What also struck me from the very first pages of the book is how the author manages to hold the reader’s attention. Events unfold at a lively pace, allowing us to follow the course of history, the entry of new protagonists, conquerors and warriors, although without going into detail. We quickly realise that Jerusalem remains today, almost as a miracle, because the savage way it was destroyed and its population decimated could make it a pile of stones only of interest to archaeologists.

It’s good that miracles happen.
Jerusalem is the product of several empires, including several personalities who made it their trophy. A city in the middle of the desert and a considerable distance from the coast, it’s impressive how its low geostrategic value contrasts with its religious value.

A must-read

For anyone who wants to get to know this corner of the planet and the history of Jerusalem, this biography of the city by Simon Sebag is a must-read.

I’m still halfway through this fantastic story, but I felt I should make a few observations about this book. It was here that I discovered that Herod was not of Roman origin, although he had obtained citizenship. And, in one way or another, all the Roman emperors – especially those who reigned in the East – played a decisive role in the history of this city. Titus is responsible for the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, as well as the human and cultural massacre committed in this sacred place. I was really impressed by Simon Sebag’s account of the events.

In the midst of this historical context, I better understood the impact of Jesus’ appearance in a society that didn’t know any kind of moral rule (parents killing their children, women murdered by their sisters and brothers, among many other crimes committed at the time).

I was scandalised by the murders committed throughout Jerusalem’s history and the religious schisms that its destruction caused.

More than we can imagine, Jerusalem has influenced everyone’s life.