Most people, even if they have never visited Jerusalem, will probably have some sort of image of the city in their minds.

​

Certainly this is likely to be the case for anyone from a Jewish, Christian or Muslim background.   This is because for all three Faiths, often referred to as the Abrahamic Faiths, Jerusalem is a sacred city. But for millennia the city has been a centre of conflict, right up until the present day.Very often these tensions have been described as a religious conflict between the Faiths.  Certainly this was true during the period of the Crusades, but it has not always been the case.   Political and economic interests have also been present.

​

In this lecture we look at why Jerusalem is so important to the three Faiths and then explore the background to the various moments of conflict in Jerusalem’s history.  While it may be possible to suggest reasons for such conflict it is far more difficult find solutions.  But the city has survived, despite a long history of conflict.  It can, indeed, be described as the ‘Eternal City’.

​

This lecture can easily be adapted for a Study Day.