Why is Jerusalem considered a “holy land” for all three of the religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam)? How has this land created conflicts for people in this region? Use at least two examples of any of the following to explain your historical conflicts, present day conflicts, holy sites, border disputes etc.

Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world. It has been conquered, razed and rebuilt. It is also revered in all three Abrahamic holy books. Many holy sites are  Al Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall.

It has not always been an easy journey. Pope Urban II launched the Crusades in 1095. What followed was a series a bloody battles over the fate of Jerusalem. The Christian armies retook the city initially but were later routed by famed Muslim leader, Saladin. The Crusades ended 200 years later with Muslims in control of the Holy Land. But Christians learnt much from the skilled Arab world in warfare and science.

Jerusalem, though, is more than just an historic place for Christians: it is also a metaphor for all that they yearn for in this world and the next. It is a perfect place, a golden city, a paradise they will one day attain after death. It also represents creation of a new earth.

Islamic rule over Jerusalem lasted for 12 centuries, longer than any other rule, whether Israelite, Roman, Persian or Christian. Political highlights included Caliph Omar’s conquest, Saladin’s reconquest from the crusaders, and Suleyman the Magnificent’s rebuilding of the city walls. In addition, Jerusalem has a strong Islamic intellectual and spiritual history – for example, the theologian Al-Ghazali is said to have spent an entire year in retreat, meditation and prayer in one of the minarets of the “Noble Sanctuary.”

Judaism, meanwhile, began more than 3,500 years ago. Jews believe that God anointed them as the chosen people to set an example of holiness. There are about 15 million Jews worldwide

According to Jewish tradition, Jerusalem is Mount Moriah, the location of the binding of Isaac. The Hebrew Bible mentions the name "Jerusalem" 669 times, often because many mitzvot can only be performed within its environs. The name "Zion", which usually refers to Jerusalem, but sometimes the Land of Israel, appears in the Hebrew Bible 154 times.

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i respect all the religions and their views)

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d. i., ii., iii., and iv.