Why was Jerusalem important to the christians and the Muslims?

Answer 1

My religious knowledge is rather limited but I do think that the Muslim claim to Jerusalem arises because it is believed to be where Muhammad descended into heaven. The veracity of their claim to the city however may be questionable as real fervency to own Jerusalem may have been the result of the Muslim General Salahadin who inspired a zeal to capture the city during the crusades.

Answer 2

The crusaders went to Jerusalem because one Christian - called Alexius I of Constantinople - feared that his country might also fall into the Muslims as it was very close to the territory captured by the Muslims. Constantinople is in modern day Turkey. Alexius called on the pope - Urban II - to give him help. In 1095, Urban spoke to a great crown at Clermont in France. He called for a war against the Muslims so that Jerusalem was regained for the Christian faith. In his speech he said:"Christians, hasten to help your brothers in the East, for they are being attacked. Arm for the rescue of Jerusalem under your captain Christ. Wear his cross as your badge. If you are killed your sins will be pardoned."

While the above is correct, in essence the crusades were a land grab. Which the church sanctified as it stood to gain a great deal

Answer 3

By the time of the Crusades, the Jews viewed Jerusalem through much the same lens as they do today. For those reasons, see the following answers.

Answer:Jerusalem is the the center of Judaism. It is important to Jews because it was the site of the Akeidah (Binding of Isaac, in Genesis ch.22) and was later the seat of the Davidic Kings, when King David, Israel's greatest king, founded the dynasty that ruled Judah for much of its history, making Jerusalem the capital of the United Kingdom of Israel during his reign and that of his son, King Solomon. Most importantly, it was the location of the First and Second Temples, where offerings were made to God and where His presence dwelt in the Holy of Holies and was manifested in a number of miracles (Mishna, Avos ch.5).

Jerusalem is called the holy city by the prophets (Isaiah 52:1). It was where Jews would go three times a year to celebrate the holiest festivals. Even after the destruction of the Temple, the Temple Mount and adjacent Western ("Wailing") Wall is the holiest site in Judaism.

It is hoped and prophesied (Ezekiel ch.40-44) that one day a third temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem and that the Messiah will come to it.

Answer:As a result of the historical relationship between the Jewish people and Jerusalem, it was seen as an intrinsically holy city and a place where the Shechinah (God's presence) rested. Jerusalem has become representative of the connection with the Divine. In addition, Jerusalem is seen as the source of Divine Law, as demonstrated in many Jewish prayers: "Ki miTziyon tetze Torah udvar Hashem maYerushalayim - From Zion comes the Torah and the Word of God from Jerusalem"; Isaiah 2:3. (NOTE: Zion is another name for Jerusalem.) Jerusalem is also representative of the Redemption of the Jewish people from their physical and spiritual Exile, because this exile causes the melancholy that the Jewish people experience by being apart from the Shechinah. The Redemption, which Jews believe will be brought by the Messiah, will result in the Jewish people and the Shechinah returning most visibly to Jerusalem.

Answer

According to ancient Hebrew tradition, Jerusalem is the site where God took the very earth from which Adam, the first man, was formed. Read Genesis carefully; Adam was not created in the garden of Eden; he was TAKEN there. Jerusalem, because it is the first place on Earth where the spirit of God dwelt, is considered sacred, and a direct link to God.

Answer

Judaism is the oldest monotheistic religion and Jerusalem has been its only holy site for 3000 years, ever since King Solomon built the original Jewish Temple there. The temple was destroyed by invading Babylonians and rebuilt at the same site (known as the Temple Mount) about 2500 years ago. It was then destroyed again when the Romans conquered Judea about 2000 yrs ago, killing a million Jews, expelling another million and enslaving the remaining million. All Jews who value their heritage feel ties to the holy land, where so many of their people struggled for the freedom to practice Judaism. At the same time, Jews believe that all people, Muslims, Jews, Christians, and everyone else should be welcome there, regardless of faith.

Answer

Jerusalem is the eternal Jewish city, and a symbol of a future time of peace. Jerusalem is also the focal point of prayer of the Jews. When they pray, wherever they are on the surface of the earth, they face towards Jerusalem (Talmud, Berakhot 30a), with love and longing.

The sentiment is aptly expressed in Psalm 137:

"By the waters of Babylon, there we sat and wept as we remembered Zion....". It continues to say: "If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its wisdom."

For thousands of years we remembered our exile and prayed for its end. Now at least we can do so from "up close."

Answer 4

A large number of very holy places are in Jerusalem and it was one of the most important both tactically and economically cities for the Saracens.

Answer 5

Jerusalem was important to the Christians in the middle ages as a place of pilgrimage, because it was a place where Jesus taught, and was later crucified, and rose again from the dead.

Answer 6

Most people in the Middle Ages were religious and, therefore, visited Jerusalem as a pilgrimage site.