Lecture 2: finishing off Jerusalem as a Sacred Space

Today's lecture is a continuation of Lecture 1. It focused on how a sacred space was established and why the city was able to grow in fame as a sacred place. The first issue was the establishment of temples. The idea of temples is a primeval convention that had been used before by other civilizations. The designs for these structures is said to have divine origins and not of human origin. Temples are the place in which God will dwell. These structures had been used before as places of worship by the Babylonians. There are two parts to the establishment of temples. The first is the actual construction of the site based on the designs that had been delivered from a higher power. The second is the consecration of the site itself. Consecration can be achieved by expanding the fame of a place by building it larger and outward or by attracting other legends and histories and assimilating them. In this fashion, the prestige of a site will grow. This is seen in readings such as Genesis 2-3, 14, and 22.

In addition to the establishment of a sacred space in Jerusalem, there was also the establishment of a "sacred time" the Sabbath. This key in the redefinition of what is meant to be Jewish when the temple was destroyed and its people scattered. However, there are some discrepancies which lead to differences in values amongst the groups that share this history. In Exodus 20, the sabbath was held in remembrance of the 7th day in which God rested after creating everything. In Deuteronomy 5, the sabbath was held in remembrance of the Jewish Exodus from Egypt. For the Jewish community, the latter reason is held whereas for the Christian community the former is held. Whatever the reason, there is still the establishment of a sacred time as well as a sacred space that groups can identify to.

There was also a discussion regarding the relationship of geography and axis mundi. The image of mountain which stands high above and overlooking people is seen as place where one can be closer to God who lives in the heavens. It was on a mountain, where God revealed his true name and where the Ten Commandments were given to the Israelite people. Stories from other people that had some relation to the Divine dwelling upon mountains were assimilated. The same can be said for caves and the connection to Hell. They were the "gateways" that lead to places that were farther from the heavens, dark, and mysterious. With these two contrasting images we start to see how Jerusalem can be an axis mundi for the city was near both.