1/6/11 Thursday Lecture

In this first lecture by Professor Cargill, he have us a great introduction to Jersulaem: the geography, physical features, and why it is the center of the world.  He then started to lecture about the Eliade's concept of "sacred space."

----A place is sacred if one believes that something supernatural/an important birth happened there.----


Geography
1. Two main trade routes (The Via Maris and The King's Highway) which were along the coast
2. The Jordan river was named so, because it means "to descend," and it flowed from the highest point (Mt.  Harmon) to the lowest.
3. Sits on a hill (natural defense, therefore Jerusalem was always conquered from the North).  Why would Mount Zion be so important?  (1) Military defense (2) Closer to God (3) "Feels more majestic"
4. Divided into four quarters (Christian NW, Islamic/Muslim NE, Jewish SE, Armenian SW).  The temple mount could be considered the fifth quarter
5. Three valleys (Kidron E, Hinnom W, Tyropean central)

Physical Features
1. Need resources, trade, and natural defense to be a big city.  Jerusalem only had the Gihon spring but it is still central to three religions because water is important.
2. Water route into city: Hezekiah's tunnel --> Warren's Shaft --> Siloam Pool
3. Interesting side-note: Israeli's had to destroy Palestinian houses to expand Siloam Pool excavation --> war!
4. Many bible examples given (Genesis 2, Ezekiel 47, Revelation 22, Quran 47:15) for water as being sacred.

Sacred Space
1. A sacred space must be found, and something must be done to it (ex: pouring oil, cutting off skin)
2. Etiology - attempt to explain natural phenomenon
3. Axis Mundi - place that connects heaven and Earth.


Professor Cargill definitely made this lecture interesting with his humor.  This lecture was personally intriguing for me, as Professor Cargill shed Jerusalem and the bible in a new light.  Although I had heard of Jerusalem my whole spiritual life, and although I had read many of the stories in the bible, never had I heard of the Gihon spring or the valleys, and never had I seen certain aspects of the bible.  For example, the fact that humans come last in Genesis 1 but first in Genesis 2, or the fertility/ladder metaphor in Jacob's Ladder.  It amazes me that I did not see the discrepancy in the Genesis stories although I had definitely read it before.  This is my first time taking any sort of religious class on campus, and I am very excited to see Jerusalem in an academic setting.  (: