Hello!
On today’s Writer Wednesday, I’m discussing Jerusalem: The Biography by Simon Sebag Montefiore.
Jerusalem.
The very word conjures countless images. It is a place that one need not go to feel a pull to. Indeed, that’s been happening for centuries.
But, Jerusalem is real. It’s a host of realities. It’s an ancient Jewish kingdom. It’s a Roman-occupied land. It’s a crossroads of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, a beacon for pilgrims and a place of promise and turmoil. There is no simple answer for what Jerusalem is. Not all cities could warrant a book about only them, but Jerusalem certainly can. With its centuries of history- sometimes gritty, always interesting- Jerusalem is the city on the hill that the world continues to look toward.
Montefiroe’s story of it is only boosted by his family’s own ties to the city. For me, history at its best is a path toward a brighter future. It’s a delving into understanding to emerge a more peaceful world. Montefiore states that his own goal in writing this book is to foster greater understanding. His book concludes with a look into present-day Jerusalem, to see what a day in the city is like, where still the bells of the religions ring together and, perhaps, the people might one day be united as well.
My best to you all,
Megan