20th century israeli history
20th century jerusalem history
20th century middle eastern history
A01=Meron Benvenisti
Author_Meron Benvenisti
bulldozers
capital of the kingdom of israel
Category=JBSD
Category=JBSR
Category=NHG
Category=WQH
christianity
christians
church of the holy sepulchre
comparative studies
cultural studies
deputy mayor of jerusalem
eq_bestseller
eq_history
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
eq_society-politics
historical diversity
history of jerusalem
holy city
housing projects
human story
islam
israel
jerusalem
jews
judaism
middle east
multiple populations
muslims
politics
possession
religious studies
society
temple mount
Product details
- ISBN 9780520207684
- Weight: 408g
- Dimensions: 152 x 229mm
- Publication Date: 22 Oct 1998
- Publisher: University of California Press
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Paperback
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Jerusalem is more than a holy city built of stone. Domain of Muslims, Jews, and Christians, Jerusalem is a perpetual contest, and its shrines, housing projects, and bulldozers compete in a scramble for possession. Now one of Jerusalem's most respected authorities presents a history of the city that does not fall prey to any one version of its past. Meron Benvenisti begins with a reflection on the 1996 celebration of Jerusalem's 3000-year anniversary as the capital of the Kingdom of Israel. He then juxtaposes eras, dynasties, and rulers in ways that provide grand comparative insights. But unlike recent politically motivated histories written to justify the claims of Jews and Arabs now living in Jerusalem, Benvenisti has no such agenda. His history is a polyphonic story that lacks victors as well as vanquished. He describes the triumphs and defeats of all the city's residents, from those who walk its streets today to the meddlesome ghosts who linger in its shadows. Benvenisti focuses primarily on the twentieth century, but ancient hatreds are constantly discovered just below the surface.
These hostilities have created intense social, cultural, and political interactions that Benvenisti weaves into a compelling human story. For him, any claim to the city means recognizing its historical diversity and multiple populations. A native son of Jerusalem, Benvenisti knows the city well, and his integrated history makes clear that all of Jerusalem's citizens have enriched the Holy City in the past. It is his belief that they can also do so in the future.
Meron Benvenisti is a former Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem and the author of numerous books, including Conflicts and Contradictions (1986) and Intimate Enemies: Jews and Arabs in a Shared Land (California, 1995).
