Study Guide for Peters, Jerusalem
- What is remarkable about the books written by Peters is the fact that
he lets the people of the time do most of the "speaking." He
intersperces from time to time his explanations, but lets the reader "connect"
directly with those who were experiencing the events and developments of
the time. This was so with the piece earlier on the WEB about Muhammad's
family. It remains so with Peters' account of the Muslim arrival in Jerusalem
and what they did once there. He deals here with a very controversial topic
- the importance of Jerusalem to Muslims. It is controversial today and
has been for many centuries since Jerusalem is a Holy City for Islam, Christianity
and Judaism. Today we witness the significance of Jerusalem to the State
of Israel and to the Palestinian population; but also to the wider Christian
and Muslim worlds.
- This is a longer than usual piece, and thus you may well need two "sittings"
to get through it.
- As you read, note particularly what newly arrived Muslims found in
Jerusalem - who were the "native" population and what were their
views of the city?
- What did Muslims believe Jerusalem had meant to Muhammad?
- How did Muslims change the "sacred precincts" of the city?
That is, what did they build there?