The Judean Mountains (low, up to 1000 m above sea level) are located around Jerusalem, and among them Zion is a mountain that is actually a hill in the southwest. Jerusalem itself is located on the southern spur of the elevated plain of the Judean mountains. As the capital of the State of Israel, the city is controversial. Its eastern part is claimed by Palestine, which is supported by a significant part of the world community. UNESCO does not consider Jerusalem to be anyone's possession, but has included it in the World Heritage List. Its cultural property is at serious risk of armed conflict.
Zion (mountain) - symbol of Jerusalem
How the Jewish people arose is not known for certain. Ethnographers say that the shepherd tribes of the Hapiru, northern Semites, came from Arabia, crossed the Jordan River, which was then full-flowing and wide, like our Eye, and conquered hilly lands, among which was Zion, a mountain that would later become sacred. And if you go by the Bible, then the Jews are an artificial people. It was formed when God called from the city of Ur (the city of Light) Abram, whose family was high, a man of advanced years, but of impeccable morality and who, to his great grief, did not have children. God gave everything to Abram in the new place: herds, money,respect for neighbors, but still he had no children. And when an angel appeared to his wife Sarah and told her that she would give birth, Sarah only laughed in response: “I am old, and my master is old.” To which the angel replied: “Is there anything impossible for the Lord?” And Sarah conceived. And it is believed that the whole family of Israel, as well as Arabs and Muslim peoples, descended from her sons. And Abram began to be called Abraham - the father of many nations.
Well, how to relate to this? As you wish. Here there is a discrepancy between scientific and sacred history. Many centuries passed, the land of Israel, like the whole world, was under the boot of the Roman legionnaires. And how do the conquerors behave among the conquered peoples? They are outrageous. The Jews began to prepare for the uprising. People bought daggers, swords, armor. A war was brewing, which would later be called the Jewish one. But she did not bring victory to the Jews, but on the contrary, they were expelled from their homeland, from their native temple, which stood on a hill. This is Mount Zion, the holy mountain. The Jewish people sought to return to it, but the Romans finally expelled the Jews from their homeland, they scattered around the world in diasporas. And the land received from the Romans the name of Palestine.
Temple Mount
Zion, or Zion, - this was the name of the fortress, which was located on a small hill near the Temple Mount. And later the name Zion (mountain) became synonymous with Jerusalem. During the Roman occupation, Joseph Flavius divided the city into the Lower, the Temple and the Upper City. For contemporaries, this place, the Upper City, was of no interest, it was forgotten. But when Jesus appeared,held the Last Supper in the upper room. The place for this was Zion (mountain). A small Christian church was also built there after the Savior ascended to heaven. The prophets foretold that the salvation of mankind would come from Mount Zion. Therefore, the first Christians called the Upper City Zion. Here the disciples and relatives of Christ created their first community. By the middle of the 4th century, Zion (mountain) completely belonged to Christians. They treated him like a saint. By this time, the mountain was already protected by a wall in which there was a gate. Through them passed the road that surrounded Zion and separated it from the whole city.
In the Middle Ages
After the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, Jerusalem began to belong to the Eastern, whose capital was Constantinople. Jerusalem was almost completely Christianized, for faith in Byzantium was strong. But in the 40s of the seventh century, Muslims captured it. However, Europe could not come to terms with the fact that Christian shrines are under the rule of infidels. A series of crusades followed. Twice Mount Zion in Jerusalem belonged to Christian Crusaders. In the East, more precisely in Constantinople, part of the crusaders met Jews who successfully traded with the whole world.
Templars, Freemasons and Zion
The crusaders learned that it was not necessary to transport mountains of gold to pay for the goods, but rather IOUs. Trading in this way, the Knights Templar became rich. This was not endured by the king of France, Philip the Handsome,and in search of the we alth of the order, he arrested at the same time almost all of its members, tortured and burned as heretics at the stake. The survivors, who fled from France to the desert mountains of Scotland and Switzerland, founded the Masonic Brotherhood, which, being true to all Christian covenants, nevertheless became the impetus for the development of new forms of trade in Europe. Unable to reach the real holy Zion, they built their own city of Zion in Switzerland. In it, presumably, the Masons created their first bank. Then the banking system in Switzerland developed unusually and brought we alth and fame to the small country, because there were no natural resources and trade routes. The city of Zion and Mount Zion are separated from each other by many thousands of kilometers. But for the first Masons, he served as a symbol of the holy land.
Today
In the post-war years, more precisely in 47, by decision of the UN, Palestine was divided into Jewish and Arab states. The Arabs did not accept this, and blood is shed endlessly on both sides. But the Jews who have found their historical homeland are not going to lose it. They revived this fantastic thing, the long-dead literary language, Hebrew, and everyone mastered it perfectly and without exception speak it. In memory of the Holocaust, on Mount Zion in Jerusalem is the grave of Oskar Schindler, the German industrialist who saved about 1,200 Jews from extermination by the Nazis in concentration camps.
City of three religions
For two thousand years this land has become holy for both Muslims and Jews and Christians. They all have hereshrines. Many are located in Jerusalem on Mount Zion, which today is all built up. The old city is usually divided into Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Armenian quarters.
The Wailing Wall, partly excavated, is truly cyclopean in size and is the main shrine of Judaism.
The Dome of the Rock Mosque is the main mosque in Jerusalem. But for Muslims, the most important place is the ascension of Muhammad to heaven - the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Reviews
Christians are drawn to the Garden of Gethsemane, where olive trees still grow and where Jesus was betrayed by his disciple.
There are about forty religious monuments in the Christian Quarter, among which reviews highlight the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where, until the end of the world, the blessed holy fire descends annually.
Jerusalem, where Mount Zion is located, gives everyone the opportunity to rethink their lives.
