| Program Detail |
: Jerusalem has often been characterized as ?the city at the center of the world,? and with its long history that stretches back some four thousand years, first noted in an Egyptian curse written in 1900 BC, it has also become known as ?the city at the center of conflict? as well! In the last 2000 years, since the birth of Christ, Jerusalem has been stormed and sacked by the Romans, seized by Saracen/Arabs, re-taken by Christian Crusaders, captured again by Saracens, suffered a long slow decline under Ottoman suzerainty, liberated by British troops under General Allenby in World War I, reclaimed by reborn Israel at the end of the British Mandate only to be lost in part to the Jordanians in 1948 and then, finally, in June of 1967, the city became fully part of Israel. Yet, there has been no peace for this city since 1967 as the latest terrorist/suicide-bombings make plain. This is an important study for any student interested in the history of the Middle East and its conflicts. For unlike most other cities in the world, politics culture and religion seem to combine in an explosive mix in Jerusalem. Accordingly, this course will examine the history of Jerusalem in our times. There will be some introductory pre-history but the focus will remain on the city in the 20th Century and where it is now in the 21st. |
