Jerusalem: The Eternal City

by D. Kelly Ogden, Andrew C. Skinner, David B. Galbraith

Latter-day Saints are well aware of the significance of the great city of Jerusalem in our theology and in the history of God's dealings with his people. Here is a unique contribution to the literature of the Church prepared by three professors who have a combined total of thirty-five years residence and experience in Jerusalem. Jerusalem, the Eternal City studies the Holy City from 2000 B.C. to A.D. 2000 — from Melchizedek to the Millennium. It is the first treatment of the significance of Jerusalem from an LDS point of view. Through the disciplines of theology, history, geography, anthropology, archeology, linguistics, and political science, the book is a comprehensive analysis of Jerusalem's multifaceted influence on world history through forty centuries.

Genres: History, Religion, Nonfiction, Lds, Church, Middle East, Historical

592 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1996

Reviews

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good! I did the BYU Jerusalem Study abroad in 2008 and it was an incredible experience. Last year was the 30th Anniversary of the Dedication of the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies (JC) and Elder Holland spoke at BYU and told all these stories about how the JC came to be (https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders...). It was really inspiring so I wanted to read this book to re-learn all the Jerusalem history.

I loved it! Yes its a history book so its dense, but its actually not as overwhelming or dry as I thought it might be. The chapters are sensible in their information and really direct. I have some side study projects about the ancient temples and the gathering of Israel and this book was an unexpected resource for both those topics.

Definitely recommend it!

Also read for my Pioneer Book Reading Challenge 2020.

[Lynette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of information and very amazing.

[Taressa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book twice... and I probably need to read it two more times before I fully digest it all. Understanding the history of Jerusalem, the culture of the Jews, and the rich symbolism found throughout its' history gave my a clearer understanding of the Old Testament and how it relates to other scripture.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really interesting book about the history and future of Jerusalem - from a political and religious perspective. I enjoyed it and understood more than other books I've read about the history of the area. I think it helped that it was told from the LDS perspective that I'm most familiar with, but I felt like it did a good job of explaining the beliefs and history of all sides.

I have an increased appreciation for Jerusalem and Israel and want to study and learn more. I have respect for each group that reverences this land and look forward to many of the promises. Here are a few of the quotes that I liked:

"In several ways Jerusalem has been a central place. It could be expected that a city at such a crossroads as the eastern Mediterranean lands--the only region in the world where three continents come together--would naturally be a focal point of international concern, whether economic, political, or religious. Jerusalem, however, was never an economic or political superpower...Jerusalem's importance and influence has stemmed primarily from its religious relevance, from its designation as the place where God chose to put his Name and his House. Even when the Name and the House were gone, Jerusalem forever afterwards served as a symbol of Deity's contact with earth (p. 2)."

"The Prophet Joseph Smith explained that the main object of gathering the people of God in any age of the world was "to build unto the Lord a house whereby He could reveal unto His people the ordinances of His house and the glories of His kingdom, and teach the people the way of salvation; for there are certain ordinances and principles that, when they are taught and practiced, must be done in a place or house built for that purpose."....Jerusalem would become not "the holy city" but..."the city of holiness." Jerusalem became the city of the sanctuary--the Temple--earning the distinctively holy title of "Temple City (p. 59)."

"Educationally, the most important task in which the Sanhedrin and its sages were engaged was the teaching and transmission of the oral Torah (p. 241)."

"Why...did the Great Jehovah permit his holy house to be desecrated by the Gentiles and made by them into a dung hill? Why were the chosen people scourged and slain and scattered and made a hiss and a byword in all nations? The answer is clear and certain. It was because they crucified their King. It was because they rejected the God of their fathers (p. 247)."

"Ironically, "Christian Jerusalem" really began in the Byzantine period rather than at the time of Christ (p. 253)."

"Muhammad taught that those who believe in Allah and submit, or surrender, to his will (Islam means "submission") are assured of happiness and reward in heaven. Duties required of each follower or "surrender" are the five basic pillars of Islam: prayer, alms-giving, fasting, pilgrimage to Mecca, and confession of the faith (p. 272)."

"At the heart of the crusading ideology was the concept of the sanctity of Jerusalem and the need to keep it free from sacrilegious usurpers....Jerusalem was seen as the one spot on earth where the devout could be physically closer to God (p. 290)."

"The Prophet Joseph Smith commissioned Elder Orson Hyde to travel to Palestine to dedicate that land for the return of the Jewish people....on 24 October 1841 Elder Hyde climbed the Mount of Olives and there offered an inspiring dedicatory prayer....It is no coincidence that the annals of world Jewry point to the 1840s as the period of an awakening among Jews throughout the Diaspora (p. 355)."

"Events in the last days are often confusing, and unless we stay close to the prophets, we will hardly know where to place our allegiances and support (p. 360)."

"Both the Jews and the Arabs are children of our Father. They are both children of promise, and as a church we do not take sides. We have love for and an interest in each. The purpose of the gospel of Jesus Christ is to bring about love, unity, and brotherhood of the highest order (p. 369)."

"In attempting to apply the wisdom of Solomon in seeking a solution, Jerusalem becomes the baby over which the various mothers contend (p. 429)."

"Jerusalem today, depending on one's point of view, is a rapidly growing, multifaceted, vibrant city exuding a sense of manifest destiny, or alternatively, it is a city suffering under the crushing burden of alien occupation, whose citizens are denied their human rights and are subjected to economic and political exploitation....Mayor Kollek has made Jerusalem work, not by making it something different, but by making it work as it is....Mayor Kollek stamped all his outgoing mail...with the plea, "Let's be more tolerant (p. 434).""

"Jerusalem is a religious mosaic made up of adherents of three major world religions, to which must be added a multitude of splinter groups, all intent on seeking their spiritual roots or serving visitors who come for similar reasons (p. 447)."

"Jerusalem is not just a city but a symbol, a principle as well as a place. Throughout history she has stood for holiness, for ascendancy, for centrality. Jerusalem is the connection--the umbilical cord--between heaven and earth. Jerusalem is not only the holy place; she is the holy of holies. Not only does she have a rock but she is the rock....The foundation for the Jew is a city; for the Muslim, a site; for the Christian, a Savior (p. 488)."

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written from the veiwpoint of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the authors follow the surprisingly long history of Jerusalem as both city and religious center to multiple faiths. Written in short, readable, chapters I found it to be quite enjoyable with what I thought to be even-handed attempts to discuss the various challanges faced during the city's long history. The book was published in 1996, so it's a bit dated on recent history, but the rest is quite good.

[Michelle Smart · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough historical overview with Latter-day Saint perspective. I found it alternately dry or fascinating, depending upon which areas of history were already more interesting to me. My favorite section was about the development of BYU's Jerusalem Center.

[Kurt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great history of Jerusalem with scriptural references and modern day prophet statements. It is more a textbook than anything, well researched and organized.

[Brannigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great in depth history of the city. I learned a lot.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not sure if those that don't know some of the geography and history of Jerusalem would enjoy the book as much as I did. Also, this book is from an Latter-day Saint perspective, which is very helpful for those that understand LDS scripture.

I really liked the sections that spoke of the history of Jerusalem after Christ. My knowledge of that period of time was more lacking than other times.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book a lot. There were some definite gaps in my knowledge about Jerusalem and it history. In fact, the gaps were pretty big. I really liked the LDS commentary on the history of Jerusalem (e.g., how the Sicarii -- a group that the authors link to the downfall of Jerusalem to the Romans shortly after Christ died -- were very much like the Gadianton Robbers, how Nephi both prophesied about and condemned the Crusades, and how the gathering of Jews to Jerusalem began to really gain traction the same year that Joseph Smith asked God to begin that gathering in the dedicatory prayer for the Kirtland temple). The chapters on Melchizedek and Abraham and on Isaiah and Hezekiah were particularly instructive.

I was also surprised at how good the explanation and commentary of the Israel/Palestinian conflict was at the end of the book. I learned a ton from those chapters. Apparently the LDS church has taken the official position that it has no position in that conflict. In other words, although we know, by way of prophecy, what is going to happen, the Church will do nothing to ensure that the prophecies will come true.

I'm fascinated with the prophecies regarding the rebuilding of the Jewish temple, which seems far off given that the vast majority of Jews won't even go onto the Temple Mount for fear of treading on the place where the Holy of Holies once stood (although there have been attempts by a small, radical Jewish group to begin rebuilding the temple on the Temple Mount -- attempts that were stopped by the Israeli police).

I must admit that I was tempted to skip the chapter about the BYU Jerusalem Center. I thought it was going to be boring, but it was actually very interesting -- almost exciting.

My only complaint about the book is that I wish it would have included more commentary on the prophesied future of Jerusalem, instead of simply including an appendix of quotes from the scriptures and church leaders. Don't get me wrong, the quotes were great, but I would like to have read what experts on Jerusalem have to say about those prophecies. Surely they have some personal insights that, although not necessarily gospel truth, would still be very interesting.

[Jacob Lines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three Mormon scholars of history and religion, all of whom have lived in Jerusalem, tell the story of Jerusalem through that ages and into the future. This is an excellent look at the history and future of Jerusalem from a Latter-day Saint perspective. It covers Jerusalem from Old Testament times through to the modern age, explaining all of its ups and downs, the conquests and captivities and different rulers. It explains its importance to Jews, to Christians, and to Muslims. It also gives an even-handed assessment of the current (as of 1996) politics and prospects for peace in the region, plus an explanation of Jerusalem’s status in international law.

This is a good survey of Jerusalem for an interested layperson. It includes several appendices full of quotes from LDS church leaders about Jerusalem.

The subject is deeply meaningful – this was the site of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac and Solomon’s Temple. It was the seat of David’s kingdom, scene of Christ’s ascension, future scene of His return. Most importantly, it was the place of the central act of human history – the Atonement – the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The ancients were right when they called it the center of the world. I can’t do justice to Jerusalem. Neither can a book. But this book is pretty good at telling the story from the beginning all the way to what we know about the future end. I recommend it.

[Marci · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished this book. I thought it covered everything that I could possibly want to know about Jerusalem, and yet, I was sorry it didn't go on and cover the rest of the 90s and the opening 2000s--I wish I had an update! I loved learning the political history. It was very, very informative and gave what I thought was a balanced overview of the religious and political differences that make Near East peace such an elusive accomplishment. I would like to know what bearing the more recent terrorist activities around the world have had on who is now on who's side in the question of who should rule Jersusalem. I do wish I had read this book before going there. I would have had a much better appreciation of what I was seeing and experiencing there.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the chance to visit Israel and spent some time in Jerusalem when I was a student at BYU. I can't wait to go back with my husband and children someday. This book fills a wonderful niche (Jerusalem from an LDS perspective), and does a great job of explaining the current political issues without too much bias (not bending-over-backwards pro-Israeli). It made me think a lot about the Dome of the Rock, and how it will/might come into play during the milennium. Mostly, because a third (#1 Solomon, #2 Herod) temple will need to be built on the same site. And coincidentally (or not), how the former RLDS (Community of Christ)giant seashell/spaceship church is on the same site (across the streeet) as our prophesied,future Mormon temple in Independence, Missouri.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very comprehensive book (590 pages) detailing the history, the present, and the future of Jerusalem. The latter part is written from an LDS viewpoint, with chapters about the Orson Hyde Garden and the BYU Jerusalem Center. The authors give a rich and detailed history up to the present day, (1996). Leaders, wars, controversies, and more wars are all described in the book. While I didn't read the whole book, I did read in each of the chapters. A very detailed chapter of how the BYU Jerusalem Center came to be, elicited my interest which I read a couple times. An excellent book as a reference. My copy came from the BYUI Library.

[Summer Fernandez Larson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting and informative book. I didn't read it in order, I picked the chapter that was most interesting to me at the moment starting with the 19th century moving back to the time of Melchezedek then back to the 20th century and beyond then filled in what I had missed. It answered many questions I had, particularly in relation to the forming of the state of Israel and the timeline of the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but left me with one burning one: Why is geographical place important to the Lord?

[Gloria Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. I greatly enjoy reading it. Very informative and very well documented.

I am still reading this book. I'm almost half way through. There is a lot to understand and absorb. There are also a lot of Jewish, Hebrew, Old Hebrew, Arabic words and meanings translated into English. I highly recommend this book if you want to know more about God's relationship to His people and ourselves.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved that this book gave a 4000 year history in concise terms and in a way that I was still able to make it through. It spent more time in the first 2000 years (in terms of pages) than in the last 2000 years. I was glad it wasn't like "chewing sawdust" like some history books are. And I appreciated the times when the authors pointed out significant, prophetical events.

[goddess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps it was a lack of background knowledge on my part, but some of this book was difficult to digest...in regards to putting all the pieces together. It's like I felt some of it could have been spelled out better. Several sections were informative, however, and gave me much to ponder. This has been a decent source in helping me prep for my trip to the Holy Land.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned so much by reading this book. Really got into it after visiting Israel in April 2011. The politics got a little much, but there again, there is not good solution to the problem. I recommend this book to anyone going to Jerusalem.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a great book that traces the history of Jerusalem and backs it with scripture. gives a great overview of how the city walls changed over time -- really gave me a great overview in preparation for trip to Israel.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this a while ago in preparation for my trip to Israel. It was very helpful and provided me with essential historical background to prepare to get even more out of actually being there. Very good work by Ogden and Galbraith!

[Micah Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this after studying at the BYU Jerusalem Center. This a great book that gives a well condensed history of Jerusalem through the ages. A great book to start for those interested in learning more about this fascinating city.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating.

[Meiken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book....

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was excellent, and not too long like some of the others that cover the history of the Holy Land.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched/documented historical and religious review of the rise and fall of Jerusalem through time. Easy to read for all the info included

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, enjoyed this, but got bogged down in all the politics at the end. Definitely a good history-type read. The first parts up to the last century or so were fascinating to read

[Lora]

cant wait to get into this book!

[Ernie Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book.

[Heidi Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insights into the historical significance of the most important religious city in the world.