fbpx

City of onions – postcard from Jerusalem

Israel study group
Nathan Rule (front left) with fellow BST students on the Israel study tour, 2014. Nathan completed his Graduate Diploma of Divinity at BST.

Jerusalem is a city that is rich in historical significance for the Christian faith. Our students had the opportunity to visit Jerusalem and other sites in Israel as part of a study tour in 2014. BST alumnus Nathan Rule (Planning Manager for the Queensland Department of Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning) shared his experience in a recent article published in the Queensland Planner Winter 2015 journal edition (pp. 34-35). Read Nathan’s article below.
Israel doesn’t often top Australian tourist destination lists. Its history is plagued with conflict and controversy; its territories disputed for millennia. But if you can get past the perilous media and rumours of war, it is a place that will both surprise and reward the intrepid soul. What I discovered in its ancient and holy capital was nothing short of remarkable.
First thing’s first. Jerusalem is old. Very old. With well over five thousand years of continuous human settlement, it’s one of the oldest cities on earth. In 1,000 BC, King David the great Israelite monarch of bible times, took the city and made it the seat of the Jewish nation. Under the reign of his son Solomon, the first Jewish temple was constructed and the city flourished. Since its ‘golden era’, it has changed hands 16 times, been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times and survived 52 separate invasions.
Onion city
I like to call Jerusalem the city of onions. Peel back one layer of history, and there’s another layer waiting to be explored and treasured: secret tunnels built by Israelite kings; torture relics used by the Romans; city walls of the Ottoman Turks. The history of Jerusalem is confusing as it is rich. It’s even joked that if you kick over a stone in Jerusalem, you’re likely to find an archaeological discovery.
As planners, we understand that when a place of historical significance is uncovered, authorities will move heaven and earth to protect it. This could result in site acquisition or the introduction of demolition and building controls. But Jerusalem is different. The entire city is an archaeological site! Archaeological digs today are commonplace in and around where people are carrying on with life. One striking example is a little café near the Jaffa Gate. On the surface is a regular latte-serving establishment, but under the counter there’s a trapdoor that leads underground to a remarkable first century find!
This ‘vertical’ digging process is a very slow yet precise process. Moreover, local disputes also compound access to significant sites and efforts are often hindered by Israel’s fluctuating political landscape. Why evict a bunch of people for another piece of history that you’re just as likely to find next door? Short of evicting the whole town, the authorities have had to work hard at prioritising and negotiating control to historical sites.
The old city
Given what Jerusalem has endured throughout the ages, its ancient heart remains surprisingly intact. These remains, easily identified and contained within sixteenth century walls, are aptly called the “old city”. Comprising four distinct quadrants: the Jewish Quarter; the Christian Quarter; the Muslim Quarter and the Arminian Quarter; they each take on a different look and feel, but all share the narrow winding laneways, bustling street markets and sights and sounds of three of the world’s major faiths.
The historic roots of Judaism, Christianity and Islam have unparalleled significance here. This sacredness sets it apart from other places of the ancient world. As a Christian, I revelled in the deep sense of connection to place; where the divine touched earth. Ascending Mount Moriah, getting lost in the City of David and walking in the footsteps of Jesus, these place-bound experiences exhibit a natural buzz making the pilgrimage to the “land of milk and honey” a sweet experience indeed.
Modern Jerusalem
If its past wasn’t impressive enough, there’s another reason to visit Jerusalem. Since the declaration of the modern Israeli state in 1948, the country has propelled itself onto the world stage as one of the most advanced economies, particularly in the industries of cutting-edge information technology, software and diamonds. It’s also a leader in research and development in water technology and solar energy, boasting the highest per capita usage (90%) of domestic solar hot water systems in the world.
The state of the economy is also evidenced in the construction sector. The number of cranes dotting the Jerusalem skyline is reminiscent of oil-rich Arab boom towns of the past decade. Israel’s nation building program rivals that of Herod the Great’s elaborate building projects and you wouldn’t be far off saying it’s on a scale of biblical proportions. Take for instance the 2011 Jerusalem Light Rail—a modern and efficient rapid transit system with Stage 1 connecting the old city with new neighbourhoods, converging in the central transit station. Several more lines are currently in the planning phases. Then there’s the 56 kilometre high speed railway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem planned to open in 2017. At a cost of US$2 billion, this new railway will see passengers travel between Israel’s two major cities in just 28 minutes.
Modern day Jerusalem covers a much greater area than its ancient past. The new city has sprawled far beyond the old city limits, clearly distinguished by the walls built by Suleiman the Magnificent during the reign of the Ottoman Empire. These walls preserve a layer of the city’s history in a type of time capsule. Another such layer is on display at the Israel Museum in the form of a large outdoor scale model depicting the city during the first century. This showcases a very Roman period complete with the rebuilt Jewish temple towering above all other structures. It is a carefully constructed point-in-time reference that brings incredible clarity to the city as it was (BC/AD) during the time of Jesus Christ.
A stony character
As far as building materials go, it’s no surprise why the cityscape of Jerusalem is awash in a white stony glow. Vast quantities of limestone occupy the rolling hills and terraced countryside. Long has it existed as a reliable source of construction, serving as the cornerstone for old and modern structures alike (it’s actually codified in current building controls). Rather than inundate the local architecture in a homogenous mundanity, the ‘Jerusalem stone’ conversely has helped bring continuity to a city that would otherwise struggle to connect the dots of time with a modern identity.
The Jerusalem stone is perhaps no more recognisable than at the Western Wall. This is part of the original retaining wall for the Temple Mount—the platform on which the glorious Jewish Temple once stood and served as the centrepiece of Jewish life. It’s one of the most sacred sites and symbols of the Jewish people, made significant today because it remains the closest place of public access to where the temple used to be. It’s a must for tourists when visiting the Holy Land.
To settle or not to settle?
I won’t dwell on the controversial issue of Jewish settlements, save for one word: balagan. The locals (particularly my tour guide David) used this word to refer to any messy or troublesome situation. I think it’s a word us planners could readily adopt into our vocabulary to describe a variety of bad development outcomes. Yes, settlements continue to be built and yes— they’re a balagan. If for nothing else, the issue underscores the politicisation of town planning in Israel. This is no secret. Planning has become a major political tool here with the Jerusalem Master Plan being a case in point. While attempting to strategically address growth and development pressures in the city, the plan has been largely criticised for its failure to address real planning challenges like the Palestinian housing crisis in East Jerusalem. For Israel, the greatest issue of contention is a dispute about who has the right to its territories. Opponents to the settlements point out that it’s an obstacle to peace; that the more Jewish settlements that establish in Palestinian areas, the more difficult it will be for there ever to be a two-state solution.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem
So what of the future? We can only hope that lasting peace finally comes to this land and that future generations of its rich ethnic diversity can share in its enduring treasures. This probably won’t come through political means or international muscle, but could be made possible by following in the ways of a great Jewish Rabbi who taught, “Love your neighbour”. And perhaps that’s enough.
[banner text=”Study the GradDip”]