Chapter 8

"Monotheists have always had to come to terms with the fact that previous occupants of Jerusalem venerated it as a holy city, and the integrity of their own tenure often depends upon their response to this fact."
This preface sets the stage for the entrance of the other two faiths that will eventually play a crucial role in this one city. In the past chapters, we saw the convergence of various deities and the evolution of religions. At the end of this chapter however, it seems that there is a distinct change in the course of events that shape Jerusalem. The introduction of Christianity, brings into play the second monotheistic faith in her story. We already know that as new rulers came into Jerusalem, they destroyed what existed before to create their new vision of the holy city. Yet, we also know that in present day, Jerusalem is one city with three monotheistic faiths. Therefore, with the introduction Christianity in this chapter and the eventual introduction of Islam, it will be interesting to see how the city adapted and the people of each faith responded to the fact that Jerusalem was venerated as a holy city by a different group of people before them to allow for the existence of all three faiths to some extent in the same city.