Lecture 15: February 24, 2011

We began with the topic of Islamic Jerusalem. Dr. Cargill introduced a timeline of Early Islamic Jerusalem (from 638-1099). After the rise of Islam, we are beginning to see different tribes and families spreading out. Different groups within Islam strive for power. The Sananians took Palestine and Jerusalem at the end of the Byzantine Empire in 614-628.  As soon as they took over, they let the Jews back in and allowed them to resettle for the first time since 135 CE. When transitioning into the topic of Caliphs (delegates or representatives) we became familiar with the first three Caliphs. Caliph Umar took Jerusalem in 638; he created a written agreement with the Christian community not allowing Jewish settlement. However, he later allowed them to move back into the city. Two dominant groups within Islam today are Shi'ites and Sunnis.  The Muslims retained the term Aelia from Hadrian, meaning the city of the Temple. The word Bait Maqdis became known as the "Holy House". Later, Bait Maqdis was shortened to al-Quds. Some terms to become familiar with are Qibla (direction of prayer) and Mihrab (niche pointing the direction of Prayer). There was an idea where you would pray towards Jerusalem--Daniel did this. We looked at an image of the Kaaba in Mecca. When you are praying towards Mecca, you pray specifically towards the Kaaba. In the city of Mecca, there is a big stone box with a curtain around it. The Kaaba is made from granite and in the eastern corner, there is the "Black Corner" where the black stone sits. As Islam rises in prominence, all of the traditions that were absorbed by Jerusalem are now coming towards the Kaaba. According to the Qur'ran, the Kaaba was rebuilt by Abraham and his son Ismael. It is the second most sacred site in all of Islam. There is a huge mosque built around it as well.Pre Islam, the Kaaba used to be a pagan shrine with numerous idols. There are Five "Pillars" of Islam. The Shahada, Salat, Zakat, Sawm, and Hajj. The Shahada is "testimony" in which one recites the Muslim profession of faith--There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger. Salat is prayer five times a day toward Mecca. Zakat is Almsgiving to the needy. Sawm is fasting in the month of Ramadan. Lastly, Hajj is making the pilgrimage to Mecca once. Hajj becomes important because a lot of what occurs in Jerusalem is trying to take advantage of the Hajj. You paint your door with numerous colors, therefore making it easy to go in the home. If you rob someone, it is very very bad. The Umayyad Dynasty occurs in 638-750 CE. Abd-al-Malik's purpose was to find an alternative to the Hajj. The idea was to plan the fact that Jerusalem used to be the direction of prayer and to build a shrine so that individuals can come to Jerusalem from Damascus to do their Hajj. A continuing pilgramage is now allowed for Jews and Christians. The Early Islamic Palaces and Administrative Buildings began during the reign of Caliph Walid. They were equipped with fresh water and sewage systems, decorated with carved and molded stucco. There were also floors paved with gladstone and mosaics. It was never completed, but was still used into the early 'Abbasid period. We took a look at the History of the Dome of the Rock. I found it interesting how you will not be able to get in unless you are Muslim. The decorations of the Dome of the Rock have geometric design. It is a beautiful design with calligraphy. The Dome was financed with tax revenues of Egypt for 7 years, and the money was used to paint the Dome in pure gold. The Dome of the Rock became a very important shrine early on. The Dome of the Rock is NOT a mosque, but a shrine. The Mosaics on the Umayyad Mosque almost are  a perfect match with the Dome of the Rock. We looked at the inscription of the Dome of the Rock, which was very interesting, thoughtful, and detailed. We begin to see dialogue of taking over the shrine that was dear to the Jews and saying that anti-Christian verses would be put on top. What are some of the traditions of the Dome of the Rock? One was that the Rock is the site of the Holy of Holies (or the rock is the site of the Great Altar). Dr. Cargill moved on to the Isra and Mi'raj, in the Qur'ran 17:1. This was about Muhammad's night journey--he was writing a white-winged horse depicted with the head of a human. Another image we looked at was Al-Buraq--a white animal with a human head. This can be known as a "magical beast". The tradition is that Muhammad gets on Al-Buraq and was taken to the farthest mosque (in Jerusalem).