National Geographic Entertainment Presents
An Ancient City
T
o understand Jerusalem and the surrounding
region today, you must understand the
Jerusalem of yesterday. This land is ancient
and a lot of world history played out in and around
this region. Over the course of thousands of
years, the city has been captured and recaptured
dozens of times, attacked even more, and almost
completely destroyed at least twice. The story is
fascinating!
ANCIENT HISTORY
No one can put an exact date on when Jerusalem
was first built–at least not yet. The first mention
of the city is around 2000 BCE. The region is rich
with archaeological sites, so the city’s long history
is slowly being uncovered. But there is plenty
we do know already. The earliest archaeological
evidence indicates inhabitants as early as 3000
BCE, making it one of the oldest cities in the
world. A likely draw for the first inhabitants, the
Gihon Spring, still gushes fresh water in this hilly
land today.
Jerusalem lies in a broad region in which ancient
emerging world powers vied for control, from
the Babylonian and Persian Empires, to rulers
throughout the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and
Ottoman periods, to the Crusades. Important trade
routes, like the Incense Route, were established in
this region by its ancient inhabitants, and control
of these routes meant power and money.
Transporting goods by camel, the Incense Route spread frankincense, myrrh,
spices, precious stones, ivory, gold and pearls to the Mediterranean. These goods
would eventually reach much of three continents. And along with these goods
came different customs, foods, languages, ideas, architecture and art forms.
WHERE IN THE WORLD?
Find Jerusalem on the map. You can see why, geographically, this region was
considered by many to be the center of the world. The ancient lands of Phoenicia,
Arabia and Mesopotamia in Asia made up much of what we call the Middle East
today (see sidebar). The Mediterranean Sea provides maritime access to both Africa
and Europe. The Red Sea provides access to the Arabian Sea, and further out, the
Indian Ocean. These major bodies of water helped link this region with the rest of
the known world.
Jerusalem, you can see, is not on the coast and was not strategic for trade routes
in the region. It lies up in the rocky hills about 35 miles (58 kilometers) from the
Mediterranean Sea. Yet it was attacked, destroyed and rebuilt in the exact same
place. Why? It was considered by many to be sacred ground.
© National Geographic Maps
THREE
WORLD
RELIGIONS
Christianity today. The Christian bible consists of two sections, the Old Testament,
written before the life of Jesus, and the New Testament, written after his death. The
first five books of the Old Testament make up the Torah.
It was in and around
Jerusalem, around
4,000 years ago,
that Judaism had its
beginnings, and later,
Christianity and Islam.
All three religions
believe that Abraham, a
prophet, entered into a
covenant, or important
agreement, with God.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
A prophet is someone
who delivers a message
thought to come from God. Part of this agreement, delivered by Abraham, was that
this region would belong to Abraham and his descendants.
As Judaism developed, so did different understandings of the Torah, the Written
Law of the Jewish bible. The messages from one Jewish-born prophet, named
Jesus (born around 4 BCE, died 30 CE, approximately), formed the basis for
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FOUR QUARTERS
Jews, Christians and Muslims have been living together in Jerusalem for more than
a thousand years. Their religions are so entwined that they share many of the same
holy sites. Within the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City there are four quarters where
each group lives (with Armenian Christians living in their own quarter). There are
no lines or walls that separate these quarters. They live side by side–not without
tension–each with a different set of religious beliefs. And each with a shared history
that has brought together elements of architecture, food, dress, and cultures from
three different continents.
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Some 600 years after Jesus lived, another prophet, Muhammad, emerged in
present-day Saudi Arabia. The messages Muslims believe God gave Muhammad
make up Islam’s sacred scripture, the Koran. Islam recognizes many of the same
prophets that Judaism and Christianity recognize. The Koran specifically protects
these two religions because of their shared belief in Abraham.
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The easiest way to transport goods was by water.
Around 1000 BCE, Phoenicia was a leading trader
of the known world, celebrated for exceptional
maritime, or seagoing, skills. But trade would
have been largely limited to areas along bodies of water were it not for the
domestication, or taming, of camels. Camel caravans moved goods through the
deserts of Asia and Africa. This critical trade linked India with Egypt, Phoenicia
and Mesopotamia.
Our
World
Teaching Guides
Map
This
Discover
Use the poster
to answer the
questions on
the map.
Together, explore the map on the
poster. Invite students to point
out each of the three continents
shown. (Africa, Asia, Europe) Note
how close each continent is to
the other and how many different
bodies of water are present.
Invite students to point out the
Mediterranean and Red Seas. Next
ask which other bodies of water
they see. (Black Sea, Caspian Sea,
Arabian Sea, Aral Sea, Persian
Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden)
[Point out the Dead Sea, not
labeled, located in between Jordan
and Israel. Explain that the Dead
Sea is around 1,300 feet (400
meters) below sea level–making
it the lowest elevation on earth. It
is also one of the world’s saltiest
bodies of water–far saltier than the
ocean!] Next, invite students to
identify the present-day countries,
once described as Phoenicia,
Mesopotamia and Arabia. (See
sidebar on poster for list of
present-day countries.)
1. Label
the three
continents
shown. Why
did some
consider the
region around
Jerusalem the
center of the
world? How
would being at
a crossroads
affect trade
and culture?
2. Identify
at least two
major bodies
of water used
for trade. Why
were they so
important
for trade in
this region?
3. Circle the
countries
that make
up presentday Arabia,
and ancient
Phoenicia and
Mesopotamia
Explain
Looking at the map, you can see
why the region around Jerusalem
was so important and contested
as the world was expanding. It
provided access to North Africa
and Egypt; Europe; India and
eventually China. Why do you think
that access was so important to
emerging world powers? (trade,
money, power)
Name________________________________________________________
Date________________________
Map courtesy National Geographic
Explore Maps and History
The region around Jerusalem has changed hands many times in thousands of years. Divide the class into small
groups. Have each group choose one of the following civilizations: Babylonian, Persian, Hellenistic, Roman,
Byzantine or Ottoman periods. Each group should research the civilization and find a map that represents this area
during its time in power. Students will create a timeline for that civilization that includes at least 3-5 major events
that took place in this region. Each group should present its timeline to the class, in chronological order.
THREE RELIGIONS
Activity Master
Christianity
Judaism
Jordan River
The Temple Mount is topped by the golden Dome of the Rock.
Three Religions
THREE RELIGIONS
Discover
Lead a discussion about the three religions you’ve just read
about: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Remind students that
they had many things in common. Ask for volunteers to explain
some of the things they share. (Abraham, belief in prophets/
shared prophets, region in which they began) Next, ask
students what they think a prophet is. Lead a discussion about
different prophets from each religion. (Include in the discussion
Abraham’s covenant with God. What impact might that belief
have on all three religions in the region?)
Remind students that these three religions also have
differences. Ask for volunteers to explain some of their
differences, as they understand them. Encourage students
to respectfully include personal experiences or perceptions
of each religion. As a group, research whether or not these
perceptions are accurate.
Explore
Understand each religion by exploring the poster and beyond. Divide the class into three groups and assign one of the
three religions to each. Group members should research each religion, looking for similarities and differences between all
three. Information should include cultural similarities and differences, like dress and food. Display a three-subject Venn
diagram. (See Activity Master at right.) As a class, each group will fill in their part of a Venn diagram to show the similarities
and differences between each religion.
Copyright © 2013 National Geographic Society
Islam
Name_______________________________
Date________________________________
Copyright © 2013 National Geographic Society