Cain murdered Abel, says an ancient legend, in an argument over who would own the Temple Mount. That story summs up the passion aroused by the sacred real estate: the hilltop in Jerusalem where King David erected an alter, where Solomon and Herod built their temples, where the Dome of the Rock now stands, and where prominent leaders of America's Christian right insistently predict, the Third Temple will be built. The Temple Mount is a symbol, in the world of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, of the end of the world, and its fate is important to the preservation of peace in the volatile Middle East. This book explains the fascination, of fundamentalist, with the Mount and why it remains a catalyst for conflict. It also shows why the risks will increase after the year 2000, as prophesised dates for the End pass and believers look for a way to ensure that the End comes within the lifetime of those who saw the creation of the state of Israel.
For the average American watching CNN, the conflict in the Middle East is a complicated affair, mired in an ancient past and an uncertain future. It also seems like a distant story, one that only remotely touches upon the temples and churches beyond the Middle East. Not so, explains Gershom Gorenberg, a senior editor at the Jerusalem Report. In fact, the threat of apocalyptic religious violence is happening now, and it's happening everywhere. It is fueled in part, he says, by Christian leaders in America's fundamentalist churches.
To help readers make sense of it all, Gorenberg centers his fascinating discussion around the Temple Mount, the world's most desired piece of religious real estate. It is where King David erected an altar, where Solomon and Herod built their temples, and where the Dome of Rock now stands. (Cain even murdered Abel, according to ancient legend, over who would own this place.) The Christian far right now stakes a future claim to the Temple Mount, where they predict (or at least hope) the "Third Temple" will be built shortly. Gorenberg offers the impressive research of a seasoned investigative journalist, yet he possesses the narrative skills of a novelist. The result is an enthralling and informative read. --Gail Hudson
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Appreciated the information, but not the author's biased interpretation:
This book is a great introduction to apocalyptic beliefs of the major three religions of "the book," Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. As one who is uninitiated to the subject (outside of my own Christian tradition), I found this information very interesting. Gorenberg does a great job of telling the story of many fundamentalists of all three persuasions, as well as recounting Israel's recent history on the subject. Much of his analysis was also interesting and helpful. The problem, however, comes with... more info
Entertaining but ultimately fatuous:
This book was published in 2000 so it has a very feel Nineties about it. It seems intent on deriding all types of fundamentalism but one mostly encounters well-published cases of Jewish and Christian extremists involved in crimes relating to the Temple Mount. There is nothing wrong with irreverence, but it is clear that Gorenberg was either completely unaware of the mounting threat of radical Islam or decided to underplay it. Yes, folks, those fundi Christians and Zionists are the main threat - that is what... more info
Missing the Mastodon on the Mount:
This book was first published in 2000 so it has a very feel Nineties about it. The author seems intent on deriding all types of fundamentalism but one mostly encounters well-published cases of Jewish and Christian extremists involved in crimes relating to the Temple Mount. There is nothing wrong with irreverence, but it is clear that Gorenberg was either completely unaware of the mounting threat of radical Islam or decided to underplay it. Yes, folks, those fundi Christians and Zionists are the main threat... more info
Information about religious elements not widely know:
Gorenberg's book seems like a precursor for his much more successful, and more fully realized, The Accidental Empire. There, Gorenberg shows how the struggle over land capture in the Six Days War has been effectively controlled by religious Zionists. In The End of Days, Gorenberg illustrates how both Christian and Jewish fundamentalists, in their struggle over the Temple Mount, continually bring the world to the brink of war. [In fact as I was reading this book, there was a clash on the Temple Mount between... more info
