Jerusalem: The Biography

"Jerusalem, a Biography" ... there can never be an agreement on the `biography'. There is no story of Jerusalem that is not rabidly contested as to `facts', natural or supernatural, analytical or anecdotal, or ... merely made up ... but there can be little doubt that Jerusalem remains the center of the human ambition to be a city possessed. This 'biography' that melds narrative with archaeology is compelling. 7000 years of history is not easily compiled for this city's role in civilization. A story free of criticism, worldview bias and angry refutations is simply not possible. The binary nature of the past reviews from 5-stars to 1 stars is an evidence to the strong personal response. For me, it was a 5-star read. It is an excellent guided tour of the city and populations in time and place. Jerusalem is in fact the story of genocide, near extermination, our more simply just destroyed. The Temples of Solomon, Zerubbabel, and the Maccabees were dug out to bedrock to build Herod's Temple complex. Roman Titus strip mined the acropolis in 70AD. The Temple traces were wiped out excepting the nearby, vital Gihon Spring which the author cites as the most archaeologically excavated site on the planet. The place can be the pinnacle of human joy only to revert in the same generation to horror^3. Yet ... it remains the spiritual center of 3 major religions for reasons not to be found in human logic. It is a rather worthless piece of real estate as property goes in rugged terrain and off the main drags of the trade routes. It rises only when power voids among the hegemons permit it. Only in the modern era does it exist at its more ancient population levels. Jerusalem is an extraordinary violent story made more violent as supernatural Good and Evil are seen to perpetually battle for control. The reader that stops at page 70 or so is missing the complex Muslim history which is every bit as lethal to Jerusalem's residents as Titus. By 1300AD, the Crusades were over, Islam was in chaos and the Jews were scattered around the world. The spiritual center of the 3 Abrahamic religions was claimed by all manner of Sultans, Popes, and European kings, but Jerusalimites numbered but 2000 leaderless peasants of which 2 were Jews, a hundred or so were Christians and most were Muslim banished North African tribes dwelling in destitution amidst the 1500 year ruins of repetitive total destruction. Not until the 1850's did much change. Is it a rational place or an irrational place to possess and to continue for the thousands of years until the present? Montefiore attempts to tell the story. To Pagans, Jews, Christians and Muslims ... Jerusalem is an equally lethal and irresistible place ... a tinder box for annihilations and of no earthly value. Jerusalem is unlike any other relic on the planet with its insignificant geographical location. The reader is left to wonder at the story. That Jerusalem survives at all is a miracle of sorts in chapter after chapter of Montefiore's work. Elsewhere in the ancient world, ancient and far more powerful cities were forever abandoned, but not Jerusalem. Mohenjo-Daro never survived. Troy was not reborn to greatness, Persepolis never survived. Neither great Nineveh nor Babylon survived. The great city at Amarna disappeared and was `undiscovered' until the past century. These other ruins do not tell the narrative from the people of the street in these great and abandoned places. They have no granular, connected narrative like Jerusalem. Millions of people go out of their way to seek this remote Judean hill town of Jerusalem where millions lived and died and some believe it to be the essence of man's final rest. These are too numerous and multi-cultural to be coincidence or merely pursuit of myth. Like moths to the flame, humans are attracted to Jerusalem. Montefiore tries mightily to render a `biography' but it is just not possible to satisfy everyone or to be rendered without an historically informed position woven through the controversy of the cities biography. The essence of any author must come through in narrative this large. An 'unbiased' accounting of Jerusalem could not be constructed that made rational sense. This is a long story that pages by quickly for the historical reader. I read it in 5 days. It could easily be doubled in size exploring the leads in the excellent footnotes. Jerusalem is one of the most important historical books the year.

Okay, this is a book that covers over 3000 years of history. Of course there are going to be things that get glazed over or even skipped. It is not comprehensive, it is not academic, it is not authoritative. But it is a joy to read! I'm a history teacher and my forte has always been contemporary US and European history. But this book was a brilliant example of good writing on both ancient and contemporary history. Much of the early history of Jerusalem is based on Biblical and apocryphal texts, before moving into more traditional histories. This book highlights just how much Jerusalem is an international city, a home to many kinds of people, and a source of constant strife. Jews, Christians, and Muslims have all fought and killed for control of this city and Sebag Montefiore does a fantastic job describing the to-and-fro history of the city. Other reviewers have brought up legitimate complaints about the book, but I found this a great book for the casual history buff or the moderately curious. It is a pleasure to read and gives a vivid account of one of the most fascinating cities in the world. Strongly recommended!

I am not half way finished. This biography describes and reveals the long history, not just about Jerusalem, the main subject, and its beginning, but the histories of the Middle East in general, mostly about invasions, invaders, war and brutal vengeance (s), some brief facts about their resources and trade, names and chronologies of rulers of various levels and importance-kings and kingdoms, tyrants, despots, shahs, imans, etc. As the centuries turn from older to modern times, Montefiore includes the spreading global participation of war-mongering of Eastern Asia, Russia, China, and other parts, into this/these areas. If the facts and descriptions about Jerusalem's history be even partially true, it is nevertheless amazing that the Jewish people continued to grow, in spite of pomgrom after pomgrom. It had short periods of peace, yet according to Montefiore's facts, these people were afflicted by everyone outside of there city, eventually to nearly every area of the globe, all wanting to expunge a people and own the power these believed in. Yet, they would survive, incredibly, eventually become a strong, independent people who were meant to exist. And that they went on to gather their own, create a state and a place in permanent history, almost beyond believe-ability, on a promise of a God for His people. But what Montefiore describes in explicit detail about there struggle and deaths, and I wasn't expecting, is the nature of war and its brutality, human to human and often, gruesomeness, and in some cases downright insanity, revealing the deep depravity of man. It is the way Montefiore writes that keeps it interesting, sometimes a sitting on the edge, expectation, for what will come next. I would not have known otherwise this shocking life of Jerusalem, that was filled with both religious orthodoxy and depravity, even within itself and its many emptied out, periods before another take over, destruction to the Temple, and other buildings that were destroyed over and over and yet, always rebuilt. Little of this has been revealed. However, what I do appreciate is his short descriptions (as some histories are too long and detailed, or too broad, unbalanced) of bloodied, gorged out dismemberment, death and dying of people, of each occurrence, although there are many occurrences. Some of it takes a strong stomach not to be turned off to the rest of the story. Though I was turned off, I returned. Montefiore's biography is written details by details as if fact (of exaggeration or fanciful imagination I do not know) yet sometimes is entertaining. He writes cleanly, simply stating or describing them. I have a better understanding of what empire meant and in some cases, still does, as empire is another word for power. And as modern times approach, slowly technology has replaced invaders (with US help) yet still, in the name of human power, in the name of one unseen; yet, not ironically, the same major players remain to attack with their weapons: those of the Middle East-Iraq, Pakistan, Palestinians, Iran, even Russia, as well as some others. I look forward to reading "the rest of the story", and yet, though not finished, I would recommend this book, as it gives a good general understanding of what was all to important then and even moreso, now, still being the center of the world.

This is one incredible read for those who love history or are interested in Jerusalem. It takes the reader from the beginning and founding of Jerusalem all the way into current times and examines the character of differing cultures and people who ruled the city or had influence over it. The characters and personalities are sketched magically by the author and their differing legacies are explored in detail. It’s over all effect on the reader is powerful and lends deeper understanding and appreciation for the City and her complicated past.

After reading through Montefiore's latest book, The Somme, I was enamored by his writing style. It was a fresh breath of historians prose where the blending of personal anecdotes, historical events and even a little humor were blended into a unique and truly colorful story. As a follower of Jesus Christ, the concept of Jerusalem has always fascinated me. The Via Dolorosa, The Church of The Holy Sepulchre and The Garden of Gethsemane are all in Jerusalem. This places are holy for christians, who see these places as the literal locations of where christ walked. But incredibly, Christ is only 1/3 of Jerusalem. Through a seemless prose of historical context, Montefiore weaves an intimate tale: biblical, political, and passionate in its story. Jerusalem for many, has been the center of the world, particularly for Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Places such as the Dome of the Rock or right next to the Wailing Wall. It is an irony that three faiths had to converge on one location. Excellent read, I would recommend to anyone who is interested in history or biblical scholars looking to put a colorface to those locations mentioned in the Bible.

I don’t like long detailed reviews personally so I’ll just say that if you’re interested in the history of the Middle East and all the conflicts of, then this is a fantastic resource. A good book on the crusades is probably going to be my next purchase… there’s a long, bloody, but still pertinent history here and I think we all have a duty to at least acquaint ourselves with it before we speak or protest against any wars, for example. Uneducated, uninformed and yet acting authoritative is a sure sign of ignorance and arrogance. Get it, learn what is at the root of the struggle for the Sepulchre and the Mosque and Dome. From pre-David to Bibi, it’s all here and wonderfully told! Book arrived in pristine condition and quickly.

This book makes you appreciate the violent and unstable 3000 year history of a city in the middle of nowhere. Yet, somehow the center of the three major monotheistic religions of the world. The book would benefit from more integrated diagrams and maps while discussing the major power shifts.

Jerusalem, who would begin to detail her history in a narrative understandable to laymen? Yet, that is exactly what Monefiore does, with footnotes and a bibliography that could keep one focused on this topic for a lifetime. This book details historical events and people that shaped the many rises and falls of the city many consider the centre of the earth, and he does it with a skill and objectivity that in this reader's opinion, lacks bias. From the taking over of the Jebusite city by King David, the Babylonian captivity, the Roman siege, the Ottoman rule, the Crusades through the present day,the author gives us intimate vignettes into the people, powers, events and outside influences that have shaped 'The City of God'. Poignant, vivid descriptions place the reader in the midst of every era of Jerusalem's horrendous and awesome history. By far one of the best books I have ever read on the eternal city and I would recommend it to all who have any interest, regardless of worldview or bias.

El libro y las condiciones en que llego fueron las esperadas. Muy satisfecha con mi compra.

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The book is sales by Goldstone- books and is arrived in a miserable, really ordinary condition! Books in this condition belong in the trash and not sale via Amazon! Now I have to send it back and to pay self the sipping costs!

"Jerusalem is the universal city, the capital of two peoples, the shrine of three faiths" reads the jacket of the book. An enticing statement which made me pick up this book and disappoint it doesn't! Jerusalem has been in the news from time immemorial and I have always wondered where the fiction and propaganda ended and fact began. This is thus a great book to get a clear, unbiased and comprehensive narrative on Jerusalem presented in the form of a biography of the ancient revered city. The book revisits the history of Jerusalem right from pre-Solomon days when even in the absence of current religious motivations the city was still a sought after prize and takes us through the inception of all the Abrahamic religions and their claims to Jerusalem over recorded history. "Nothing makes a place holier than the competition of another religion" and the author covers all the struggles be it the Romans, Greeks, Babylonians, Assyrians, Ottomans, Mamluks, the Crusades and the widely known struggle between the Arabs and the Israelites. From a barren mount to the golden city of Solomon era, from the fights against foreign foes to the vicious infighting, from a sovereign city to a mere puppet in the hands of imperial powers the book covers every thinkable and unthinkable facet of the enigma that surrounds Jerusalem. The ailment described as "the Jerusalem Syndrome" affecting hundreds of patients every year is one of the few arcane but intensely interesting topics the author brings forth in the book. The 20th century political grandstanding and the motivations and far reaching consequences of the Balfour declaration, the UN plans are discussed in full. The book is a tour de force of the massacres, pilgrimages, conquerors, cooperation, human stupidity, poetry along with a whole host of other things pertaining to Jerusalem. The author feels the "history of Jerusalem is the history of the world" and reflecting on the book makes one see how Jerusalem has shaped the history and policies that affect us to even this day. The city of chaos with intermittent periods of order has been a political hot potato for generations. The book doesn't aim to clear this political quagmire, rather it lets the reader come to his own conclusion after the factual bombardment. The book in itself is not a light read but the lucid narrative interspersed with behavioural humour makes it a book of its own kind. The 600 page book is neither too long nor too short, it is simply a page-turner! Family trees of the ruling families along with maps at various points in history are a welcome addition. The book is structured in a balanced manner and each epoch is provided its fair share of visibility. Remarkably unbiased, the epilogue of the book describing "just another day" in the life of Jeruslalem-ites and the fragile peace that exists at the time provided the much needed human touch and the first sign of the author's close association with the history of the place. His ideas regarding a possible future solution are a breath of fresh air. Thus a reader looking for more insights into the post WW period may be a bit disappointed but someone looking for a holistic history will find this book to be a treat. No piece of work can provide such an exhaustive account of the God's city and going through millions of articles cannot possibly provide the kind of comprehensive insights this book alone can provide. The terrible story of 3000 years is wonderfully told and is remarkably objective!

Molto ben scritto