MSI Press Blog

  Today's morning prayer refers to Jerusalem as the city of God. Just what is Jerusalem in this sense? Jerusalem is called “the city of God” because it became, across the biblical story, the place where God chose to make His presence dwell — first in history, then in hope. It is both an earthly city with a long, complicated past and a theological symbol of God’s covenant, holiness, and future redemption. 🜁 What “city of God” means In Scripture, Jerusalem is described as Ir HaKodesh — the Holy City , a place set apart because God established His name, His worship, and His covenant there. Its holiness is not inherent in its stones; it comes from divine election — God choosing Zion as His earthly dwelling. The Psalms call it “the city of the Great King” (Ps 48), celebrating it as the place where God’s presence rests and from which blessing flows. 🜂 A brief history of Jerusalem as God’s city 1. Before David — a Canaanite stronghold Jerusalem began as a Jebusite fortress, st...

  1. The Question Why do Christians and Jews share one sacred city — Jerusalem — while Muslims hold two, Mecca and Medina , and also revere Jerusalem? The answer lies not in rivalry, but in revelation and memory — how each faith locates its encounter with the Divine. 2. Judaism: Jerusalem as Covenant Center For Jews, Jerusalem is the heart of the covenant — the city chosen by God, the site of the Temple , and the place where heaven and earth meet. King David made Jerusalem the capital of Israel. Solomon built the First Temple there, the dwelling place of God’s presence ( Shekhinah ). Even after the Temple’s destruction, Jews pray facing Jerusalem. The city symbolizes return, restoration, and divine nearness — “Next year in Jerusalem” remains the closing line of Passover. Jerusalem is not just geography; it is the axis of sacred history . 3. Christianity: Jerusalem as Fulfillment For Christians, Jerusalem is sacred because it is the stage of Christ’s passion, death, and resurre...

The Subversive Utopia   examines the critical role of modern architects in shaping and transforming national Israeli memory with special regard to Jerusalem. Using as a background the attempts of various architects since the 19th century to construct a national Jewish style, the author focuses his analysis on Louis Kahn’s design of the Hurva synagogue in the Old City of Jerusalem. Th is study scrutinizes and pieces together discrepant archival documents, drawings, and accounts of intentions, interpretations, events, policies, and projects in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. Th e book reveals an unrecognized crucial interplay of Kahn’s Hurvah design  with the competing traditional and national symbols of Jerusalem, such as the old Hurvah, the Western Wall, and most important, the mythical Jewish Temple and the Dome of the Rock. Th e drastic impact of Kahn’s idiosyncratic design on shaping Jerusalem and its national memory is traced through subsequent arch...