Significance of the Holy Land: Religious and Historical Perspectives

They Holy Land and Zionist Atrocities: Historical Claims and Conflicts

Considering the worldly life and religious perspective, the Holy Land is a blessed Land. There is abundant supply of water in the Holy Land ant its soil is fertile. It has been a cradle of religions [1], a place of divine revelation, a city for devout persons, and the home of the righteous. It is also the hometown of Jacob, Isaac, and Joseph [2], as well as a place that Abraham’s burial site is located in. Throughout its history, its people were monotheists who always struggled against polytheism.

Some seek to take advantage of God’s promise to Jews regarding the ownership of the Holy Land, mentioned in the Torah to legitimize the dominance of extremist Jews, known as Zionists, over it. As a result, along with Palestine’s strategic location in the Middle East, the issue of the Holy Land has become a political issue, leading to numerous inter-tribal and interfaith conflicts.

The Holy Land has been mentioned in the Quran several times. While all areas in the world are considered Holy ground because everything relates to its Creator [3], only one land is explicitly mentioned as the Holy Land in the Quran [4], whose surrounding is blessed [5]. The term “blessed” is also used in reference to the Kaaba in another verse of the Quran.

In the Quran, the word “Tur” [6] and sometimes “al-ard” [7] refer to the Holy Land. It is described in the Quran as “Mubawwa’ a Sidq” [8], meaning a place of truth and integrity, and as “Rabwatin Dhatin Qararin wa Ma’in” [9], meaning refuge on high ground—a ˹suitable˺ place for rest with flowing water.

In this article, we will review the history of the Holy Land. It will help us to answer many questions and solve ambiguities surrounding the current conflict between Israel and Palestine.

The Sacredness of the Holy Land for Different Religions and Its Significance from the Historical Perspective

Jews use the term “Holy Land” or “Promised Land” to refer to Bayt al-Maqdis. This region can be considered as one of the most volatile places in the world today; it is a land with a history spanning over four thousand years, which has been in the center of attention for many people and religions throughout its history. The Holy Land or Promised Land has been significant throughout the history of the world. Due to the unique circumstances of the world today, especially following the Al-aqsa storm Operation, it has become one of the top social media trends nowadays. Studying the historical background of this land and the events that have occurred there shed light on why this region is so important.

There are always different opinions about the boundaries of the Holy Land. However, according to all accounts, Bayt al-Maqdis or Jerusalem has been included within this region at various times. In Hebrew, Jerusalem means Land of “Peace,” something that this area has rarely experienced. Today, Bayt al-Maqdis is a point of contention between Israelis and Palestinians, but for several millennia, it has been a battleground for Abrahamic religions. Followers of three Abrahamic religions —Jews, Christians, and Muslims—have sacred sites and objects in this land. The Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and Al-Aqsa Mosque are examples of these.

There are many questions regarding the Holy Land; for instance, many people believe that Modern Palestine is the same Holy Land, but is it really true? Is the long-standing conflict between Israel and Palestine due to the significance of this land? The most important question is why Israel has committed various atrocities to occupy Palestinian territory and neighboring countries while still seeking to occupy more regions in the Middle East. Isn’t it strange that Israel is willing to kill women and children and take people captive in its quest for territorial expansion?

Some may think that Israel’s illegal occupation is due to territorial policies. However, further studies show that a religious belief drives Israelis to commit any atrocity to occupy Palestine and its surrounding lands. Jews believe they are inherently superior to others. According to a promised mentioned in the Torah, a territory referred to as the Promised Land belongs to Jews. They even assert that based on a passage from the Talmud, living in this land is a condition for faith. They initially have had such a strong belief in this passage of the Talmud that before they were expelled from this Land by Romans, they thought it was impossible to live anywhere else and still be considered Jewish.

The Holy Land: A Four Thousand Year History

Israelites claim the Holy Land or Promised Land was promised to them by God. By this reasoning, they have always sought ways to possess and inhabit this land. To study the history of the Holy Land, we must go back four thousand years ago, to the time when Prophet Abraham (PBUH) along with Prophet Lot (PBUH) migrated from Babylon to this land [10].

According to historical studies, this region has different names, most of which are rooted in the names of the peoples who inhabited it. Some refer to it as the land of Canaan, as it was the home of the Canaanites, descendants of Prophet Noah (PBUH). Some historians believe the inhabitants of this land were Semitic people, linked to Shem, the son of Noah. Other researchers identify the early inhabitants of this land as a group known as the Philistines, from whom the name Palestine is derived.

When God refers to the migration of Abraham, the Quran introduces this land as a blessed place for all people [11]. Historically, even before Abraham’s arrival, the inhabitants of this land considered it a sacred and spiritual place. Perhaps one of the reasons that this land has always been in the center of attention is that it is a blessed and spiritual land.

Regarding Abraham’s ultimate destination during his migration from Babylon, various sources mention Syria, the Holy Land of Palestine, Bayt al-Maqdis, Ramla, and Shechem (Nablus) as his destination [12].

The Main Reason for Claiming Ownership of the Holy Land by Jews

The main reason why Jews consider themselves the owners of the Holy Land is because of the Abrahamic covenant. According to this covenant, from the Nile to the Euphrates was promised to his descendants by God [13]. Based on what has been mentioned in the Quran and books on Quranic interpretation regarding the boundaries of the Holy Land, it can be viewed as a territory located between Egypt and the Euphrates, or from Palestine to Syria [14].

According to historical studies and holy books, Abraham and his descendants had relatively a peaceful life in Canaan for four hundred years. When Jacob had become an old man, Israelites migrated from Canaan to Egypt; drought was the main reason for this migration, although Joseph’s (PBUH) presence and status in Egypt also played a significant role for pushing them to migrate [15].

Israelites lived away from Palestine for about four hundred years. While living in Egypt, they always dreamed of returning to the Holy Land. After several centuries, along with Joshua (Yusha), the successor of Moses and some of the Egyptians dissatisfied with their government, they moved toward Palestine to live in Bayt al-Maqdis. Gradually, they occupied this region and established the first Jewish state in Palestine; however, they were unable to conquer Jerusalem.

Every tribe of the twelve tribes of Jews ruled over one part of this land. This method of ruling resulted in a lack of cohesion and sufficient power to confront their enemies. As a result of this weakness, they asked a Prophet of theirs to appoint a king for them [16]. Saul was the chosen king; he was a descendant of Benjamin, the son of Jacob (PBUH). Later, Israelites protested against the selection of Saul. They believed because Saul was not a wealthy man, he did not deserve to be their king [17].

The Ark of the Covenant and Solomon’s Temple: Treasures of the Holy Land

One of the main objectives of Israelites was to conquer Jerusalem or Bayt al-Maqdis. This goal was not achieved during Saul’s reign. However, after him, his son-in-law, David (PBUH), ascended to the throne. David managed to conquer Bayt al-Maqdis [18]. He chose this city as the capital of his kingdom. Bayt al-Maqdis was a significant city for Israelites. It was a spiritual city. It was also a geographically interesting city. It was at the crossroads between north and south of Palestine. So, it was accessible for everyone who came to this country.

After conquering Bayt al-Maqdis, David (PBUH), had a temple built. It was a place of worship for Jews. Then, he transferred the most important sacred object, the Ark of the Covenant, there. Following the death of David, his son, Solomon took the leadership. The most significant event during his reign was the construction of the grandest Jewish temple, known as Solomon’s Temple, which is also mentioned in the Quran in relation to temple building. The construction of temples has been mentioned in the Quran [19].

After a reign of forty years, when Solomon died, fierce wars broke out between the Jews of northern and southern Palestine. At the end of these wars, Palestine had been divided into two parts: the northern and southern kingdoms. The inhabitants of the northern kingdom consisted of ten tribes from the twelve tribes of the Children of Israel, while the people of the southern kingdom were the descendants of Benjamin and Judah, sons of Jacob (PBUH).

Conflicting with each other, disobeying God’s commands, murdering prophets, and committing corruption ultimately did a lot of harm to the twelve tribes of the Children of Israel. As a consequence of these actions, they fell under the control of bloodthirsty rulers, including Nebuchadnezzar, the king of the Babylonians [20]. As a result, Palestine including Jerusalem came under Babylonian control, Solomon’s Temple was destroyed, and Jews were exiled to Mesopotamia. The Babylonians’ dominance over this land did not last more than half a century; Cyrus the Great defeated the Babylonians in 538 BCE and took control of Palestine, allowing Jews to return to their land [21].

Jews Lose Their Hope to Gain the Holy Land

With the shifting of power between various kingdoms and governments, the fate of the Holy Land including Bayt al-Maqdis also underwent changes. This region witnessed new rulers and inhabitants in each period. So, after the Achaemenid Empire, the Greeks became the ruler of this land. After that, the Romans asserted their power. During this time, the Jewish revolt against Rome incited the wrath of the Roman Emperor, resulting in the destruction of the rebuilt Temple of Solomon and the complete destruction of Jerusalem.

Jews had significant conflicts with the Romans and there was much disagreement between them. For these reasons Jews lost control of Palestine and were exiled from it. Going through ups and downs of the conflicts caused Jews to feel discouraged. They became less inclined to think about returning to and reclaiming the Promised Land; however, they did not change their mind about the sanctity and importance of this city.

Before Christianity, Bayt al-Maqdis held religious significance only for Jews. However, when the Roman Emperor converted to Christianity and a tomb attributed to Jesus (PBUH) was discovered in this city, Jerusalem became an important religious city for Christians too.

Perhaps no region had been at war or in conflict more than Palestine. In a war between the Jews in Palestine and dominant powers of that time, the Sasanian king, Khosrow II, allied himself to Jews. As a result, they managed to defeat the Romans and regain control of Palestine. This war has been mentioned in the Quran [22].

With the advent of Islam, the Arabs gained victory over Romans in the battle of Yarmuk and took the control of the Holy Land, Palestine. So Palestine was ruled by Muslims for hundreds of years until the Crusades. After several wars between Muslims and Christians during the Crusades, and after several losing and regaining control of Palestine, Muslims managed to regain control over this land following Saladin’s victory over the Romans. Until the end of World War I, the Holy Land was in Muslims’ hands under the authority of the Ottoman Empire.

Capturing the Holy Land

In the contemporary era, powerful countries like the United Kingdom and France have sought to gain control over the Holy Land by exerting influence in political domains. They entered into agreements to divide various parts of this territory among themselves. Finally, the United Kingdom’s rule over this land ended. In that time, a Jewish group, today known as Zionists, by lobbying with the dominant powers of the world, declared themselves the owners of this land in 1948 and established the state of Israel.

They divided Palestine into two parts: Muslim and Jewish sections. Since that year, there have been numerous conflicts and disputes over Palestine’s sovereignty between Jews and Muslims.

In recent years, Zionist Jews have transgressed borders of Palestine and neighboring countries by expanding its territory whose borders had been determined with the help of international lobbies. In fact, they seek to occupy a region extending from the Nile to the Euphrates based on an ancient belief.

Conclusion

The history of the Holy Land can be examined from different perspectives. Given Israel’s current actions against Palestinians in pursuit of sovereignty over the Holy Land, this article explored aspects of this region’s history, including its inhabitants and rulers.

An unbiased study of the history and fate of this territory unfolds the truth behind many events occurring in these days. What do you know about this land, and what is your opinion about the events occurring in this region?

References

[1]. Tabarsi, Fadl ibn Hasan. Majma’ al-Bayan. vol.3, 276.

[2]. Majlisi, Muhammad Baqir. Bihar al-Anwar. vol.13, 177.

[3]. Quran, 29:56

[4]. Quran, 5:21

[5]. Quran, 17:1

[6]. Quran, 20:80

[7]. Quran, 17:104

[8]. Quran, 10:93

[9]. Quran, 23:50

[10]. Quran, 29:26

[11]. Quran, 21:71