Temple Mount and Al-Aqsa: the Complete History of Jerusalem's Most Contested Holy Site — Judaism, Islam, 3,000 Years Sacred Conflict from Abraham Muhammad to Present Day

Why does one small hill in Jerusalem divide the world? For three thousand years, the thirty-five acres known as the Temple Mount to Jews and the Haram al-Sharif to Muslims have been the most contested piece of ground on earth. It is where Abraham nearly sacrificed his son. It is where Solomon built his Temple and where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. It is where Rome destroyed the Jewish world, where the Crusaders massacred a city, and where, in 1967, Israeli paratroopers stood at the Western Wall and wept. This is the complete story of that hill - and of the two faiths that will not stop fighting over it. Written with scrupulous neutrality and exhaustive historical depth, this book covers everything a reader needs to understand the world's most intractable religious and political conflict: - The full origins of Judaism and Islam - their founding stories, their scriptures, their similarities, and the deep Abrahamic roots they share - The complete history of the Temple Mount and Al-Aqsa Mosque from Solomon to the present day - through Babylon, Rome, the Crusades, the Ottomans, and the modern Arab-Israeli conflict - The religious claims of both faiths, presented fully and fairly, without taking sides - Every major attempt at peace and mediation - from the UN Partition Plan to Oslo, Camp David, and the Abraham Accords - and why each fell short - The full map of stakeholders: Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, the United States, the OIC, and UNESCO - A clear-eyed analysis of who is most likely to prevail - and what the three most plausible futures for the site look like This is not a book that declares a winner. It is a book that makes sure you understand the full stakes before the next crisis erupts - and they always do. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the Middle East, the history of religion, or the most important unresolved conflict of the modern world.