Although Jerusalem is known for some of the most divine “sacred spaces,” it is not the first place to establish sacred space. The Mesopotamian people built temples that were sacred where they could worship. Sacred spaces like this and in Jerusalem are consecrated through attraction. Residents of these cities tell stories about the divine revealing itself to the regular world. Whether these stories are historical or borrowed, people are attracted to these sacred spaces to experience contact with a higher power. An example of one of the most sacred spots in Jerusalem is the Dome of the Rock. It is here, also known as Mount Moriah, that God sent Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac to prove his obedience to God. Just as Abraham was about to strike his son, an angel appeared and interfered to save Isaac from having to be sacrificed. Later in history, King Solomon built a temple on top of this mountain, which was very holy to his people. The actual Dome of the Rock, which is a shrine to the old Jerusalem temple, was built by Byzantine Christians and still stands today. Many travelers who are hoping to be closer to God visit it today. People in history believed that mountains were sacred because the higher you were, the closer to heaven you could be. To many it was the “center of the Earth.”
