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Amongst the three major monotheistic religions, Jerusalem is seen as one of the most
sacred cities in the world. Starting with Judaism, the city was described as the promised land of
the Jewish people, marked as a sacred location by miracles experienced by both Abraham and
David. The location where these events occurred was then demarcated by the creation of the
temple where the divine dwelled and communicated. Centuries later, Christianity would make a
claim on Jerusalem, as this city was where Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected. This
Christian miracle was marked by the creation of a religious building, specifically the Church of
the Holy Sepulchre. Finally, Islam recognized the Jewish hierophanies within the city and
claimed their own tradition, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) night journey, as well.
Continuing the practice of marking a religious event by a monument, the Dome of the Rock was
built where the night journey occurred and the exact location of the Jewish temple. Christianity
recognized its Jewish roots by claiming that the New Covenant had replaced the Old
Covenant. Islam also claimed roots in Judaism, yet proclaimed it was simply the true version of
what the previous religions were supposed to be. While Christianity attempted to differentiate
itself from Judaism with the construction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre of the Western
Hill, Islam showed itself to be the pure continuation of its predecessors, constructing the Dome
of the Rock on the Eastern Hill, the site of the Jewish temple.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre initially went against traditional Christian views, but
was necessary for Christianity to establish its presence in Jerusalem and its superiority over
Judaism. Prior to its construction, Christianity had emphasized that the body was the temple of
God, and that buildings were not required to pray to the Lord. This sentiment is shown in the
New Testament, stating that in [Jesus] the whole building is joined together and rises to become
a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in

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which God lives by his Spirit (Ephesians 2:21-22). Christianity believed itself superior to
Judaism in that they did not need a temple to pray to their lord. However, after Christianity was
officially recognized as a religion through the Edict of Milan, there needed to be a legitimization
of Christianitys presence. No longer were its people forced to hide their prayers, but they could
openly express their devotion to their God. The Christian followers went from believing sacred
spaces being unnecessary to making pilgrimages to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Through
the creation of a church, the Christian people could display themselves as a dominant religion.
When the regime of this newly accepted religion arrived in Jerusalem, they arrived to a Jewish
city that had lost its important temple. On the Temple Mount, they found the ruins of the Jewish
temple that was destroyed (Schein 1984). Jesus, the head figure of the Christian faith, had
predicted the downfall of the Jewish temple when he was with his disciples at the temple and
said, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone
upon another, that shall not be thrown down (Matthew 24:2).The prediction of the Jewish
temples destruction by the founder of Christianity immediately set the tone for Christianity
finding itself as superior to Judaism. Finding them above the Jewish faith, the Christian people
referred to the Temple Mount as the dungheap of the new Christian Jerusalem, which arose
around the Holy Sepulchre in the time of Constantine (Schein 1984).
Despite Christianity signifying itself as superior to Judaism, there were similarities
between the Jewish temple and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which was made by
Constantine the Great beginning in 326 CE. Similarities between the two buildings included the
direction of the entrance, with both buildings facing east. Additionally, both buildings had similar
consecration dates, as a pilgrim named Egeria said that the date when the church on Golgotha

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(called Marty- rium) was consecrated to God is called Encaenia, and on the same day the holy
church of the Anastasis was also consecrated the day of Encaenia was when the House of God
was consecrated, and Solomon stood in prayer before God's altar, as we read in the Books of
Chronicles (Ousterhoust 1990, 45). By consecrating the church on the same day the temple
Solomon built was consecrated, the Christian people showed an association between themselves
and Davids lineage. Judaism greatly valued its tie with David and their claim as his people,
believing that they were promised the land of Jerusalem. By moving the axis mundi that Judaism
had established, yet maintaining a tie with the David through consecrating the church on the
same day as the Temple, Christianity showed itself to be the continuation of Davids people and
to be the true resident of Davids promised land.
The pilgrim Egeria that spoke of the same consecration days also described the
similarities between the traditions of the temple and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,
displaying how Christianity borrowed from the Jewish tradition while still exemplifying
themselves as superior to Judaism. Ousterhoust argues, The time of the Morning WholeOffering at the Temple is paralleled in the Weekday Morning Hymns at the Holy Sepulchre.
Subsequently, in the Temple service, the High Priest and other priests entered the Temple and
prostrated themselves; whereas at the Holy Sepulchre, the Bishop and clergy entered the Tomb
Aedicula for prayers and blessings. Then, in both ceremonies, the officiants emerged from the
entrance of the Temple or Tomb to bless the people (Osterhoust 1990: 45). The parallelism with
Jewish people in terms of their traditions allowed for the Christian people to have some
consistency in their lives, while showing a connection to the Jewish people. As a new faith,
having similarities in practice to a religion already accepted would ease the Christian people into
their new, and superior, religion. Adapting those traditions to be their own allowed the Christian

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people to also show their superior position over the Jewish people, being the improved version of
the obsolete Jewish people.
Continuing with the similarities, the layout of the church displayed similarities to the
temple. Eugeria also described the interior of the buildings as ever-burning lamp in the Tomb
may be likened to the menorah in the Temple and the Rock of the Crucifixion assumes the role
of the altar of sacrifice on Mount Moriah. In addition, the "Stone of the Angel" in front of the
Tomb of Christ-the stone rolled from the original rock-cut tomb-is described not as round, but as
a "cube," which would liken it to the Altar of Incense at the Temple (Osterhoust 1990: 45-46).
Additionally, the Jewish temple and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre were commonly
represented with architectures of two different scales: larger columns support an architrave,
pediment, or dome above a smaller structure that can be identified either as the Ark of the
Covenant in the Holy of Holies or as the Tomb aedicule (Ousterhout 1990: 47). The description
of the church resembling the temple showed the desire of writers like Eusebius to ground the
recently accepted faith on the signs and prophesy of the Old Testament (Osterhoust 1990: 45).
By creating a basis in a religion that was already established, Christianity legitimized itself as a
dominant religion. As a religion that had recently been given approval through the Edict of
Milan, showing itself to be a real religion was necessary to gain the respect of others and gain
followers.
Christianity not only insulted its predecessors sacred spot in Jerusalem through names,
but also by also removing the location from the boundaries of their new and improved version of
Jerusalem. Mircea Eliade, in The Sacred and Profane, wrote that religions would have sacred
places designated as the center of the world, or an axis mundi. For the Jewish people, the Temple
Mount was an axis mundi. Christianitys Jerusalem revolved around the Church of the Holy

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Sepulchre, which was built away from the Temple Mount. The center of the world that the
Jewish people had established, or what Eliade would call it an axis mundi, had been moved from
the Temple Mount to the Eastern Hill. This movement allowed Christianity to differentiate itself
Judaism, and show the Jewish belief as an inferior and outdated religion in relation to
Christianity.

In the same way that Christianity needed to establish its presence in Jerusalem, Islam
found itself in need of making its presence known. As in Christianity and Judaism, Jerusalem
was of great importance to Islam. In the Islamic faith, it is believed that the dead will be
quickened and assembled in Jerusalem and a tradition to this effect is attributed to the Prophet.
Many Jews share the same belief (Goiten 107). In addition, Jerusalem served as the first
direction of prayer, and the site of the Prophet Muhammads (peace be upon him) night journey
called Israa and Miraj. Though it is not confirmed if the Muslim people at the time believed that
this was the true site of the journey, it is said that the Dome of the Rock commemorates the site
of this miracle. The Dome contains the stone that marks where the Prophet departed from the
earth and travelled to the heavens. In addition to its religious reasons, this building was made in
response to the churches that already resided in Jerusalem, allowing Islam to claim a spot in a
city that predominantly Christian at the time (Neuwirth).
Islam saw itself as a continuation of its predecessors, differing only in that it was the
religion that was untainted by misunderstandings and incorrect translations of religious events.
This idea of being related to the previous religions is made clear by the creation of the Dome of
the Rock. Started by Caliph Abd-Al Malik during 689-69 CE, the actual intention of the building
of the Dome is still unclear. Though it is established today that the site where the Dome is built is

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where the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) experienced his night journey, it is unclear if this is what
the people believed when the Dome was built. One theory for the creation of the Dome was that
it was made to be a replacement for the Kaba, a building that the Muslim people are required to
make a pilgrimage to at least once in their lives. However, this intention would have branded
Caliph Malik as a kafir, or non-believer. Therefore, this scenario may not be as likely (Goitein
1950). Most likely, it is due to the association of the site with the night journey, as well as the
miracles that Judaism believed to have occurred at the site, including the divine communication
experienced by both Abraham and David. From a political standpoint, the Dome of the Rock
could have been built due to the pressure Abd-Al Malik felt to provide a very visible reminder
of his hegemony over the city, which also was where Christians constituted the overwhelming
majority (Rabbat 1989:16). As competitor against Christianity in Jerusalem, the Muslim people
aided the Jewish community. Reintroducing the Jewish people to Jerusalem, Muslims preferred,
and even adopted, the Jewish viewpoints. Some Jewish converts were also spreading antiChristian propaganda (Rabbat 1989: 16). Although Islam shared beliefs with the Christian
people, during the time of the Dome of the Rock, the religion chose to associate itself with
Judaism, possibly to help gain a stronger footing in Jerusalem.
The location of the Dome of the Rock exemplifies how Islam saw itself as a continuation
of Judaism. The Eastern Hill, where the Dome is located, is assumed to be the location where the
first and second temples of the Jewish people were built. The Rock was believed to have been
where Abraham almost sacrificed his son, yet was stopped by Gods command after proving his
devotion to his Lord. The story of Abraham was important to the Muslim people as well, as
Abraham was also one of Islams prophets, and an additional reason for Jerusalem to hold
importance to the Muslim people (Grabar 1959). Unlike Christianity in which the religion

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sought to establish itself as distinct from Judaism by placing its church on the Western Hill,
Islam placed its symbol on the axis mundi of the Jewish people. During the time when the Dome
of the Rock was built, the Islamic people favored Judaism compared to Christianity. Christianity
was a competing religion within Jerusalem, and Islam needed to establish itself in a
predominantly Christian city. Islam acknowledged Mount Moriah as a sacred space for the same
reasons as the Jewish people, including the miracles experienced by David and Solomon (Rabbat
1989). Through placing its major building at the same site valued by the Jewish people, Islam
showed itself as a continuation of the Jewish faith.
Not only did the Dome of the Rocks location show Islams association with Judaism, the
design also echoed Jewish sentiments. According to Priscilla Soucek, Solomons temple was
praised in the Islamic sources for its opulent and symbolic decorations and fanciful trees; the
same motifs are found in the mosaics of the outer octagon of the Dome of the Rock (Rabbat
1989: 12). In this description, it shown that there are no living creatures beyond wildlife depicted
in neither the Temple nor the Dome of the Rock. As shown in Leviticus 26, the Jewish people
were told to not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place
a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the LORD your God (Leviticus 26:1).
The prohibition of imagery, or aniconism, is seen in Islam as well. In Islamic art and architecture,
only plant and geometric imagery was allowed, and the creation of images of living creatures
was strictly prohibited. Not even were any images of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) made, in
the fear that people might begin to worship the Prophet rather than God himself. This fear of
worshipping something or someone besides God was common to both Judaism and Islam, but
not Christianity. The constraint on art shown in the Temple and the Dome show the connection

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between the Jewish and Islamic faith, reiterating the concept that Islam found itself to be a
continuation of the Jewish faith.
Although Islam believed itself to be a continuation of its predecessors, the religion did
not always agree with their beliefs. On one of the many inscriptions on the Dome of the Rock
reads O you People of the Book, overstep not bounds in your religion, and of God speak only
the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, is only an apostle of God Believe therefore in God
and his apostles, and say not Three. It will be better for you. God is only one God. Far be it
from his glory that he should have a son (Grabar 1959). This inscription was a direct challenge
to the Christian belief of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Trinity is the belief that God is father, son,
and Holy Spirit. The position of son was through Jesus, implying that Jesus was a physical
manifestation of God, and also his son. Islam, however, claims that Jesus was no more than a
prophet, but an important prophet nonetheless. This claim was not an attack on the main
character of Christianity, as Jesus holds a high place in the Islamic faith. The sentence following
this correction on the Holy Trinity, stating "Pray for your Prophet and your servant, Jesus, son of
Mary shows that the Muslim people still found Jesus to be an important religious figure (Grabar
1959). Although Islam holds Jesus in great esteem, the religion claims that he was only a prophet
and not someone to be worshipped. This thought process was no different than the way the
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was portrayed by Islam. By demonstrating Jesus importance the
Islamic tradition, Islam showed its association with Christianity. But Islam still showed itself as
an untainted religion by saying that the Holy Trinity was misinterpreted and that Jesus was solely
a prophet.
Christianity, after finding itself as an acknowledged religion by Constantine, needed to
establish itself as a respectable religion. Although the religion used to emphasize the body and

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community being more of a temple than a building, Christianity needed to mark its presence in
the sacred city of Jerusalem. Through making the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, this presence
was established. Though there were similarities between the Church and the Temple, Christianity
hoped to establish itself as a superior religion to Judaism. Islam faced a similar dilemma of
establishing a presence in Jerusalem. While Christianity found Jerusalem with Jewish temples
torn down, Islam came into Jerusalem with glittering Christian churches and needed to compete
with the Christian community. Islam stressed its association with Judaism by building its
monument on the same location that served as an axis mundi to the Jewish people. However,
Islam claimed itself to be a continuation of the previous monotheistic religions, claiming that the
religion preached things that the other two religions had heard before but did not properly adhere
to. Yet, they believed that they were the religion that was untainted by false claims, such as the
Holy Trinity. In the end, both Christianity and Islam used their roots in Judaism to their
advantage to establish themselves in the religiously rich city of Jerusalem.

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Bibliography
N. Rabbat, The Meaning of the Umayyad Dome of the Rock, Muqarnas Volume VI: An Annual
on Islamic Art and Architecture (Edited by Oleg Grabar; Leiden: Brill, 1989).
O. Grabar, The Umayyad Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, Ars Orientalis 3 (1959) 3362.
R. Ousterhout, Rebuilding the Temple: Constantine Monomachus and the Holy Sepulchre, The
Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 48/1 (1989) 6678.
R. Ousterhout, The Temple, the Sepulchre, and the Martyrion of the Savior, Gesta 29/1 (1990)
4453.
S. Schein, Between Mount Moriah and the Holy Sepuchre: The Changing Traditions of the
Temple Mount in the Central Middle Ages, Traditio 40 (1984) 175195.
S.D. Goitein, The Historical Background of the Erection of the Dome of the Rock, Journal of
the American Oriental Society 70/2 (1950) 104108.

DO more of the Church

There was a section of the death, tomb

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Edicule, trying to incorporate a lot of different events in the church layout- explain this while
explaining the layout