Historianandauthor,SimonSebagMontefiorepresentsafascinatingseriesonJerusalem:theplacewhereGodmeetsman,theshrineofthreefaiths–Judaism,ChristianityandIslam,andthemostfoughtovercityinhistory.MontefioreexplainshowJerusalem–establishedbyKingDavid3,000yearsagowasfoughtforandshapedbyKingsandEmperorsandhowtheholinessofthecitywasintensifiedbymythsandfables,borrowedandrefinedbetweenreligions.HethenexploreshowthispeerlesslybeautifulcityrosefromacrumblingruinafterthecrusadestobecomeaworldcentreofIslamicpilgrimage,theobjectofrivalrybetweenChristiannations,aholyrefugeforJewsfromallovertheworldand,ultimately,thesiteofoneoftheworld’smostintractableconflicts.
