The Oxford Early Christian Studies series will include scholarly volumes on the thought and history of the early Christian centuries. Covering a wide range of Greek, Latin, and Oriental sources, the books will be of interest to theologians, ancient historians, and specialists in the classical and Jewish worlds. Series Editors: Rowan Williams, Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity at University of Oxford and Henry Chadwick, Master of Peterhouse in the University of Cambridge. The first book in The Oxford Early Christian Studies series, this study examines how Christians, whose faith is rooted historically in the Holy Land, define the precise significance of such a "holy land" in the present. Walker focuses on 325 A.D., when Constantine, the first Christian emperor, established his capital at Byzantium, allowing the Christians to uncover the Gospel sites and develop a theoretical approach to the Holy Land. He systematically compares for the first time the attitudes of two ancient writers, Eusebius of Caesarea and Cyril of Jerusalem--whose works discuss these events--revealing a new and important appreciation of Eusebius as one who, unlike Cyril, did not believe that the city in the Judean hills was truly "the city of God."

This book surveys the various landscapes portrayed by the different New Testament authors and draw these together into an overall biblical theology of the ancient city of Jerusalem..

Jerusalem's rich history stretches back more than two millennia, and three great religions claim the city as holy ground. This lavishly illustrated book celebrates Jerusalem, from its ancient origins to the present day, focusing on such key sites as the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and pivotal moments like the Six Day War. Fifteen removable facsimile documents, including a sixteenth-century letter written by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and a copy of the 1917 Balfour Declaration, bring the city vividly to life.

Drawing on both primary texts and archaelogy, Wilken traces the Christian conception of a Holy Land from its origins inthe Hebrew Bible to the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem in the seventh century.

This book presents new translations of a selection of Latin and French pilgrimage texts - and two in Greek - relating to Jerusalem and the Holy Land between the fall of Jerusalem to Saladin in 1187 and the loss of Acre to the Mamluks in 1291. It therefore complements and extends existing studies, which deal with the period from Late Antiquity to Saladin's conquest. Such texts provide a wealth of information not only about the business of pilgrimage itself, but also on church history, topography, architecture and the social and economic conditions prevailing in Palestine in this period. Pilgrimage texts of the 13th century have not previously been studied as a group in this way; and, because the existing editions of them are scattered across a variety of rather obscure publications, they tend to be under-utilized by historians, despite their considerable interest. For instance, they are often more original than the texts of the 12th century, representing first-hand accounts of travellers rather than simple reworkings of older texts. Taken together, they document the changes that occurred in the pattern of pilgrimage after the fall of Jerusalem in 1187, during its brief reoccupation by the Franks between 1229 and 1244, and during the period from 1260 onwards when the Mamluks gradually took military control of the whole country. In the 1250s-60s, for example, because of the difficulties faced by pilgrims in reaching Jerusalem itself, there developed an alternative set of holy sites offering indulgences in Acre. The bringing of Transjordan, southern Palestine and Sinai under Ayyubid and, later, Mamluk control also encouraged the development of the pilgrimage to St Catherine's monastery on Mount Sinai in this period. The translations are accompanied by explanatory footnotes and preceded by an introduction, which discusses the development of Holy Land pilgrimage in this period and the context, dating and composition of the texts themselves. The book concludes with a comprehensive list of sources and a detailed index.

Jerusalem is a deeply divided city. Famously, the Old City has Muslim, Armenian, Jewish and Christian quarters - all separate and at often at loggerheads. The Jewish and Palestinian (Christian and Muslim) populations lead completely separate lives with different schools, shops, taxi companies, languages and newspapers. How has the city become so hopelessly divided and will it always be so? Is there a solution possible and what has been the fate of earlier attempts to reconcile the different communities? Bernard Wasserstein examines the often unhappy history of the Holy City - one of the most contentious places in the world.

Make your journey to the holy land a richer experience. This book introduces the reader to the area, it's history and its people, while providing invaluable information on traditional pilgrimage sites. Knowing what to expect in the Holy Land will help you get the most out of your journey. Jerusalem and the Holy Land, written from a broadly Christian perspective is a must for anyone planning a trip to the Holy Land. It covers everything a pilgrim should know before undertaking the journey.