Dome of the Rock

Yes, we visited the Dome of the Rock, or Haram esh-Sharif, as they call it in Arabic. It is an important Muslim shrine which commemorates Mohammad's Ascension to heaven or possibly where Abraham sent Ishmael and his mother away. The shrine sits on the Temple Mount, where Abraham went up to sacrifice Isaac and of course where the Temple used to be.

So, I have this nice photo. I mean to point out that I should also have written one whole piece on the Western Wall, obviously to the West of where I am in this shot. I do not mean to favor Islam over Judaism in anyway, as you will see.

Now, our tour guide shocked us all by telling us of his lack of certitude as to why this was built. Some say that the Muslims wanted a point of pride in the heavily Byzantine and Christian city. Clearly this dome stands in a way that puts the dome of the Holy Sepulchre in relief. But the Dome of the Rock is not so much a place of worship as of private veneration. The Temple Mount has the Al-Aqsa Mosque for worship. As you can tell from the photo, the shrine is immaculately kept and gold-plated thanks to the gift of the late King Hussein of Jordan. So too all of the Temple mount is administered and well-maintained by the religious authority of the state of Jordan to this very day.

When I was there with the group, I was struck by how tidy the place was. You understand that what I am about to say comes from a Christian perspective. Yet, I am far more aware of my perspective here. In any case, the Holy Sepulchre is filled with tourists from all over, and I think that they come there for a clear reason, rooted in the historical Passion and Resurrection of Christ. I also took much from being at the Western Wall for the start of Shabbat last Friday evening. It was confusing for me with many many groups all praying in different ways, like the confusion some find at the Holy Sepulchre. But religious Jews go to worship there because they seek to comemorate the Temple.

When I see the Dome of the Rock, to me it sends a message of religious hegemony both by its location and its ostentation. And on the ceramic reads also the famous verse from the Qu'ran inviting Christians to abandon their belief in the Trinity. Now, don't feel sorry for me because I actually had a great day visiting this place. Nevertheless, I thought more about my theology and my relation to other religions. Is supercession all that a new religion can offer an older one? When I envision the resurrection, it will not be the time for the Messiah to vindicate one religion over and against all the others. Rather, all we find their place and the final motivation of human religion and progress. In other words, those who believed will be even further rewarded by finally attaining faith's goal. Is it possible for Judaism, Christianity and Islam to instill such hope in people either directly or in ways that we don't always understand? I hope so.