Jerusalem: The Biography

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Jerusalem is a universal city, the capital of two peoples and the shrine of three faiths, embodying the prize of empires and the site of Judgment Day. Spanning three thousand years, this epic history encompasses faith, conflict, and coexistence, tracing the journey from King David to Barack Obama and the origins of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam to the Israel-Palestine conflict. The narrative explores how this small town transformed into the Holy City, the "center of the world," and now a focal point for peace in the Middle East. Simon Sebag Montefiore vividly brings to life the city's many incarnations through the wars, love affairs, and revelations of its historical figures—kings, prophets, poets, and everyday Jerusalemites. The cast includes Solomon, Saladin, Suleiman the Magnificent, Cleopatra, Caligula, and Churchill, as well as Abraham, Jesus, and Muhammad. From the ancient world of Jezebel and Nebuchadnezzar to modern figures like Mark Twain and Moshe Dayan, Montefiore draws on new archives and scholarship to illuminate the essence of sanctity, mysticism, identity, and empire. This chronicle reveals how Jerusalem became the unique city that exists both in heaven and on earth.