Jerusalem A Biography - Simon Sebag Montefiore

To read in such detail about the story of the 'rightful' stake on Jerusalem gave me nightmares. No jokes, I woke up in a sweat dreaming of hangings and atrocities on humans.

The biography is disturbing to say the least.

Simon Sebag Montefiore has left no detail missed and no stone unturned in writing this mammoth of a book. Other than a myriad of curious details of rulers and kings and misconceptions and assumptions that led to one group to claim Jerusalem for themselves, the book showcases the fanaticism of religion and the cunningness of politics all blended into one mad frenzy.

The author is straightforward about the proof that exists regarding some of the things he shares especially where there is really no archaeological evidence left. Which is refreshing to read. He also incorporates his ancestral history, which is a bit jarring as it is unexpected and strange. I guess I would write about my ancestor too if they had a hand in shaping some bits of history. But, jarred me.

Overall feeling - Jerusalem is like a toy that when no one wants it, it is left alone. But when one tentatively or aggressively make a claim for it, all the others pounce. And the concept of sharing, though tried multiple times, never worked as a permanent solution. Why do we all have the need to put done something else in order to prop up our own stuff? The women and children - as always a price to pay and a dot in history. The men wrote most, most of the stories and most, most of the women and children played out their existence without a choice.

For me, the book was wildly informative, my curiosity of the city was thoroughly satisfied. If I do visit, I will come back traumatised, this I am sure off.

A few people/events that still ring in the brain:

1. Assyrian King Saragon II deported 10 of the 12 Jewish tribes to Assyria, the 10 tribes 'vanished' from the annals of history. To this day many theories spawn.

2. Herod was Phoenician by descent, Hellenized by culture, Idumean by place of birth, Jewish by religion, Jerusalemite by residence and Roman by citizenship.

3. King Nehemiah - whose story in the bible is the only political biography

4. Hercules, the first crusader

5. Fatimids - the living Imans almost suspended between man and heaven. One of them was Ubayed Allah, direct descendant of Ali and Fatima, the Prophet's daughter.

6.16th July 1054, a papal excommunicated the Byzantine patriarch who in turn excommunicated the pope. To this day east and west Christendom is divided and encourage the competition for Jerusalem

7. Baldwin, the first king of Jerusalem.

8. Mamaluks -slaves who became kings, Tamurlane being the most well-known. Him and his tutor, Ibn Kaldhun's journey to Jerusalem is an important one

9.The Muqaddimah - a book about the history of the world written by Ibn Khaldun (intellect extraordinaire). Apparently still sparkles today, I would pick it up.

So much more that I can never do justice to.

Read the book if you like knowing every single name, place, thing as much as the stories about them. I lost count. Also read for the end to end story of Jerusalem - I really liked the chronology element of it. A line that runs through make a huge difference in context-understanding. The tone and language is casual and modern(?), doesn't work for me but the story made it worthwhile to plough through.