The Temple in the Center of the World
In the poem "Jerusalem is Full of Used Jews", the author Yehudah Amichai describes the exhaustion of the Jews in Jerusalem after having their second temple destroyed and never having the opportunity to build another. He states that the Jews are "worn out by history," and that the "eye yearns towards Zion all the time." Because Zion is the hill in Jerusalem where the city of David was built, and they look to the hill will a sense of intense longing, it is clear the Jews wish their temple still stood so they could pray in that space and be heard by God. Amichai hints towards this again when he states in his poem that Jerusalem needs a "ring-master," who would "teach its stones to line up in a bold.. formation for the grand finale." The Western wall is made of giant stone stacked atop each other, and it is the only wall left from the foundation of the second temple. Therefore, I believe Amichai is referring to creating the final Jewish temple where the Jews in Jerusalem could finally have a sacred place to worship.
In the book The Sacred and the Profane, Mircea Eliade goes into depth about the significance of having sacred space to the "religious man," and how this space should be at the "center of the Earth." This is because of the belief in a "universal pillar" (page 36) that connects heaven, Earth and the infernal regions that could only exist in the center of the world. In ancient history, it was commonly believed that Jerusalem was at the center of the Earth. This was because so many sacred stories were believed to have taken place on the bedrock in Jerusalem- these included Abraham almost sacrificing his son but being saved by God in Christianity, and Mohammed rising to heaven in Islam. When King Solomon first built the Jewish Temple on this bedrock, the Jews probably felt as if it was the ultimate place of worship, as it was supposedly in the center of the world and their prayers could be heard in heaven. Therefore, when both the first and second temples were destroyed, it was devastating for the Jewish people. Both the poem "Jerusalem is Full of Used Jews" and Eliade's book The Sacred and the Profane exemplify the significance of having a temple in Jerusalem to the Jewish people.
In the book The Sacred and the Profane, Mircea Eliade goes into depth about the significance of having sacred space to the "religious man," and how this space should be at the "center of the Earth." This is because of the belief in a "universal pillar" (page 36) that connects heaven, Earth and the infernal regions that could only exist in the center of the world. In ancient history, it was commonly believed that Jerusalem was at the center of the Earth. This was because so many sacred stories were believed to have taken place on the bedrock in Jerusalem- these included Abraham almost sacrificing his son but being saved by God in Christianity, and Mohammed rising to heaven in Islam. When King Solomon first built the Jewish Temple on this bedrock, the Jews probably felt as if it was the ultimate place of worship, as it was supposedly in the center of the world and their prayers could be heard in heaven. Therefore, when both the first and second temples were destroyed, it was devastating for the Jewish people. Both the poem "Jerusalem is Full of Used Jews" and Eliade's book The Sacred and the Profane exemplify the significance of having a temple in Jerusalem to the Jewish people.
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