By the way, in the time of Christ, Jerusalem, according to Josephus, had exactly twelve gates. Now, however, only seven of them remain. Such is the multifaceted spiritual heart of mankind. "Jerusalem is the navel of the earth," wrote the Arab geographer of the tenth century Ibn al-Faqih, "Paradise will be transferred to Jerusalem, and the gates of heaven will be opened over Jerusalem. Whoever prayed in Jerusalem seemed to have prayed in heaven. One prayer in Jerusalem is better than a thousand prayers elsewhere. God forgives the one who came to Jerusalem; He is freed from his sins. Whoever has visited Jerusalem will enter paradise. All the prophets visited Jerusalem and were touched. Whoever fasted in Jerusalem for one day is delivered from hell. If anyone comes to Jerusalem to ask God to grant him what he needs, he will not have time to ask before he will receive what he asks for." If you do not believe that Jerusalem is the "navel of the Earth", then go to the famous Church of the Resurrection – there is a sculpture depicting this part of the body. What made it such a center?

Isaac's sacrifices are a prototype of Christ's death on the cross

The book of al-Taurat (Torah, Old Testament in the Bible) says that many centuries ago, long before the foundation of Jerusalem, by God's command, the founder of monotheism, Abraham (Ibrahim), came here with his son Isaac (Ishaq) to offer sacrifice. On this site, known since time immemorial as the Temple Mount, on which the majestic Temple of Solomon (Suleiman) stood in ancient times, there is now a mosque that the Arabs call "Qubbat as Sahra" (Dome of the Rock). It was built by the conqueror of Jerusalem, Caliph Omar. Therefore, the structure is often called the "Mosque of Omar". A golden dome topped with a crescent moon dominates the city. Recently, the mosque was restored. The manufacture of its dome - the "calling card" of the city took 80 kilograms of pure gold, equivalent to 1.5 million dollars. The plan, it must be said, was a success. The octagonal building of the mosque, on which the domed hemisphere rests, is lined with blue tiles, so that in sunny weather the structure sparkles in the sun with gold and heavenly blue.

Inside the mosque, in the midst of luxury, azure, gilding, marble and decorations, a huge shapeless stone sticks out of the ground - a piece of rough rock, with a crack in the middle. The Jews call it "Even ha-Shtia", that is, "the Cornerstone of the World", and the Arabs call it "al Sahra", the Rock. It was on it that the Lord perched the whole world on the third day of creation. The common ancestor of the Jews and Arabs, Abraham (Ibrahim), brought his son to the stone in order to slaughter him according to the word of God, but at the last moment the Lord stopped his hand and Isaac survived. This served as a prototype of the future sacrifice on the cross of the Lamb of God – Jesus.

The Koran and the Bible report that in his declining years, Ibrahim was given two sons by God - Ishaq and Ismail. Ibrahim was ready to sacrifice one of his sons, Ishaq, by order of the Almighty. This is how this scene is described in the Qur'an. Ibrahim said: "My son, I see in a dream that I am stabbing you as a sacrifice, and see what you think." He said: "My father, do what you are commanded; you will find me, if Allah wills, patient." And when they both surrendered to Allah and he threw him on his forehead..." (37:101-103). At this moment, according to al-Tawra, Abraham (Ibrahim) had already raised a knife to stab his beloved son Ishaq on an altar specially made of wood. But at the last moment he was stopped by an Angel. The Qur'an says: "And We called out to him, 'O Ibrahim! You have justified the vision." Thus We reward the virtuous! Indeed, this is a clear test. And We redeemed him with a great sacrifice" (37:104-110). As the Bible adds, at that moment an angel of the Lord called Abraham from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham! Thou shalt not lift up thy hand against the lad, nor do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, because you have not spared your only son for Me" (Gen. 22:12). And Abraham saw a ram (lamb) entangled in the bushes not far off, and sacrificed it instead of Isaac (Isaac). For such faith, love and obedience, God blessed Ibrahim and promised that he would have as many offspring as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the sea. As is known, Jews and Arabs descended from Abraham. Thus the first part of the prophecy was fulfilled. The second said that in his descendants all the peoples of the earth would receive a blessing (Gen. 22:17-18). That is, from his family will come the Savior of the world.

The sacrifice of Ishaq was a type or prediction to people about the Savior, Who, as the Injil (Gospel) says, being the Son of God, would be given by His Father to death as a sacrifice for the sins of people: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged, but he who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the Only-begotten Son of God" (John 3:16-18).

Muslims believe that Jesus was no higher than other prophets. That this is not the case, Isa has repeatedly denied. Thus, arguing with Jesus, the Jewish leaders asked Him: "Are you greater than our father Abraham (Ibrahim), who died? And the prophets are dead: what do you make yourself?" (John 8:53) What did Christ answer to the Jews? He said, "Abraham your father was glad to see my day... Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:56, 58). Jesus made it clear that He was greater than Abraham. The patriarch died because he was no different from other people, but Jesus, being the eternal Son of God, existed before Abraham from eternity: "Before Abraham was, I am."

Let's continue the tour of the city. On these sun-drenched hills, around 1000 B.C., King David (Daud) established his capital. Although not so long ago the 3000th anniversary of the capital of Israel, timed to coincide with its construction by David, was celebrated with pomp, in fact, the age of Jerusalem, according to archaeologists, is much older. At least for a thousand years. And this sounds very plausible, because according to legend, Adam, the very first man, settled in these places after being expelled from paradise. After the death of King David, his possessions were divided into the kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Judah. And, as you know, "a house divided against itself will collapse." And indeed, soon the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem, destroyed the First Temple, and took the Jews into captivity. But half a century later, the ruler Cyrus came here, who was a great friend of the Jews and allowed them to partially restore the main Jewish shrine. Later, the phalanxes of the invincible Alexander the Great marched over the biblical hills. In the first century BC, they were replaced by cohorts of Romans

Under King Herod, who for his activities, cruelty and cunning was called the Great - although in fact he depended on the will of Rome - the Holy Land reached great prosperity. On the ruins of the First Temple, the Second Temple was erected, the ruins of which have survived to this day. Fortresses and palaces were built in Jericho, Masada and other places. During the reign of Herod, Isa ben Mariam was born. The Jews saw in Him only the Messiah who would liberate their homeland from the oppression of the hated Romans. When these hopes were not realized, Jesus was given over to crucifixion, and Jerusalem, which had rejected its Savior according to the prophecy of Christ in 70 AD, was razed to the ground by the emperor Titus.