The Temple Mount is Mine
Encyclopedia
The Temple Mount is Mine is a 2003 two-part documentary
by Emmy Award-winning director Willy Lindwer
that looks at why Muslims, Christians and Jews
all lay claim to one of the holiest sites in the world.
on the Temple Mount
. On the same site that King David and King Solomon ruled, Jesus
worshiped and Muhammad
ascended into Heaven
. The documentary captures the aesthetic beauty of the Holy Land as both religious leaders and average citizens explain the personal and historic importance of the Temple Mount.
Aerial shots of the city show the Dome of the Rock
, hovering high above and glistening in the Middle Eastern sun. The camera also captures close-ups of the detailed mosaic
exterior, which blends elements of Roman
, Byzantine
, Syrian, Hellenic
, and Persian architectural elements, demonstrating the undeniable beauty of this Muslim house of prayer.
But the aesthetic beauty of the site contrasts with the animosity that has existed there for centuries. Through countless wars and battles, and many changes of hands, the Temple Mount’s history contains mostly conflict.
The documentary explains how the Holy Land’s long and turbulent history fuels the conflict over the Temple Mount. “We are not authorized to give up a heritage of our ancient fathers, who paid for thousands of years with self sacrifice,” a rabbi explains. The territorial argument extends as far back as the religions’ formations. “The Bible is our document, our right to this place,” a Jewish man insists. Muslims interviewed in the film differ.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
by Emmy Award-winning director Willy Lindwer
Willy Lindwer
Wolf "Willy" Lindwer is a Dutch documentary filmmaker.-Biography:Willy Lindwer was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, where he studied at the Netherlands Film and Television Academy. When Lindwer finished his study, he worked for several Dutch Public TV stations...
that looks at why Muslims, Christians and Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
all lay claim to one of the holiest sites in the world.
Summary
All three major Western religions trace the beginning of the world and the creation of the first man to the Dome of the RockDome of the Rock
The Dome of the Rock is a shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. The structure has been refurbished many times since its initial completion in 691 CE at the order of Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik...
on the Temple Mount
Temple Mount
The Temple Mount, known in Hebrew as , and in Arabic as the Haram Ash-Sharif , is one of the most important religious sites in the Old City of Jerusalem. It has been used as a religious site for thousands of years...
. On the same site that King David and King Solomon ruled, Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
worshiped and Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
ascended into Heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
. The documentary captures the aesthetic beauty of the Holy Land as both religious leaders and average citizens explain the personal and historic importance of the Temple Mount.
Aerial shots of the city show the Dome of the Rock
Dome of the Rock
The Dome of the Rock is a shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. The structure has been refurbished many times since its initial completion in 691 CE at the order of Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik...
, hovering high above and glistening in the Middle Eastern sun. The camera also captures close-ups of the detailed mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
exterior, which blends elements of Roman
Roman architecture
Ancient Roman architecture adopted certain aspects of Ancient Greek architecture, creating a new architectural style. The Romans were indebted to their Etruscan neighbors and forefathers who supplied them with a wealth of knowledge essential for future architectural solutions, such as hydraulics...
, Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
, Syrian, Hellenic
Architecture of Ancient Greece
The architecture of Ancient Greece is the architecture produced by the Greek-speaking people whose culture flourished on the Greek mainland and Peloponnesus, the Aegean Islands, and in colonies in Asia Minor and Italy for a period from about 900 BC until the 1st century AD, with the earliest...
, and Persian architectural elements, demonstrating the undeniable beauty of this Muslim house of prayer.
But the aesthetic beauty of the site contrasts with the animosity that has existed there for centuries. Through countless wars and battles, and many changes of hands, the Temple Mount’s history contains mostly conflict.
The documentary explains how the Holy Land’s long and turbulent history fuels the conflict over the Temple Mount. “We are not authorized to give up a heritage of our ancient fathers, who paid for thousands of years with self sacrifice,” a rabbi explains. The territorial argument extends as far back as the religions’ formations. “The Bible is our document, our right to this place,” a Jewish man insists. Muslims interviewed in the film differ.
See also
Other documentary films about Israel:- The Land of the SettlersThe Land of the SettlersThe Land of the Settlers is a five part documentary series created by Chaim Yavin, who was described by the Arab News as "the Israeli version of America’s Walter Cronkite". With a handheld camera, Yavin traveled throughout his homeland of Israel and interviewed a range of Palestinians and Israelis...
- At the Green LineAt the Green LineAt the Green Line is a 2005 documentary made by Jesse Atlas that profiles several members of Courage to Refuse, a political group that refuses service in the Israeli military, as well as several Israelis serving in the military as part of their reserve duty...
- The Skies are Closer in HomeshThe Skies are Closer in HomeshThe Skies are Closer in Homesh is a highly personal documentary that follows a newly wed Jewish couple through their first few years of married life on a dangerous Israeli settlement.-Summary:...
- All Hell Broke LooseAll Hell Broke LooseAll Hell Broke Loose is a 1995 Israeli documentary that follows the victims of a Hamas suicide bombing in Israel a year after the attack.-Summary:...
- Beyond Mountains of Darkness
- My Dearest EnemyMy Dearest EnemyMy Dearest Enemy is an Israeli documentary that takes a behind-the-scenes look at Israel's secret diplomacy by sharing the highly-anticipated meeting between Israeli Amnon Lipkin-Shahak and Palestinian Hani El Hassan—both powerful leaders in opposite camps....