.comment-link {margin-left:.6em;}

Emet m'Tsiyon

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Jews in Jerusalem in 1860s

Echoing the accounts of mid-19th century Jerusalem by Cesar Famin [paraphrased by Karl Marx] and by Gerardy Santine, the Britisher Andrew Thomson found that Jews were a majority in the city, although the Muslims were the masters.

. . . while the Mohammedans are the masters, the Jews form the decided majority, being, it is likely, not far short of 8000. They come in a constant stream from every part of the world, many of them on pilgrimages, by which they hope to acquire a large fund of merit, and then return again to their native country: the greater number that they may die in the city of their fathers, nd obtain the most cherished wish of their heart by being buried on Mount Olivet, and it is remarkable that they cling with a strange preference to that part of the city which is nearest the site of their ancient Temple, as if they still took pleasure in its stones, and its very dust were dear to them.
[Andrew Thomson, 1869; quoted by Martin Gilbert, Jerusalem: Illustrated History Atlas (Jerusalem: Steimatzky 1977), p 43]
The part of the Jerusalem Old City closest to the Temple Mount is what is today called the Muslim Quarter. In fact, many Jews lived in that quarter in the mid-19th century and more Jews were moving in.
- - - - - -
Coming: more on James Baker, Jews in Jerusalem and Hebron, propaganda, peace follies, etc.

2 Comments:

  • hi, a new website (in french, about us)
    http://hebreux.free.fr

    By Blogger aval, at 5:40 PM  

  • don't hesitate to write to mee.....

    By Blogger aval, at 5:40 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home