Today we learned about the requirements for a space to be considered sacred, as defined by professor Cargill and also by Eliade in "The Sacred and the Profane." Initially, we learned that a place must be founded as a sacred space in order to receive the title as being sacred. For example, it is not simply sacred—it must be established as such by a human being who claims that God reigns in that place. Jerusalem accomplishes this by associating itself with stories from the bible in which God is very present and chooses to protect the city. It also claims to be an axis mundi—a connection between the heavens, the earth, and the underworld. Jerusalem is claimed to be the site of the Garden of Eden and also contain the burial sites of Adam, Eve, and several other prominent biblical figures.
On another note, I was quite interested to first entertain the idea of a city being an axis mundi. As a Christian, I find it strange to think that a city or a certain place is the connection between God, the earth, and Hell (as I see it). This intrigues me because I have always seen this concept as not a specific location, but more as a heavenly idea that is not confined to earth or humans. Interesting...
On another note, I was quite interested to first entertain the idea of a city being an axis mundi. As a Christian, I find it strange to think that a city or a certain place is the connection between God, the earth, and Hell (as I see it). This intrigues me because I have always seen this concept as not a specific location, but more as a heavenly idea that is not confined to earth or humans. Interesting...
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