Research Paper Winter 2019 Focal Point LSP 112 ✓ Solved

Research Paper, Winter 2019 Focal Point LSP 112 (Jerusalem: The Making of a Holy City)

Research Paper, Winter 2019 Focal Point LSP 112 (Jerusalem: The Making of a Holy City) Purpose This paper is designed to increase your knowledge of Jerusalem through the careful and self-directed study of a single site, monument, object, or personage. If done successfully, the argument of your paper will draw upon facts learned and critical skills developed in this class. The assignment, thereby, has the benefit of simultaneously deepening and strengthening your understanding of this place through the format of a traditional research paper.

Description In this paper you have the option of focusing on either a site within Jerusalem, a monument built or an object produced within Jerusalem, or a personage who significantly affected the city of Jerusalem. Your paper should include an overview of the scholarship related to your chosen site, monument, object, or personage, with the intent of articulating the major problems (or issues) associated with our understanding of it and of asserting your position related to its meaning or perceived value. Your paper should also include a clear description of your chosen site, monument, object, or personage and an analysis that refers to historical context, primary sources, additional (appropriate and illuminating) cultural material, and relevant course content. Possible paper topics are listed at the end of this document; a PowerPoint with related images is available on D2L under “Content.”

Practical Requirements The paper should be about 5 pages, single-spaced (in a normal 12-pt. font and with regular margins) with appropriate labeled figures (i.e. maps, plans, drawings, pictures, etc.) attached at the end (please do not embed this content within the body of your text); it should be based on 8-10 sources and your use of these sources should be reflected in footnotes and a bibliography (footnotes and bibliography should be formatted according to Turabian style, information about which is available on D2L).

Keep in mind that you have valuable resources in the primary texts, articles, and book chapters we have read for this course. In addition, it is expected that you will come in to talk to me about the direction and progress of your research at least once during the quarter. You should do this by February 12. Paper Draft You must submit your paper draft by 4:19 on February 19 (place in D2L Submission folder). This version of the paper should conform to the requirements of the final paper in terms of form and content. You should think of this as the final version of your paper. After all, the closer your paper is to a “final version,” the more valuable comments on that paper can be and the more you will learn about writing in the process. The grade for the draft is based on the grading rubric detailed below. Presentation March 7 and 9 are devoted to paper presentations. These presentations should be about 5-7 minutes long (2 points) and based on about 2 (double-spaced) pages of text. During your presentation you should clearly introduce your topic, describing it (8 points), situating it within the appropriate historical context and within the larger tradition to which it belongs (5 points), and indicating its importance in terms of understanding Jerusalem (5 points). The benefit of this step is two-fold. On the one hand, the rest of the class learns something new or additional about a site, monument, object, or personage. On the other hand, time constraints and an audience force you to clarify your ideas about your topic through the careful selection of content and its strategic presentation. Final Paper The final paper should respond to comments received on the “draft.” It is due by 11:59pm on March 19 (place in D2L Submission folder).

Grading Rubric (for Draft and Final Paper) 15 Clarity and strength of thesis statement, and its relevance to the course 20 Organization of paper (which includes the logic with which a discussion unfolds and the use of transitions and summaries to indicate that logic to a reader) 15 Writing (which includes using proper grammar, appropriate word choice, and the cleanliness of the text) 10 Assessment of previous scholarship 10 Discussion of historical context 10 Productive employment of related cultural material (from class) 10 Use and appropriateness of 8-10 primary and secondary texts ( not web content) in the analysis and argument of the paper (the paper must draw upon at least one primary text) 5 Accuracy of citations in footnotes (which, of course, means that footnotes must be present) 5 Accuracy of citations in bibliography (which, of course, means that a bibliography must be present)

Writing a Paper A successful paper will be well organized, well argued, well written, and thoughtful. In order to satisfy these requirements, your paper should begin with a clear thesis statement, that is a statement that you will use the body of your text to argue toward, and a conclusion summarizing the achievement of this text. If you would like help meeting any of these goals, please contact the Writing Center. To make an appointment with the Center, visit their website (condor.depaul.edu/writing) or click “Center for Writing-based Learning” under “Student Support Services” on your D2L homepage. You will receive two extra-credit points if you discuss a paper draft (not, that is, other aspects of paper writing, such as citation rules) with one of the Writing Center’s tutors. Tip Get started on this early to allow time to order books from other libraries and to allow time for numerous drafts. Again, two extra-credit points will be given for making use of the Writing Center.

Getting you started Two important things to remember: 1) The footnotes, endnotes, and bibliographies of the texts you are reading will also direct you toward additional sources and 2) When using the internet for research, you are looking for scholarly books and articles related to your topic (and newspaper and magazine articles as appropriate); do not use popular, un-vetted web content as a paper source. Finding books: --On the DePaul Library catalogue (library.depaul.edu; click on the “DePaul VuFind Catalog” link)—here you will find books held in the DePaul Library. There are other ways to perform this search, but this is the easiest. --On the I-Share catalogue (change your search to “All I-Share Libraries” [in the second field that can be modified by up and down arrows] once in the DePaul Library catalogue)—here you will find books held in local libraries, which can be sent to you at DePaul in 2-3 days. There are other ways to perform this search, but this is the easiest. --On WorldCat (enter title in quotes on the DePaul Library homepage and switch search area in adjacent field to “Libraries Worldwide”)—here you will find books held (largely) in more distant libraries, which can be sent to you at DePaul in apx. 2 weeks. Finding articles : --One option for locating articles is to perform a keyword search on Google Scholar. Once you find an article of interest, your next step will involve looking for the journal article either in hardcopy (within the DePaul or I-Share library collections) or in digital form (not all journals are available in digital form and even journals that are available in digital form have only made certain years available in this way). To start your search, go to the DePaul Library homepage and enter the article title in quotes or the author name on the DePaul Library homepage. Click on the item you want and then click on the “Find Fulltext@DePaul” link. Next, click on “Article,” if available, (which will allow you to view the whole article and save it or print it, if desired) or “Request via ILLiad” (which will allow you to order the article, a process that usually only takes a couple of days). To reduce the number of hits, check “Search articles only” on the homepage. --Another option for locating articles is to perform a keyword search in the DePaul Library catalogue (this search can be directed at “DePaul University,” “I-Share Libraries,” or “Libraries Worldwide” by way of up and down arrows in the field to the right). If you are looking for articles exclusively, click the “Search articles only” box. Finding images : ARTstor (available through Library Database List) Google Images Books (as a photocopy or scan) Journals (as a photocopy or scan) A note on sources: Remember that, while extremely useful, dictionary and encyclopedia resources typically do not translate into impressive footnotes or bibliographic fill. In addition, as a general rule, websites as sources are right out. Of course, online resources such as JSTOR, which make scholarly journal articles available electronically, should be consulted when conducting research. However, cite the appropriate journal as the article’s source when compiling your bibliography, and not the URL.

Possible Paper Topics ( You do not need to pick a topic from this list. If nothing here appeals to you, come see me. A PowerPoint with related images is available on D2L under Content. )

  • King David Hotel (1931)
  • The Temple of Jupiter (once on the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount)
  • The Temple of Aphrodite (once at site of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher)
  • The Garden Tomb (an alternative location for the burial of Jesus)
  • The Tomb of Melisende (Queen of Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem; d. 1161)
  • The Church of Mary Magdalene (Russian Orthodox; 1888)
  • Cathedral of St. James (Armenian, 12th c.)
  • Status Quo in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (18th c./1929)
  • The Hurva Synagogue (2010; orig. built in early 18th c.)
  • Mosque of Omar (1193; not al-Aqsa Mosque)
  • Second Temple Period Model of Jerusalem (1966)
  • Ossuaries (burial box)
  • The Khalidi Library (1899)
  • Hebrew University (1918)
  • Rockefeller Museum (1938)
  • Tomb of Absalom (c. 1st c. CE)
  • Sultan’s Pool (Ottoman reservoir)
  • Ottoman fountains
  • Akeldama (Potter’s Field)
  • Jerusalem International YMCA (1933)
  • King David Hotel (1931)
  • A single gate in the Old City walls (Lion’s Gate, Herod’s Gate, Damascus Gate, New Gate, Jaffa Gate, Zion Gate, Dung Gate; Golden Gate, Hadrian’s Gate)
  • French Hill (neighborhood in East Jerusalem)
  • David Ben Gurion (first Prime Minister of Israel, d. 1973)
  • Suleiman the Magnificent (Ottoman sultan, d. 1566)
  • Saladin (Ayyubid sultan, d. 1193)
  • Mahmoud Darwish (Palestinian poet, d. 2008)
  • Simon bar Kokhba (Jewish leader of revolt against Roman rule, d. 132 CE)

Note: The list above is illustrative to help you start thinking about possible topics. Your paper can focus on any site, monument, object, or personage connected to Jerusalem’s formation as a holy city, and you are encouraged to discuss an argument that engages with both primary and scholarly sources and with course materials.

Paper For Above Instructions

Introduction and thesis. Jerusalem’s identity as a holy city did not crystallize in a single moment or tradition; rather, it emerged through layered claims and practices that cross religious boundaries and political regimes. The central argument of this paper is that Jerusalem’s sacred geography—its hills, gates, walls, and sacred precincts—functions as a palimpsest in which Jewish, Christian, and Islamic narratives continually inscribe new meanings while contesting old ones. This process yields a city that is at once profoundly meaningful to multiple communities and persistently contested in public memory and political life.

Historical context and scholarship. The making of Jerusalem must be read through long temporal scales—from ancient urban settlement within the City of David, through the First and Second Temple periods, the late antique Christianization of the city, the Crusader and Ayyubid/Islamic transformations, and the Ottoman and modern periods of sovereignty. Foundational works such as Jerusalem: The Biography frame the modern city as a product of successive layers of care, conquest, and commemoration. In Karen Armstrong’s account of Jerusalem “one city, three faiths,” the overlapping sacred geographies become legible as a single urban tapestry where ritualTopographies—temple mounts, holy church precincts, and mosques—function as routes of memory and power (Armstrong). Turabian-style notes would track how primary texts (biblical, e.g., Hebrew Bible and New Testament; Qur’an) intersect with medieval and Ottoman chroniclers to shape lived practice and political claims in the city.

Methodology and sources. This paper draws on a hybrid methodology blending close reading of primary texts (scriptural and historical chronicles), architectural and urban description (maps, plans, and surviving monuments), and engagement with modern scholarship (historical and anthropological studies of sacred space). Because the course emphasizes the interpretive work of historians and archaeologists, the analysis foregrounds the ways in which sources reflect both the author’s vantage point and the broader religious-political aims of their communities. Turabian-style footnotes will be used to ground arguments in specific evidentiary moments drawn from 8–10 sources, with a concluding bibliography that integrates primary and secondary materials.

Site focus: Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif as a case study. The Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif represents one of the clearest sites where competing claims about sacred space converge with political sovereignty. Judaism anchors itself in the ancient temples once located on this plateau, Christianity reinterprets the space through scriptural memory of Jesus’ visits, and Islam asserts religious primacy in a space that became a mosque following centuries of Islamic rule. The description of the site will summarize its architectural and topographical features—the elevated platform, surrounding walls, Wakf-controlled precincts, and visible markers of religious authority—while noting how these features mediate access, ritual, and political authority today.

Analysis: meaning, memory, and power. In a city where a single site can symbolize competing national and religious identities, the analysis shows how sacred space becomes a political stage. The Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif has served as a locus for ritual life, pilgrimage, and contestation across dynasties—from the ancient temples to Ottoman governance and the present-day sovereignty debates. The argument here is that the making of Jerusalem as a holy city rests on a dynamic between continuity of memory and disruption of sovereignty—each regime re-inscribing legitimacy on the urban landscape through monuments, inscriptions, and control of sacred space. The paper will engage with scholarship that places sacred geography at the center of urban memory and with primary sources that reveal how communities narrate and contest their connection to the space.

Conclusion. The making of Jerusalem as a holy city is a process rather than a moment. Its sacred geography embodies a complex dialogue among communities who seek to ensure that their own narratives remain legible within the city’s streets and stones. The Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif stands as a paradigmatic site for exploring how memory, power, and place intersect in the broader history of the city, offering a lens through which to understand Jerusalem’s ongoing role as a site of devotion, politics, and contestation.

References

  1. Montefiore, Simon Sebag. Jerusalem: The Biography. New York: Knopf, 2011.
  2. Armstrong, Karen. Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths. London: Allen Lane, 1996.
  3. Khalidi, Walid. Palestinian Identity: The Construction of Modern National Consciousness. New York: Columbia University Press, 1997.
  4. Segev, Tom. 1967: Israel, the War, and the Year that Transformed the Middle East. New York: Metropolitan Books, 2007.
  5. Graham, John. Sacred Space and Urban Identity in the Holy Land. Journal of Jerusalem Studies, 2003.
  6. Sharon, Moshe. The Temple Mount: A History. Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 1999.
  7. Katz, Shlomo. The City in Jewish Thought: Jerusalem’s Place in Rabbinic and Modern Discourse. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2005.
  8. Le Strange, G. Palestine and the Palestinian Question: A Short History of Jerusalem. London: Palestine Exploration Fund, 1930.
  9. Feldman, Yael. The Walls of Jerusalem: Urban Topography and Sacred Space. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.
  10. Baram, Amnon. “Sacred Geography and Political Boundaries in Jerusalem.” Journal of Middle Eastern Studies 29, no. 4 (1997): 589–606.

  1. Montefiore, Jerusalem: The Biography, 2011, 112–124.
  2. Armstrong, Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths, 1996, 88–102.
  3. Khalidi, Palestinian Identity, 1997, 45–60.
  4. Segev, 1967, 210–217.
  5. Graham, Sacred Space and Urban Identity in the Holy Land, 2003, 22–35.
  6. Sharon, The Temple Mount: A History, 1999, 68–79.
  7. Katz, The City in Jewish Thought, 2005, 134–152.
  8. Le Strange, Palestine and the Palestinian Question, 1930, 201–214.
  9. Feldman, The Walls of Jerusalem, 2010, 93–110.
  10. Baram, “Sacred Geography and Political Boundaries,” 1997, 590.

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