The Rock
A Tale of Seventh-Century Jerusalem
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
Whose rock is enshrined inside the golden Dome of Jerusalem? The rock of Moses or of Muhammad? Kanan Makiya gathers together the stories, legends, and beliefs that define the Rock—the place where Adam landed in his fall from Paradise and where Abraham attempted to sacrifice his first-born; where Solomon’s Temple stood and where Jesus preached; the rock from which Muhammad ascended to heaven—and transforms them into a narrative of novelistic depth and drama. This brilliantly imagined, historically based account of the building of the Dome of the Rock reconstructs the paths of the actual individuals whose spiritual journeys revolved around the seventh-century lore of the Rock.
The chief protagonist is Ka’b al-Ahbar, a learned Jew who accepted the prophecy of Muhammad and who accompanied the caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab during his conquest of the Holy City. The story is narrated by Ka’b’s son, Ishaq, who years later is commissioned to design the first monument of Islam, the Dome of the Rock.
As he imagines the construction of the Dome—and the complex reasons behind its creation—Makiya gives us a meditation on the common terrain of the world’s three great monotheistic religions and a remarkable investigation into what the Rock symbolizes—beyond its various stories and names, beyond even the three faiths at whose heart it sits.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Makiya, an award-winning writer and filmmaker, triumphs in this inspired and lyrical book that is equal parts history and novel. His focus is the Rock of Jerusalem, claimed by Judaism, Christianity and Islam alike as the site of Abraham's near-sacrifice of his son. The narrator, Ishaq, relates his father Ka'b's esteem for the Rock and his service to Islam's caliph by designing the Dome of the Rock, the shrine that envelops the rock and commemorates Solomon's temple. Makiya's narrative weaves together centuries-old stories from all three major religious traditions' holy books and other historical accounts. The novelization is pure magic, as Makiya brings history to life for contemporary readers. As Ishaq describes how Jews, Christians and Muslims in unison built and maintained the Dome of the Rock, Makiya presents his thesis that, before Judaism, Christianity, and Islam became the separate religions they are today, they were first different paths on the same road. The Rock itself symbolizes this connection, keeping the peace "by holding the burden of memory in balance." Conservative Muslims may find elements to dislike: Makiya implies that some hadiths(the sayings of Muhammad) were created as propaganda years after Muhammad's death, and has the narrator express regret that the Rock is encompassed within the Dome. However, most readers will appreciate the overall point, which is that the three major monotheistic religions once coexisted peacefully in a fluid synergy, free of political hatreds.
