Holy Land, Whose Land? Modern Dilemma, Ancient Roots

by Dorothy W. Drummond

From Abraham to Arafat, the Holy Land has long been a cauldron of conflict. Holy Land, Whose Land? Modern Dilemma, Ancient Roots investigates the complex political and philosophical choices that have perpetuated the incessant rivalry between Israel and the surrounding Arab states. Holy Land examines how this region, claimed by three of the world’s largest monotheistic religions, struggles with the continual intrusion of the past upon the present. This is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the complicated story—both sacred and profane—of this unique, beautiful and tortured land.

304 pages, Hardcover

First published May 15, 2002

Reviews

[Marcella]

Pros
+ This book provided a lot of historical context (both ancient and more recent) to the area.
+ It was written accessibly. I breezed through a lot of it, which was a relief for a book that I expected to find stressful

Cons
- There was a big chunk in the middle of the book that was just narrating the life of Jesus that seemed less relevant to the history of conflict in the region and more about the (Christian) author's personal pilgrimage to historic sites.
- Citations and footnotes weren't integrated into the text. Especially in the ancient history, I was curious about the source of all this scholarship (specific details about individual lives are usually lost after 3000 years.)

[Karen]

Excellent accessible and readable. Concise. I learned a lot and the author remains in a neutral stance. Anyone who wants an easy catch up on the holy land, this is a good start.

[Tammy Rauen]

Super book! Brings in history and all vantage points, including Christians Muslims and Jews, to help us all better understand anyone's claim to that land. It was a great history lesson, and a great lesson in an attempt to understand one another as human beings.

[Mom]

In the present political arena where to question Israel's policies is considered anti-semitic, it was informative to read this book. As a geographer, her maps were especially informative, as were her chapters on the ancient and more recent past.

[Michael Chrisman]

She does a great job of telling it from a non-biased piont of view and explaining how the different relgions view the issues. Very informative.

[Susan Earle]

Provides excellent background and understanding of history of the middle east.