the analogy for the destruction of ancient Jerusalem in 9/11 is imperfect at best. But I find, nevertheless, that the analogy works, because in the latter case as in the former, the crisis is that the destruction attests the failure of the ideological claim of invulnerability grounded in exceptionalism. Thus I have suggested that 9/11 is a symbol and an epitome of the wide and deep loss now faced in our society that requires rethinking from the ground up.
