First identified back in the 1930s,2 “Jerusalem Syndrome” is a temporary fit of madness brought on by a visit to one of the world’s most sacred sites. It’s an overdose of spiritual awe, where historical significance and religious potency team up to overwhelm the unprepared. Occasionally, it afflicts people with preexisting mental conditions; mostly it hits people with devout religious beliefs. Every now and again, it fells average tourists.
