Description
At the heart of the Jerusalem myth lies passion: the figure of a woman and the man who chooses her out of the intensity of his desire. The Book of Psalms describes God thus: “For the Lord has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling: ‘This is my eternal resting place; here I will reside, for this is my desire’.” Throughout the years of Jerusalem’s existence, God’s love has become a model for emulation by those religions eager for the city, in spirit or by the sword. But the mythical Jerusalem is multi-faceted and the longing is not confined to the compulsion to conquer her, but also encompasses the yearning to loosen its hold and to rest in its bosom. The depth of the passion for Jerusalem is embodied in an intimate expression of the polarity of the Eros, between the masculine desire for the female bosom and the yearning to be nestled in the mother’s embrace.
