ABSTRACT
Jerusalem is an extreme case of religious, ethnic, and political conflict. Most prominently, it is the place where Muslims, Jews, and Christians dispute holy places and sovereignty. Part of the complexity of Jerusalem is its numerous meanings to individuals of different perspectives. Jerusalem encompasses numerous sites considered holy by Jews, Christians, and/or Muslims. Some associate the city with holiness, but not all of its holy sites are universally recognized as such, even within the major faiths. Part of Jerusalem's complexity is multiple territorial meanings that result from its age. There is no fixed date that the city's history (ancient or modern) must begin. The Arab area of the Jerusalem metropolitan area includes perhaps one-half of the Arab West Bank's population, as well as one-half of its land area. The long history and numerous changes raise the question of which map should be used in relation to demands about a return to Jerusalem as it was.
