The Rock: A Tale of Seventeenth-century Jerusalem

The Rock: A Tale of Seventeenth-century Jerusalem

by KananMakiya (Author)

Synopsis

Whose rock is enshrined inside the golden Dome of Jerusalem? The rock of Moses or of Muhammad? Kanan Makiya gathers together the stories, legends and beliefs that define the Rock - the place where Adam landed in his fall from Paradise and where Abraham attempted to sacrifice his first-born; where Solomon's Temple stood and where Jesus preached; the rock from which Muhammad ascended to heaven - and transforms them into a narrative of novelistic depth and drama. This brilliantly imagined, historically based account of the building of the Dome of the Rock, the first monument of Islam, reconstructs the paths of the actual individuals whose spiritual journeys revolved around the seventh-century lore of the Rock. As he imagines the construction of the Dome, Makiya gives us a meditation on the common terrain of the world's three great monotheistic religions and a remarkable investigation into what the Rock symbolizes - beyond its various stories and names, beyond even the three faiths at whose heart it sits.

$11.97

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 352
Edition: New
Publisher: Robinson
Published: 29 May 2003

ISBN 10: 1841197289
ISBN 13: 9781841197289

Media Reviews
- 'A rich, compelling and carefully annotated tale of power politics and apocalyptic theology.' Matthew Reisz, Sunday Times - 'Important and imaginative... The Rock is both timely and useful... a solid, interesting, accessible and highly illuminating tome for our time.' Washington Post - 'Inspired and lyrical... The novelisation is pure magic.' Publishers Weekly
Author Bio
Kanan Makiya was born in Baghdad. An award winning writer and filmmaker, he is the author of The Republic of Fear: The Politics of Modern Iraq which became a bestseller after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, and The Monument: Art, Vulgarity, and Responsibility in Iraq. He has also written for The Independent and The New York Times. A trained architect he also helped found Saqi Books, which publishes books in Arabic and English. He travels between Cambridge, Massachusetts and London