The centre of gravity of Jewish prayer for thirty-eight centuries — biblical geography, four holy cities, holy places of the diaspora.
This subsection brings together the sacred geography of the Jewish people: the Land of Israel in its biblical, mishnaic and talmudic strata; the four holy cities; the holy places of the diaspora that bear pilgrimages and living traditions; the historical pilgrimage itineraries.
The absolute centre of all periods. City of the Temple, of the Kotel, of the esplanade — indispensable, the densest entry in the corpus.
Tomb of the patriarchs (Meʿarat ha-Makhpela). A millennial continuity tragically interrupted in 1929.
Capital of Lurianic Kabbalah (the Ari, Caro, Cordovero). The first Hebrew printing press in the East (1577).
Composition of the Mishna and the Jerusalem Talmud. Cradle of the Masoretes (Ben Asher).
El Ghriba Synagogue; tradition claiming an antiquity predating the destruction of the Temple.
Tomb of Rabbi Amram Ben Diwan; major annual pilgrimage of Moroccan Judaism.
Tomb of the Rashbi (Shimon Bar Yochaï); Lag BaOmer, kabbalistic pilgrimage.
Altneuschul, tomb of the Maharal — heart of Central European Ashkenazi Judaism.
Synagogue of 1034, martyrology of 1096; place of study of Rashi.
Historical traces of the pilgrimages: oleh regel to Jerusalem before 70 CE, medieval pilgrimages to the tombs of the patriarchs and the sages, modern circuits of the hillulot in Morocco and Tunisia. Animated cartography planned for Phase 3.
