Grade levels: Adult

In this two-part series, International Emmy Award winning filmmaker Willy Lindwer attempts to decipher the mystical attraction of this site for the three monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam – an attraction that has made this site, in the words of TIME magazine, “potentially the most volatile 35 acres on earth.” Generally regarded as one of the world’s most sacred spots, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is also the world’s bloodiest and most controversial site over which battles have been fought for thousands of years. While the Israelites, Babylonians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Crusaders, Mamelukes, Ottomans, British, Israelis, and Palestinians have all clashed over this ‘hot spot’, its ownership is still being contested.

From Jerusalem to Bersheva
This series shows the most spectacular sites in Israel and tells about its fascinating history. There are few countries in the world where history, culture, archeology, and religion are as up for grabs as in Israel. The country is the birthplace of the three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. For 5000 years the country exercised a magical attraction on a multitude of rulers and peoples, Israelites, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Christians, Arabs, Crusaders, Mamluks, Ottomans, British. And quite apart from the various ethnic groups, such as Christian and Muslim Arabs, Jews, Druze, and Bedouin and many pilgrims with their diverse religious backgrounds who visited this region for centuries. They all left their visible traces. The numerous, sometimes beautiful relics and special places, to which so many people – to this day – are attracted, is the basis for this interesting series of documentaries. The Holy Land has a magnetic attraction for many and it is the wide palette of cultures that make up a fascinating picture: Magical Israel.

From Safed to Tiberias
This series shows the most spectacular sites in Israel and tells about its fascinating history. There are few countries in the world where history, culture, archeology, and religion are as up for grabs as in Israel. The country is the birthplace of the three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. For 5000 years the country exercised a magical attraction on a multitude of rulers and peoples, Israelites, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Christians, Arabs, Crusaders, Mamluks, Ottomans, British. And quite apart from the various ethnic groups, such as Christian and Muslim Arabs, Jews, Druze, and Bedouin and many pilgrims with their diverse religious backgrounds who visited this region for centuries. They all left their visible traces. The numerous, sometimes beautiful relics and special places, to which so many people – to this day – are attracted, is the basis for this interesting series of documentaries. The Holy Land has a magnetic attraction for many and it is the wide palette of cultures that make up a fascinating picture: Magical Israel.

From Akko to Tel Aviv
This series shows the most spectacular sites in Israel and tells about its fascinating history. There are few countries in the world where history, culture, archeology, and religion are as up for grabs as in Israel. The country is the birthplace of the three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. For 5000 years the country exercised a magical attraction on a multitude of rulers and peoples, Israelites, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Christians, Arabs, Crusaders, Mamluks, Ottomans, British. And quite apart from the various ethnic groups, such as Christian and Muslim Arabs, Jews, Druze, and Bedouin and many pilgrims with their diverse religious backgrounds who visited this region for centuries. They all left their visible traces. The numerous, sometimes beautiful relics and special places, to which so many people – to this day – are attracted, is the basis for this interesting series of documentaries. The Holy Land has a magnetic attraction for many and it is the wide palette of cultures that make up a fascinating picture: Magical Israel.