The Material Culture of Jerusalem

Taking advantage of an exhibition on medieval Jerusalem opening in September 2016 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this seminar, co-taught with Professor Cynthia Hahn of CUNY, considers the Holy City from antiquity to the present as a potent religious and geographical center for ideologies, art production, and exchange. Readings will range from classic art historical studies (including Richard Krautheimer’s work on the Holy Sepulcher and Oleg Graber on the Dome of the Rock) to recent approaches to the city’s material culture and the battle over who controls it (Annabel Wharton, Selling Jerusalem). Jerusalem’s three main faith traditions will be considered. Topics will include the fragmentary Jewish, Christian, and Muslim pilgrimage accounts; topographic mapping; holy sites such as the Temple Mount, the Tomb of Absalom and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher; the transport of souvenirs such as the city’s “sacred” soil or miniaturized models of sacred buildings to other parts of the medieval world; and the impact of political and military campaigns on the built environment. The course will include a tour of the exhibition guided by the curators, and we will welcome two visiting lecturers. Students will attend associated Met lectures and be encouraged to work on objects in the show. 3 credits. Satisfies the pre-1800 requirement.