Moses V. Komsky, architect
The need to integrate economic, politic and cultural life of nations manifests itself clearer than ever in the modern world. This process is realized in the two major directions: under pressure - through power of one over another, and by free will - as a brotherhood of people devoted to their common Father-Creator.
The first direction is the oppression exercised by stronger nation over weaker one that destroys the way of life and spiritual values of the latter (dictatorships of all types, ancient despotism, colonial systems, fascism, communism, Islamic Wahabbism) or financial power expansion (dollar's market invasion and globalism).
The second direction will come true when people realize their mutual spiritual relationships and brotherhood, as soon as they see clearly that the soul of each of them comes of the one and the same origin that is the Divinity. In this case they'll manage to return the power over themselves to their common Creator and will get down to peaceful terms acknowledging the specific features of each way of life and legitimacy of each way to God. Then, at last, the nations will end their wars caused by territories, property or ideological system, as they will find out that all their possessions, lands and their mere life belong to the Creator.
The first direction is a blind alley that leads to a succession of new world conflicts; the second one is hardly achievable. However, in the period after the Second World War decisive changes in the ecumenical direction have taken place concerning the Christian world (i.e. mutual approaching of Catholicism, Protestantism and partly, Orthodox Church). (Lifting of anathemas, creation of World Council of Churches, the experience of "particular" many-days common prayers, arrangement of extra-confessional communities, analogous to communities of the first Christians).
Certain success of the Ecumenical
movement has strengthened the basis for the creation of the common
European market as the first step to national union on the grounds
of the free will.
In the recent half of the century the goodwill dialogue of Christianity
and Judaism has for the first time been possible (the whole
rehabilitation of Judaism as a world-wide religion, acknowledgement
of legality and equality of the two Testaments, acknowledgement
of Jesus a great prophet by Israelites and acknowledgement by
some Christian-theologians, that Jesus was created by the Heavenly
Father). [1]
All these gives stimulus for mutual approaching of religions of Abraham origin (i.e. Judaism, Christianity and Islam), and afterwards, all monotheistic religions, according to the saying: the one Shepherd (Creator) - the one flock (mankind).
In the middle of the 20th century there appeared a theory of a Russian mystic D. Andreyev described in the book "Mundane Rose". Published only in the beginning of the nineties, it depicts the opportunity of inventing a common "concluding religion" or "interreligion" in the perspective of 2-3 centuries that will be based on the synthesis and preservation of "valuable impact" (as Rav Kook put it) of each historically formed congregation. The way of their purification lies through confessional burst protruded from the essence of faith in the One Lord for all the people on Earth.
The mutual approach of religions, already started today, may promote the construction of multi-congregational temples in a number of religious centers of the world (e.g. Benares, Rome, Istanbul, Mecca, Moscow, London, cities of the New World, China, Japan, etc. It is worth to notice, that in the town of Deli at the end of the 20th century a Temple of Nine Religions was buit). The image of the Third Temple of the whole mankind on the Jerusalem Temple Mountain can make a protoimage for inspiring such new type of temples and its realization, in turn, may be their ultimate result. With such new attempts of Jews sharing with Christians and with Muslims, the Promised Land can be transformed into the center of pilgrimage, while Jerusalem can become the spiritual capital of the world.
This activity welcomed to the Almighty
could at the same time remove the economical and religious reasons
of the terror nowadays spread in Israel. The heart of that peacemaking
initiative is to change now "occupied" areas into worldwide
center of pilgrimage for believers of all three religions of the
same origin. It happened so that the main routs and camps of nomads
of our Forefathers, Prophets, the founders of Christianity and
Islam are located in the Jordan valley, round Kinnereth (round
Galilee sea), Salt sea, Jerusalem and further in the North of
Sinai. Here are in short nominations of Abraham's stands in the
Promised Land: oak grove More eastwards of Shchem, the outskirts
of Bate-El, oak grove Mumre in Hebron, Chalem (the future Jerusalem),
the well between Kadeish and Beradom, Gyrar, Beer-Sheva, Moria
Mountain in Shalem, Cave Machpella in Kiryat-Arba. That way appeared
an idea to create a new infrastructure of the pilgrimage under
the aegis of Jerusalem with participation of interested states.
There is an architect in Israel who has designed a full-size program
of developing an infrastructure of the kind. He also has written
a work to say that it is of vital importance for Israel to approve
the idea and create facilities for broad scaled pilgrimage to
the secret parts of the country. He timed his program to the 2000th
jubilee of Christianity, but he met a full misunderstanding from
the authorities on all the levels. The fact is, that Israel is
not ready to have deeds of the kind and does not understand what
for it has seated in the Holy Land. Now, let me proclaim the idea
of that architect (see Reoven Romem: "Pilgrimage-2000".
A detailed report. Manuscript. Jerusalem, 1998).
In his reasoning he stood on the position of economical profit, though understood also the peacemaking effect of his proposals. His logic is a simple one. There are more than a milliard Christians on the Earth. Each of them dreams of visiting the Holy Land at least once to go the rout of Abraham, the father of all believers and the rout of Israel Prophets and the rout of Christ as well as the rout of founders of Islam. To meet that purpose it is necessary to build new roads and pedestrian paths apart from consisting economic roads and ways, and build price-worth hotels, engineering communications, carry out, - where there is necessary,- the scientific researches with the aim to restore ancient stands of Forefathers. All that things will need a good maintenance. Since the most parts of ancient stands and camps of nomads are located in the area of compact residence of the Palestinian - they might be entrusted with the construction and maintenance of the new infrastructures of pilgrimage. Simultaneously all these efforts will help to take away problems of unemployment of the great mass of Palestinians. By means of these measures probably would be solved one more important problem - delivering jobs. That's the way to peace. It is clear, that the inhabitants of the autonomy will have to understand and make their choice: either peace and job or war and unemployment. If you have given the people the job - it is easier to wean them from extremism and terrorist acts. So, for Jewish money using Arab hands you may do welcome to God deeds.
One can add some important considerations to the effect of religious reconciliation of nations. Who among the faithful Israelites, Christians and Moslems would be against going along the routs of Forefathers of monotheism, if there is an opportunity? The routs would be arranged in the shape of shady alleys, arranged from both sides by green trees, supplied with grounds for rest in some intervals of the not tiresome passages, which connect the stand-grounds of Forefathers and Prophets and are presented as spacious forests and oak-groves and oases, where the restored sacred objects would be exposed, as well as billeting facilities of the camping type for summer pilgrims and solid buildings - for winter period. Peculiar clothes and special foods be served of the Bible times, unhurried marches, vigil in prayers - all this would help to plunge into unique situation of pioneers of monotheism. No wonder, that the pope John Paul II dreams to go once the rout of the Father of all believers - the rout of Abraham.
The similar way could be arranged on the paths of the founder of Christianity, of the Sages (the wise men) of Talmud and Cabbala, of the religious figures of Islam on the Holy Land.
It is clear, that the Holy Land is waiting for its awakening. There is no doubt, that the initiative of such a penance must issue from Israel, though the whole project can be designed and be carried into reality under the aegis and participation of the main religious organizations 0f whole world(the Worldwide Council of Churches, Vatican, World Rabbinate and Imamate). It seems though, that orthodox people of all kinds will act against the above mentioned project, because they used to share Holy Grounds according to the belonging and the property of territories. But, just as the returning of Jews home to the Holy Land was organized by atheists, - the peacemaking religious projects are, of course, in power of all creative believers, and with no exception of the ones, who are customary called "secular believers" / this is term of the religious writer A. Baratz/.
So, I think, we must build new relations in the mutual understanding and cooperation between the religions of one origin applying to the authority of our common Forefathers and Prophets.
The second group of measures possibly could strengthen the unanimity, which begins to show in the practice of pilgrimage through creation in Jerusalem a scientific and theological center of God-cognition. The Council of Elders of Israel could possibly develop together with creative organizations of Christianity and Islam and the State of Israel could put into reality the following programs to be carried out in Jerusalem:
The Highest Ecclesiastical Academy of all three religions of Abraham origin,
World Center of Ecumenist movement,
Scientific Center of Problems common to all man-kind (history, philosophy, psychology, ecology),
Center of Legislative Basis Perfection for new social relations of people using the experience and the achievements of Israel's Galachia and juristic norms of other nations as well as move to Jerusalem some of functions of UNO concerning humanitarian, elucidative, and charity activities.
Creation of largest libraries, video
libraries, computer centers, hotels, grounds for carrying out
forums and conferences will complete the program of making Jerusalem
a spiritual capital of the world. Public opinion of the world,
seeing the activity of Israel of the positive kind would possibly
acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of the new Israel.
The peak of these peacemaking efforts would be the erecting of
the Third Temple belonging to the whole mankind on Temple Mountain
in Jerusalem. (The author of the term is a modern Israeli cabbalist
Lightman). But the orthodox Judaism imagines this great action
of future conciliated religions and nations as a simple restoration
of the Second Israel Temple on the spot of demolished building
called "The Dome of the Rock". Why is it so?
The present-day orthodox people imagine the eschato-logical far away future of the mankind as transition of the survived people to Judaism after apparition of Messiah. Meanwhile, the ancient promises of the Lord to prophets concerning future surviving of all the nations do not mention the conditions of transition of all nations to Judaism: "Look into me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else". (Isaiah 45:22) "for as the earth bringeth forth her bud, as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations". (Isaiah 61:11) "Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burned offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon my altar; for mine house shell be called an house of prayer for all people". (Isaiah 56:7).
So far as other nations have found their way to God, their common house on the Temple Mountain in Jerusalem must take into consideration valuable achievements of each such ways. Consequently, the common temple belonging to the whole mankind cannot be a temple of one religion or denomination only, vice verse it must grunt room for all four now known religions of One-God (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism). At this, each of the four religions must be presented by two of its equal essences: in the traditional form and in the mystical (accordingly as Cabbala, Mundane Rose, Sufism and Buddhism). So, the Third Temple of the mankind must have a compound structure, including eight prayer houses. If you look at the building "The Dome of the Rock", which the Israeli Orthodox people dream to demolish, you can make sure, that the building entirely suits for the common altar of the Third Temple to come. It has a symmetric plan with eight facets and one clearly expressed axis swooped upon into the sky. The building is crowned with a magnificent gold dome 23 meter in diameter and towers above the upper platform by 36 meters and above the lower platform more than by 40 meters.
The Dome of the Rock, with the Holy Rock itself, can serve as the Foundation Stone of the Third Temple, as it can easily grant the proper condition for placing the Common Altar (Sanctum Sanctorum) of unified religions. Eight sides of the Cupolas may be treated as basis for construction of prayer buildings of various monotheistic congregations, according to their accepted orientation in relation to the Altar (Judaism from the eastern side, Christianity - from the western one, Islam from the Northern side, Hinduism - from the southern one). The apartments for mystical practices (Cabbala, Mundane Rose, Sufism and Buddhism) can be situated near the corresponding buildings of traditional theologies. (see figure below)
This already became reality in India -- a country with high level of religious consciousness. Two multi-confessional Temples built in India in the end of the 20th century are mentioned in the article: the Baha'i Lotus Temple in Delhi whose design symbolize nine religions, and Matrimandir Temple in Auroville near Madras (see figures below).
The Heavenly analogies of the different religions can be reflected in the color spectacle of the Temple (opposite buildings should be painted in contrast colors, the center - Altar - should have synthesizing white color). Preserving specific features of each congregation all buildings, although, are to face the common Altar (Sanctum Sanctorum), thus being unified in one and the same complex. Multiplication of prayer pronounced in mutual solidarity by the believers of all the mentioned congregations will become a new sacrifice-present to the Almighty, who has a long time been articulating the idea of peace and brotherhood into the ears of the whole human population of the Earth.
This way or that, one of the possible
versions is a freewill amalgamation (joining up) of One-God religions
on the Temple Mountain in Jerusalem by means of constructing the
Third Temple for all the mankind. Then the ancient town will be
changed into spiritual and ecclesiastical capital of the world
and into the world center of divine epistemology. Then the new
religions will rehabilitate their lost positions (which had been
caused by stagnation and ritual warship) in the future life of
conciliated nations. As a center of this salutary, if it would
have any chances to be put into reality, could serve Israel in
union with most progressive in divine epistemology people from
USA and Russia as it was once noted by Dm. Radyshevsky in one
of his interviews, devoted to the issue of the book "Babylon
and Jerusalem". (MCF, Moscow - Jerusalem, 2002). In Israel,
the Holy Land itself (the original mother of the three religions
of One-God) is the perfect environment for ascetics (dèvotée)
in the ecclesiastical and spiritual sphere. Side by side with
inhabitants plunged in mercantilism there are still many people
ready to do welcome to God deeds, and those ones who are anxious
for the fate of their nation. They are, of course, inhabitants
of settlements, the followers of the rave A. I. Kook, religious
Zionists, continuers of heroic deeds, started by the first Kibbutz
settlers. They are many immigrants of all kinds of countryman
associations, who have arrived here because of ideological reasons
or who became the ones under the influence of Sacred environment
here. They are also so called "secular believers" according
to the well-aimed expression of A. Baratsa. Their anxiety and
dèvotée show themselves first of all in the current
of articles including also Russian-language press as well as in
elucidative and political activity in Israel.
In the end, there are searches with the aim to bring up people
able to combine enlightenment and moderateness with thirst for
the greatest source of life, peace and people - thirst for the
Most High.
Footnote: [1] Just the longevity and vital capacity of Israelite is the result of their faithfulness to their Heavenly Protector. Just the same way failures and tragedies of the Elected People are explained by deviation of a certain part of Israelite from the God's Testaments: they don't propagate inner national ethics to their interrelation with other nations: they have been the initiators and leaders of the mutiny in East Europe, persistently warship the idol of "Golden Calf", hinder the Creator from spreading his authority among people. January 2005.
Moshe Komsky graduated from Moscow Architectural Institute in 1962. In 1977 he received a PhD degree in architecture. The author has lived in Israel since 1993 working as architect. H is a student of the history of religions from positions of so-called secular believers.