The Detailed History of Jerusalem in two parts

Description

“Livestock grazed freely in its vicinity, and grapevines and olive trees were cultivated there. Its grapes were renowned, as were its oil and olives. In short, the land of Canaan in general, and Jebus in particular, flowed with milk and honey at that time.”

The idea for writing this book arose for Arif al-Arif from his desire to understand the conquerors and invaders of this holy city, to determine who was right and who was wrong. Thus, over twenty years of research, consulting references, sources, documents, and oral accounts, he amassed a wealth of information about Jerusalem, some of which complemented others. While some of it was clear and unambiguous, other parts were so obscure that they required clarification and definition. The author clarified this to the best of his ability, drawing upon numerous books written by ancient historians, quoting their accounts, and including them in this book despite their flaws. He also presented conflicting narratives, explaining the reasons that led him to favor one over the other. The author has striven to avoid the approach of those narrators and historians who followed their political biases and sectarian beliefs, thus deviating from the truth by merely mentioning what pleased them and their families and clans. The author, however, has endeavored to avoid this approach as much as possible, mentioning all the nations that settled in this city and their contributions, both good and bad. He has paid particular attention to faithfully documenting the impact these nations left on the city. It is worth noting that this book by Arif al-Arif, “The Detailed History of Jerusalem,” remained the primary reference for nearly a quarter of a century. Nothing before or since has surpassed it, neither in Arabic nor in Western languages, due to its comprehensive coverage of five thousand years of the history of this holy city.