TV host Grethen Ho recently went to Jerusalem where she visited the Dome of the Rock, pointing out its importance to different types of believers.
Ho explained the contribution of the Dome of the Rock to different faiths as can be seen in her Instagram account last Aug. 6, where she shared two photos and one short video of the world-famous dome.
“Same same, but different. The Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount is significant to all three Abrahamic faiths: Christianity, Judaism and Islam,” she initially said in her post.
“Tombs lined up on the Mount of Olives mostly face the Old City of Jerusalem. Jews believe that those buried there will be the first ones to see the Messiah when He comes. Muslim tombs are mostly located near the walls of the Old City, ideally facing Mecca. While Christian tombs also face towards Jerusalem,” she related.
Then, she enumerated the reasons why the Dome of the Rock is significant.
“For Christians and Jews, inside the Dome is the Foundation Stone that is believed to be the center of Creation and where Abraham was supposed to sacrifice Isaac,” she said.
As for Muslims, Ho said that “it’s Ishmael instead of Isaac.”
“The Dome of the Rock is also a shrine that commemorates Muhammad’s ascent into Heaven,” she added.
Ho revealed that there’s a strict policy that prevents non-Muslims from entering the Dome of the Rock “as it is being maintained by Jordanians.”
“You’d have to say a Muslim prayer or recite a passage from the Quran to get in. Just outside it though, is the Holy Sepulchre where Jesus is believed to have been crucified. This is where Christian pilgrims come,” she said.
In the end, she said that what is of paramount importance is “praying for peace in a world where we’re different but all too similar, really.” /ra
RELATED STORIES:
LOOK: Gretchen Ho goes back to trail running, training
Gretchen Ho sees ‘solitude, peace and slowing down of time’ in airplane rides