Narrating the Jewish Presence in Islamic Jerusalem: A Muslim–Christian–Jewish Debate
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Early Islamic sources present contradictory opinions regarding a prohibition on Jewish residence in Jerusalem after the Muslim conquest. Some sources report such a prohibition, while others do not. Modern scholars have taken varying stances on this issue. In the scholarly debate, a Cairo Geniza fragment, describing Jews escorting the Caliph ʿUmar and helping to identify the rock where the Dome of the Rock was built, has been presented as confirmation of a Jewish presence in early Islamic Jerusalem. In the present article, I clarify that this fragment is better understood in the context of the tenth or eleventh century, rather than the seventh. I present the evidence for a fierce Muslim-Christian-Jewish debate over a Jewish presence in Islamic Jerusalem, and its theological implications. This debate reached its peak around the tenth century, from which time most of the sources originate. This coincides with documented Jewish activity in the city.
Source: Al-Masāq
Author: Moshe Yagur
Institution: Bar-Ilan University
Language: English
Subfield: History
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7140042205
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