Abstract:
This essay is written in view of the heartbreaking crisis in the Middle East,
especially the terrible Gaza war. What did the influential (and for many still
authoritative) church father Augustine think about Israel and Jerusalem? From
his entire oeuvre, the texts in which he discusses Israel and Jerusalem have been
examined. The conclusion is that he considers their material significance to be
of only temporary value: he emphasises their “spiritual” and “eternal”
significance. In close connection with his view of salvation history, Augustine
never speaks of a lasting land promise for Israel in Palestine: the true Israel is a
spiritual entity, as is the true spiritual Jerusalem. Based on his Christian views,
Augustine would reject any Zionist zeal for present-day Israel and Jerusalem;
and, a fortiori, any current war practice.
