A recent book on Jerusalem, focusing on the walled Old City, seeks to not only demythologize the place but shed light on many of its untold stories, both old and new. It is by British journalist, travel writer and broadcaster Matthew Teller and entitled Nine Quarters of Jerusalem: A New Biography of the Old City.
For a nice sample of the contents of this work, see the REVIEW published a few months ago on the “Jerusalem Story” web-site. The site is well worth a visit in its own right, offering glimpses of Jerusalem life, culture, history (and politics) you will not encounter just anywhere (you can subscribe to their web-log and be notified of new offerings by email).
Spoiler alert: The notion of the “Four Quarters” Teller traces to a mid-19th century visitor who imposed a British-colonial way of looking upon the city’s mélange of ethnicities, languages and religions. Not only is it an artificial construct, Teller says, but one largely foreign to the people who actually live there, both then and now!
The rest I will allow you to discover on your own. Happy reading!
Tom Powers -- VIEW FROM JERUSALEM 