An exploration into how a small arid town with no natural resources became a place of pilgrimage for three of the most prominent world religions, and how 3,000 years of conflicts have led directly to the struggles of today.
Episode 1
After seizing Canaan, the Israelites wage war, ending in the battle of David and Goliath. David is made ruler and names Jerusalem as the new capital. Upon his death, David's son ascends to the throne but proves to be a different ruler.
Episode 2
When King Herod claims Jerusalem from the Hasmoneans, he angers Cleopatra, who wants to reclaim Judea. Despite this conflict, Herod the Great manages to modernize the ancient city, revolutionizing the city of God forever.
Episode 3
Tension reaches a climax in the epic battle between Saracen leader Saladin and England's Richard the Lionheart during the Third Crusade, with the fate of the holy city hanging in their balance.
Episode 4
World War I finds Jerusalem under Ottoman rule. Prince Faisal leads an Arab revolt, aided and encouraged by Britain. The war ends with the British in control, declaring the Crusades over and setting in train the city’s next great conflict.
Episode 5
While World War II rages, Palestinian Arabs feel trapped. The British Mandate ends and the state of Israel is declared. War breaks out, ending in Israel’s independence. The Holy City lies divided a no-man’s land of barbed wires.
Episode 6
Israel and its Arab neighbors are at war again on the streets of the Old City itself. While Israel emerges victorious, its control on territory ear-marked for a Palestinian state, creates the dilemma plaguing the Holy Land to this day.
