The Prophet Elijah Deported & King David’s Condo Up for Sale
On adjacent pages of The Jerusalem Report (Sept. 27, 1999), a glossy news mag published fortnightly in Jerusalem, a study in contrasts:
First page: A photo of a tall old man with a gnarled walking staff and long grey beard. He carries a placard that says “Jesus is my Lord” and is signed “Elijah.” Elijah is said to be a former building contractor from California who has been in and out of Israel over the past 15 years preaching the Messiah. Nervous Israeli authorities facing the end of the millennium had Elijah picked up by police, evaluated by a shrink, and flown out of the country “to Europe.”
Next page: A photo of Jerusalem’s “foremost self-contained luxury community” and a description of its amenities — “the spa, the swimming pool, boutiques, galleries.” Most of the units in “David’s Royal Residence” are already sold, “yet several exclusive units, ranging from $400,000 two bedroom suites to $2 million spacious penthouses, remain available.” The ad ends this way: “Savor the spirituality and luxury of Jerusalem’s newest quarter.”
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem — thou deportest the prophets to Europe, whilst thou savorest the spirituality of thy luxurious penthouses!
You May Also Enjoy
Reviews of Genetic Engineering: Christian Values and Catholic Teaching by Paul Flaman... The Message of Heaven and Hell by Bruce Milne... Life, Liberty, and the Defense of Dignity by Leon R. Kass, M.D... Creed and Culture: A Touchstone Reader edited by James M. Kushiner... Callista: A Sketch of the Third Century by John Henry Cardinal Newman
One of Vatican II's major problems was that its message of altruistic love and spiritual freedom was given to a society on the verge of cutting loose most of its social mores.
My title comes from a little book by Oscar Wilde, The Soul of Man under…