This article deals with the sanctification process of a (historically Christian) site in the Land of Israel, by the Alternative Spirituality, or Neo-Pagans/Shamans.
The article analyses the factors that made Kursi a suitable candidate for a sactification process, and presents a model that examines various aspects and elements that contribute to an Alternative Spiritual sactification process of factors in the site.
In addition to this (8,500 words, Hebrew) article, there is another (English) article that describes different aspects of the sanctification process of Kursi, and a lecture on a similar subject. See links below.
The article takes a part in a research project that deals with the Alternative Sacred Geography of the Land of Israel, by Ruah-Midbar Shapiro.
The article is part of a special issue of Horizons in Geography (edited by Anat Kidron) that was dedicated to the “Functional Places and Collective Memory” (how functional sites – such as a road signs, sports stadium or film theatre – are designed as to construct a collective memory and conciousness).
Horizons in Geography (“Ofaqim bGeographia”) is a journal published in Hebrew by the University of Haifa.
Below is a video showing the area of the benches next to the church and monastery excavations from a quadocopter.
Abstract
A special sacredness was attributed to the bench area constructed by the Authority. Myths of these benches were circulated by the Authority and media and embraced by site visitors. The article reveals the critical contribution made by governmental site regulation to the prosperity of alternative-spiritual Kursi-related theories and practices and proposes a model which examines the functional aspects of the sanctification process, addressing two axes: Physical-technical access, and cultural-symbolic accessibility. Thus, the contexts and elements which take part in the formation of an alternative sacred geography are analyzed.
Author
Marianna Ruah-Midbar Shapiro
Links
For an illustration (in Hebrew) that summarizes the model of (Physical-technical) access and (cultural-symbolic) accessibility – click here.
For the (Hebrew) editorial, by Anat Kidron, describing the current article among others – click here.
For the issue’s cover and editorial page – click here.
For the issue’s page at the journal’s site – click here.
For Kursi National Park at the Israel Nature And Parks Authority site – click here.
For the (Hebrew) brochure “Magical Place”, distributed by the authority – click here.
For a leaflet by authority describing the excavated church complex click here.
For a Facebook post (in Hebrew) about the research on an Anthropological Israeli page – click here.
Year
2019
Language
Hebrew
Academic/Non-academic
Academic
Publisher/Source
Horizons in Geography (“Ofaqim bGeographia”) is a refereed journal published in Hebrew by the University of Haifa.
Bibliographical citation
Ruah-Midbar Shapiro, Marianna, “Between Benchmarking and Bench-Marketing: The Enchanted Benches at Kursi National Park as Case Study for the Formation Processes of Alternative Sacred Geography”, in Horizons in Geography 97 (2019): 136-163. [Hebrew]
