Holy Land exhibition shows rare religious harmony

In a rare display of religious harmony in the Holy Land, a Jerusalem museum has thrown a spotlight on the shared symbols of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

As the three monotheistic faiths celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas and Eid al-Adha, Jerusalem's Bible Lands Museum has opened an exhibition to show how much they have in common - an important lesson in a land torn by religious strife, it said.

"It's important to remember that our origins are mutual," said Filip Vukosavovic, assistant curator of the "Three Faces of Monotheism" exhibition. "It's only lately, unfortunately, that we started separating everything."

The display features ancient pieces of stones bearing crosses, stars and the classically Jewish image of the menorah - a nine-stemmed candelabra symbolising light and hope - plus jewellery and ritual objects from the third to 13th centuries.

Curators at the museum argue that some symbols associated with a particular faith have sometimes been used by other religions, since all three share common heritage.

For example curators say menorahs, which Jews light during Hannukah rituals, were etched on the walls of some Christian catacombs in Rome and impressed on coins used by a 7th century Islamic Dynasty. Images of the dove, linked by Christians to the Holy Spirit, have been found on Jewish tombstones.

The museum said the star had been used in many cultures as a symbol of "cosmic order or celestial light". And while a six pointed star is emblazoned across the Israeli flag and known by Jews as the Star of David, both five and six pointed stars have been used as Muslim symbols.

The Holy Land - particularly the Old City of Jerusalem - is revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims, and tensions over religious sites is one of the sensitive issues at the heart of the decades old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Bible Lands Museum tries to highlight common Jewish and Arab heritage by exploring biblical history.