If there ever was an energy vortex on this planet, it is the rock in the center of The Dome of the Rock.

Jews believe it is the place where Abraham took Isaac for sacrifice. Muslims believe that it was Ishmael who was chosen by Abraham for the same task.

Jews believe it is the site of the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctuary of the Jewish Temple. Muslims believe that Muhammed ascended to heaven from that same spot.

Christians have their own history of attempting to control this highly-charged geographical location. This podcast tells of the first dispute over the Temple Mount after the second Jewish Temple was destroyed.

Father Felix F. Talbot, SJ was a colleague of my father’s in the theology department at Boston College, a Catholic university outside of Boston. “He likes to make up clever little devices to help his students remember things”, my father told me. “The lord, the land, the law” was the mnemonic device Father Talbot used to help his students remember the three elements that define the Jewish people: the conception of one god, a connection to the land of Israel and the law of the Bible. This podcast explores the history and concepts behind these elements.