What is Religion? | Hyunmo Kang

The Middle East is the birthplace of the world’s three major religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. As someone without a religion, I’ve always been curious about what religion is and what faith truly means. During my time in Egypt, I had a discussion with the guide who took me to the Dendera and Abydos ruins.

I asked him, even if a god exists, why would they choose Earth, among the countless planets in the universe, to deliver their message? And why must people pray toward a specific direction, like Mecca, which is no more special in the vastness of the cosmos? The guide said that the specifics don’t matter; what matters is having faith, in whatever form that may be—be it Christianity, Islam, or any other belief.

At the time (and even now), I couldn’t fully understand his perspective. But it left me looking forward to my next destination, Israel, even more.

On the left is golden dome above the western walls of Jerusalem. On the middle is Hurva Synagogue in Old city Jerusalem. On the right is Stone of Anointing in Church of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

Israel was truly an excellent place to reflect on religion. Not only in the Old City of Jerusalem but throughout the country, there were sacred sites for various faiths. There were Jewish synagogues, as well as places where Jesus was born and crucified. There was even the Golden Dome, built on the site where Muhammad is said to have ascended to heaven.

On the left is Horns of Hattin, where crusaders had a big lost to Saladin. On the right is Masada, where jewish people revolted to Rome until death.

The Horns of Hattin and the Masada ruins stand out as some of the most memorable sites. The Horns of Hattin is where the Crusaders suffered a decisive defeat at the hands of Saladin. It’s also a stunning plateau with views of the Sea of Galilee.

Masada, located in southern Israel, was a fortress where people resisted to the death during the Roman era. Surrounded by an arid, desolate landscape with no water sources except for the Jordan River, it is a place that makes you wonder: What drove these people to fight to their last breath? What purpose led the Crusaders to die in a distant land so far from home?

What inspired those who, refusing to submit to Rome, clung to their monotheistic beliefs and resisted until even the last women and children perished?