ABSTRACT
How did a small and marginal cave in the eastern part of Jerusalem, which was once used as a cattle pen, become a center of dispute in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict? The story of what some Jewish groups called the Nachmanides Cave, identified with Rabbi Moshe Ben Nachman (Ramban, 1194–1270), developed into a controversy involving two major issues in the domain of sacred spaces: 1) the complexity of defining what really merits being called a holy place from both legal and religious perspectives; and 2) how a sacred space can be employed or sometimes even exploited to accomplish territorial sovereignty and political control. This chapter reveals the story of the political and legal dispute of the Nachmanides Cave and asks the following questions: What triggers a dispute involving a holy place? What influences such a conflict to become violent or non-violent? How does controversy over what is believed to be a holy place rise to become a central national issue, or alternatively, fade into a neglected issue in the public awareness? Finally, what is the role of the government and the judiciary in contributing to the outbreak of conflict in a holy place, and what ability does it have to control or manage the conflict once it breaks out, or alternatively to resolve the conflict? In what way does the religious identity or ideological background of politicians, members of committees of inquiry, or judges influence the outcome of a dispute?
