He dates the arrangement back to the time of Saladin, the Muslim conqueror who seized the holy city from the Crusaders in 1187. “Honestly, it’s a great honour for a Muslim to hold the key to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is the most important church in Christendom,” Joudeh, 53, said. It requires firm fingers: The key is 30 cm (12 inches) long and weighs 250 grams (0.5 pounds). Jerusalem’s Old City today houses sites that are sacred to all three major monotheisms. Christianity scholar Yisca Harani said having Muslim families in charge of the key and the doors helps somewhat in keeping the peace between the denominations.

Source: The Express Tribune November 30, 2017 10:30 UTC