Why Muslim Families Hold the Keys to Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem. Credit Jorge Láscar / Flickr / Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.0 The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, Israel, is one of the most important spiritual sites for Christians, so it may come as some surprise that the keys to the church are actually entrusted to the care of Muslim families. The tradition of entrusting the care of the church keys to Muslims dates back several centuries and may have been instituted by Saladin, the founder...