The end of days - Gershom Gorenberg

Cain murdered Abel, says an ancient legend, in an argument over who would own the Temple Mount. That story sums up the passions aroused by the world's most sacred real estate: the hilltop in Jerusalem where King David erected an altar, where Solomon and Herod built their temples, where the Dome of the Rock now stands, and where prominent leaders of America's Christian right insistently predict, the Third Temple will be built within our generation.
The Temple Mount is centre stage for the end of the world in Christianity, Judaism and Islam and its fate is of profound importance to the preservation of peace in the ever-volatile Middle East. In THE END OF DAYS, Gorenberg explains the Mount's fascination for fundamentalists and reveals why, even in an era of peacemaking, the Mount remains a catalyst for conflict. Gorenberg also shows why the risks will actually increase after the year 2000, as prophesised dates for the End pass and believers look for a way to ensure that the End comes, as foretold, widthin the lifetime of those who saw the creation of the state of Israel.