THE HOLY SCRIPTURES

The Qu,ran talks of a religiously motivated and inspired Holy war. So does the Old Testament.

In the pre-Islamic area the Ka'aba, a kind of Muslim-tabernacle, in Mecca, and probably in all major cities, contained 360 pagan idols. One for every day of the (lunar) year.

Most important was a meteorite, that, probably, was worshipped for centuries.

Like all over the world, the pilgrims boosted the local economy and wealth. Arabia was tribal country, it still is, and the Korresh, locals, controlled Mecca.

They did not like the monotheism Mohammed preached. It was bad for business.

The prophet was probably exiled or killed, if not for the citizens of Medina. But the conflict remained and even grew, because of the growing number of converts to Islam. In the final clash the Meccan forces were beaten and the power of the Korresh-tribe was gone.

When Mohammed and his troops entered Mecca, he went straight to the Ka'aba and destroyed all pagan idols and held a ritualistic ritual cleansing the Ka'aba and dedicated the holy shrine to the one and only God, Allah.

Not all pagan idols were removed. The meteorite remained and was placed inside the Ka'aba. The stone is still part of the last day of the hadj, the pilgrimage of Muslims to Mecca. The believers circle around the Ka'aba seven times, finishing the ritual by kissing the meteorite.

The leaders of the Korresh-tribe did not have to worry.

Mecca is transformed from a dessert-town into a modern ciy with sky-scrapers and the capability to process millions of pilgrims each year, which greatest wish is to get close to his maker, as close as you can

get, by kissing a meteorite-stone.