Probably every chunk of stone in Jerusalem houses traces of something both noble and terrifying: civilization. In other words, a grand story, an amazing past, kings and faiths with furious, bloody cries. And faced with this spectacle, people easily forget that there are more important things.

A poem by the Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai reminds us of thisreminds the visitors, pilgrims and tourists who stand or squat, rather fed up or feigning empathy