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Zion

Zion is a term with multiple meanings across religion, geography, and culture. Originating in the Hebrew Bible, Zion originally referred to a specific hill in Jerusalem, the site of a fortress and temple precinct associated with the City of David. Over time the name came to denote Jerusalem itself and, more broadly, the biblical land of Israel.

In religious usage, Zion is central in Judaism as a symbol of the ancestral homeland and the

The term also has political and social significance. Zionism is the modern nationalist movement dedicated to

Geographically, Zion appears in names of places such as Zion National Park in Utah, a protected area

In contemporary usage, Zion remains a flexible symbol in scripture, politics, geography, and culture.

idealized
future
city
of
God.
It
appears
in
rabbinic
literature
as
both
a
physical
place
and
a
spiritual
principle
representing
sanctuary,
covenant,
and
national
redemption.
In
Christian
tradition,
Zion
is
used
to
signify
the
heavenly
Jerusalem
or
the
church,
and
it
features
prominently
in
liturgy
and
biblical
interpretation
as
a
destination
of
divine
promise.
the
reestablishment
and
support
of
a
Jewish
homeland
in
Israel.
Since
the
founding
of
the
state
of
Israel
in
1948,
Zionist
ideas
have
informed
debates
about
national
identity,
security,
and
religion
in
public
life,
with
a
wide
range
of
ideological
variants.
known
for
canyoneering
and
red
rock
scenery.
Other
towns
and
institutions
around
the
world
bear
the
name
Zion.
In
Rastafari
and
some
Afrocentric
movements,
Zion
refers
to
a
utopian
homeland,
often
identified
with
Africa
or
Ethiopia,
contrasted
with
Babylon
as
oppression.