The loyal brothers: A folk legend in transition

The story of The Loyal Brothers is a local Jewish and Arab legend that explains how the site for the Holy Temple was chosen. It was first documented by travelers and Christian pilgrims in the nineteenth century and during the same period it is also chronicled as a folktale performed by Jewish storytellers in Eastern Europe. In the early twentieth century the legend was adopted by the Modern Hebrew culture into many Hebrew textbooks and anthologies for children and adults. Those anthologies highlight the values of brotherly love and mutual responsibility of family members for each other, which are universal humanistic values that are not dependent on culture, time, or place. At the same time, the widespread appropriation of the narrative highlights the desire to support the location and status of Jerusalem as a sanctified place and an integral part of Jewish history.