The Convent Camp: Sacred Places in Palestinian Refugee History

Abstract In 1948, thousands of Palestinians fled to the Old City of Jerusalem, where many Orthodox Christians were housed by the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. This article asks how Jerusalem refugee histories change when we consider the patriarchate’s characteristics as an informal camp. The religious dimensions of camps are often overlooked, and the article suggests that recognizing them affords a better understanding of the forms of historical consciousness that refugee camps foster. Drawing on memoirs of Palestinian Orthodox refugees and ethnography from contemporary Jerusalem, the article highlights the powerful role sacred sites have played in the preservation of refugee history since the war, and the effect they have on the political dynamics of the church and the Old City of Jerusalem.