In an agreement which, according to The Times, will mark “a new era of reconciliation between Christians and Jews after centuries of hostility”, the Vatican hopes to regain control of the Room of the Last Supper in Jerusalem and, in exchange, hand over to the Jewish community the historic synagogue at Toledo in Spain, at present a Catholic church. This agreement is set to take place during President Katzav’s visit to the Vatican.

As anyone who has visited the Room of the Last Supper will know, it shares a home with a Jewish holy place – the Tomb of David. Jews pray at David’s Tomb downstairs, Christians in the Room of the Last Supper upstairs. Although the present Room was constructed by crusaders in the 14th century, it also bears the marks of occupation by Muslims, who later used it as a mosque.

The present Gothic-arched room is not the original but was built by the Crusaders in the 14th century. It was taken over in 1342 by the Franciscans, the Catholic custodians of Christian sites in the Holy Land.

Along with the rest of Jerusalem, it fell to the Ottoman Turks in the 16th century and was transformed into a mosque, whose Arabic inscriptions are still visible. Since the foundation of Israel the area has served as the site of Jewish yeshivas, or religious schools, since Jews believe that the Tomb of King David lies beneath the spot

In this building, upstairs and downstairs seemed like two separate worlds, but perhaps the physical proximity of Jews and Christians there might become a reflection of a growing closeness – at least with the Catholic part of the Christian world. I only hope that the example being given from the Vatican at the present time will soak down to the rest of the Church.