Jerusalem as the heart of the earth
We therefore gain some insight from various literary expressions, but especially from a cluster of texts that use phrases that may be interchangeable with the Matthean “heart of the earth.” Those phrases are “middle of the earth,” “center of the earth,” “center of the nations,” “navel of the earth,” “navel of the country,” and even other phrases where the axial theme is more recessive. It is especially instructive to observe that the referent for these phrases is either the city of Jerusalem and its environs or Mount Zion where the city is located.
Given these occurrences and the evidence of a strong 1200 year tradition we are led to ask, Why should we interpret the unique Matthean phrase “heart of the earth” as a reference to the tomb of Jesus or literally to Sheol rather than as a reference to Jerusalem and immediate surroundings? It would appear that if we yield to the weight of tradition and make other logical connections, we should read “the heart of the earth” in this pericope only as a reference to Jerusalem and vicinity. The probability that this is the more correct reading is indicated by the solution it offers to the aforementioned problems, particularly the chronological one. In light of the solution my proposal offers, the burden of proof shifts to those who still believe that “three days and three nights” is a stressed synecdoche, a cryptic chronology, or a mismatched metaphor.
One may object that the “heart” is inside the body and the “navel” is outside the body, therefore the phrases “heart of the earth” and “navel of the earth” cannot be equivalent. This objection misses the whole point. These phrases are metaphors. It is possible for several metaphors to refer to the same reality, without corresponding exactly to each other. In English, the monikers Big Apple, Empire City, Gotham, Melting Pot, and Five Boroughs do not exactly correspond to each other, but they all still refer to New York City. The phrases “heart of the earth” and “navel of the earth” may draw upon different parts of the body, but they both can refer to Jerusalem and its environs.