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.