. ▁The ▁Institute ▁has ▁wel com ed ▁over ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁Ang lic an , ▁Catholic , ▁Orth odox , ▁and ▁Protest ant ▁sch ol ars ▁and ▁program ▁participants ▁over ▁the ▁years . ▁ ▁Location : ▁Jerusalem ▁" Why ▁Jerusalem ?" ▁was ▁a ▁question ▁frequently ▁asked ▁of ▁the ▁found ers . ▁The ▁regional ▁inst ability ▁of ▁Jerusalem ▁was ▁demonstrated ▁by ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁ground bre aking ▁for ▁the ▁Institute ▁was ▁one ▁day ▁before ▁the ▁Six - Day ▁War ▁began , ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁Institute ▁was ▁open ▁for ▁only ▁a ▁year ▁before ▁the ▁Y om ▁K ipp ur ▁War . ▁ ▁The ▁question ▁imp lied ▁a ▁certain ▁expectation , ▁as ▁described ▁by ▁the ▁found ing ▁re ctor , ▁Charles ▁Mo eller : ▁" that ▁research ▁requires ▁mountains ▁of ▁books ▁and ▁such ▁libraries ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁found ▁anywhere ▁in ▁the ▁Third ▁World , ▁but ▁only ▁in ▁the ▁university ▁cent ers ▁of ▁Europe ▁and ▁North ▁America ." ▁Such ▁was ▁the ▁perspective ▁of ▁the ▁time . ▁ ▁As ide ▁from ▁the ▁obvious ▁insp iration ▁from ▁the ▁meeting ▁of ▁Pope ▁Paul ▁VI ▁and ▁Patri arch ▁A then ag or as ▁on ▁the ▁Mount ▁of ▁Ol ives ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁Jerusalem ▁is ▁the ▁birth place ▁of ▁Christian ity , ▁and ▁home ▁to ▁its ▁first ▁Church . ▁The ▁h oli est ▁site ▁of ▁Christian ity , ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁the ▁Res urre ction ▁is ▁a ▁witness ▁to ▁the ▁divisions ▁of ▁Christian ity ▁and ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁ec umen ical ▁work . ▁ ▁Robert