| Jerusalem
|
| せいちエルサレム
|
Sprite from Last Bible Special
|
| Other Name(s)
|
Holy Land Game Gear Micro
|
| Subarea(s)
|
Pharma's Shop
|
Jerusalem is a location in Last Bible Special.
Gameplay
Jerusalem is the fourth dungeon Mattel visits, as well as potentially the last depending on the choices he makes.
Notable features include a strange object with a face carved into it, which will produce a variety of effects such as inflicting damage to Mattel, opening a locked door, granting macca, or inflicting paralysis depending on which section lights up. There is a scale that blocks passage unless the party is deemed worthy through having a stat total greater than the value of all stats divided by the number of active party members; the total must be greater than 100. Mirrors also appear sporadically with random effects when peered into, including full recovery, instant death, and battling against a series of identical copies of the party member who gazed into the mirror. A torn banner can also be found, presumably featuring the symbol of Jerusalem before its abandonment. Later on, there will be doors that instantly transport the party to another space on the floor, with one of these doors being identified as the Door of Monad, which leads the way to Gryas's chambers.
Within Jerusalem, Mattel can find a Golden Crown which opens special chests which have randomized contents. There is also a set of beggars asking for macca; in exchange, they may give Mattel a Light Coin, though some will take the macca without giving Mattel anything. The Light Coins can be used to open treasure chests, one of which contains the Eternal Lamp. The Beast Rubedo appears near this location sleeping, but will awaken when approached and send the party backwards. Utilizing the Eternal Lamp will drive it off and allow passage, revealing the World Key, necessary for opening a door later into .
While exploring, Mattel can meet with a series of figures, such as Fiat,[a] Bereth,[b] and Trismegi.[c] Fiat will trade Light Coins for the Lucky Ring, while Bereth will take the ring and give him a Book of Corpus. There is also a wandering pilgrim. The pilgrim will trade items to Mattel in exchange for other items, including a second book, the Book of Anima. The third and final book, the Book of Pneuma, can be found in a treasure chest. When the three books are collected, Trismegi can utilize them to create a Book of Prophecy. Near Trismegi is also one of his disciples, an ardent follower of his teachings who considers him a wise man. There is also a store near Gryas's chambers ran by a man named Pharma[d] who will sell Mattel the key to the Door of Monad, the Face of Monad. The store is closed at all times except during a full moon.
Encounters
Stores
Items
Game Appearances
Prior to the events of the game, Jerusalem was said to be the site where the humans of the present day descended to the planet under the guidance of the goddess, and was the holy land for those who worshiped her.[1] However, those people would eventually lose faith entirely, and the goddess would be considered legend. However, Gryas would appear and seize control of Jerusalem, wielding an army of Beasts. The head priest of Constance would then send Mattel to Jerusalem to free it from Gryas's control.
Upon entering, Mattel will go through a series of difficult trials, such as encounters with Rubedo, until he is finally met with the Door of Monad, which leads to Gryas. Passing through the Door, Mattel prepares to fight, only to learn that Paragon is using him as a pawn to destroy the Beasts for his own gain. Faced with this information, Mattel can either continue to fight Gryas, or betray him and join Gryas in his crusade. If Mattel chooses not to listen, he will fight and defeat Gryas, who will swear to reincarnate one day to right the wrongs Paragon created. However, if Mattel does agree to join Gryas, he will gain the Moon Ring and begin his journey back to Constance Cathedral to fight his former leader.
Trivia
- The first twelve floors of Jerusalem are each shaped like one of the twelve symbols of the zodiac, while the thirteenth floor uses a modified symbol of Mercury.
- If the player examines Rubedo while facing east or west before obtaining the Eternal Lamp, they will be sent outside of the map, where they can find stairs that cause the game to crash.
- Unused text in the game suggests that the beggars were initially intended to have a chance of revealing themselves to be a Saint and joining the party after witnessing Mattel's purity of heart.
Nomenclature
Jerusalem is based on the city of the same name, which is considered to be a holy site for various Abrahamic religions. Trismegi is likely based on Hermes Trismegistus, a legendary figure and a syncretism of Hermes and Thoth who is said to have written the Hermetica, the foundational text of western alchemy.
Names in Other Languages
| Language |
Name |
Meaning
|
 Japanese
|
せいちエルサレム Seichi Erusaremu |
Holy Land Jerusalem
|
| 聖地Game Gear Micro Seichi |
Holy Land
|
Gallery
-
Sprite used on the world map
-
Pharma's Shop
-
The torn banner
-
The large mirrors that appear sporadically
-
The scale
-
The strange object
-
The trader pilgrim. Fiat and Bereth appear identically to him.
-
The disciple of the prophet Trismegi
-
Warp doors in Jerusalem
Notes
- ↑ Japanese: フィアトFiat, romanized Fiato
- ↑ Japanese: ベレアトBereth, likely from ベレト Byleth, romanized Bereato
- ↑ Japanese: トリスメギTrismegi, romanized Torisumegi
- ↑ Japanese: ファーマPharma, romanized Faama
References
- ↑ "はるかなる太古、「女神」に導かれ、この星に降り立った人類の子孫は、この地を「エルサレム（聖なる地）」と名付け、女神を祭る祭壇を築いた。" Megami Tensei Gaiden Last Bible Instruction Manual. 3.
Sprite used on the world map
Pharma's Shop
The torn banner
The large mirrors that appear sporadically
The scale
The strange object
The trader pilgrim. Fiat and Bereth appear identically to him.
The disciple of the prophet Trismegi
Warp doors in Jerusalem
