JERUSALEM

The history of Jerusalem started six thousand years ago. It is eventful and often sad – the city was destroyed seventeen times over the ages.

The Biblical history commences with Abraham who paid tithes to Melchizedek, king of [Jeru]Salem (Gen 14). The Patriarch visited the city again where he nearly sacrificed Isaac on Mt. Moriah (today known as the Temple Mount).

The Jebusites took over the area till it was conquered by King David. According to The Bible :David did capture their fortress of Zion, and it became known as 'David's City'" (2 Sam 5). During his rule of 33 years David made the city into the center of an empire that stretched from Egypt to the Euphrates River. He built up and expanded the city. He strengthened the city’s walls, which had been built by the Canaanites, and planned to extend the city.

Remains of a government building dating from the time of the Prophet Jeremiah

David also built a palace. This palace may have been near the east side of the southeastern hill. It was from a window of this house that Michal, Saul’s daughter, saw David dancing wildly as the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem. The city became a royal city and a holy city-the center of worship. As a result, the city would be known as the “City of David” as well as the “city of God”. Since then Jews made regular pilgrimages to Jerusalem to take part in the Biblical feasts and offerings.

Solomon built the first temple in Jerusalem. However, in 588 BC he city was completely destroyed by Babylon. A small number of Jews returned to Jerusalem and in 515 BC the doors of a new, second temple were opened, and the Passover feast was again observed from Jerusalem. Around 445 BC Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem and  the people rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in 52 days.

A model of Jerusalem during the time of Jesus (Large image)

During the Roman Period Jerusalem was ruled by Herod. He started to reconstruct the Temple in 20 BC., but it wasn’t completed until 64 AD, just six years before Titus destroyed it.

Pilgrims who travel to the Holy Land and the Old City today sense something of the Jerusalem where the Prophets, Jesus and the Apostles interacted with other Jews in their national and religious capital Jerusalem.