Jerusalem

The capital of the State of Israel and ancient capital of the Kingdom of Israel and later of Judah. Jerusalem is a city sacred to the three principal monotheistic religions. From 1000 BCE to 586 BCE, and from 515 BCE to 70 CE, it was the political, commercial and religious center of the Jewish nation. For over a century now, Jews have constituted the majority of the city's population.

For Christians, Jerusalem is associated with the life of Jesus. For Muslims, with Mohammed's nocturnal journey to heaven. It is situated in the heart of the Judean Hills, 800 meters above sea level, on the crossroads of two major arteries: the north-south mountain route, and the road ascending from the Coastal Plain and the Shephelah in the west and descending to the Jordan Valley and Transjordan in the east.

Flint tools found near Jerusalem demonstrate the area was inhabited as early as the Chalcolithic period (c. 3500 BCE). Sherds indicate permanent habitation from the Early Bronze Age (c. 3000 BCE). Some of these sherds were found on the eastern hill of the ancient city south of the Old City walls of today, above the Gihon Spring. In its most ancient form, the name of Jerusalem appears in the Egyptian Execration Texts in the 19th to 18th centuries BCE as “Rushalimum.” In the 14th century BCE el-Amarna letters, it appears as "Urusalim" and in the Sennacherib inscriptions (7th century BCE) as "Uruslimmu".

The early Hebrew pronunciation was apparently Yerushalem, as is evidenced by the spelling in the Hebrew Bible and by its form in the Septuagint. As for the meaning of the name, it can be assumed to be a compound of the West Semitic elements "yrw" and "slm," probably to be interpreted as "Foundation of (the God) Shalem." Salem, the shortened form of the name occurring in Genesis 14:18 and Psalms 76:2, as well as in later sources, also seems to be quite early.

During the period of the Israelite conquest (Late Bronze Age IIB) Joshua was not able to take the city and it remained a wedge separating the central tribes from those of the north and south. Only in 1005 BCE (Iron Age IB) did King David capture the city of Jebus (as it was then called after its Jebusite inhabitants) and change its name to the City of David, making it the capital of his kingdom.

The following are the major dates in the history of Jerusalem from ancient to modern times:

Israelite period (from conquest of city by David until destruction of First Temple:
969 BCE	Solomon builds the Temple
930 BCE	Division of the kingdom; Jerusalem capital of Judah
925 or 924 BCE	Shishak, king of Egypt, enforces heavy tribute on city
701 BCE	Sennacherib, king of Assyria, besieges city
586 BCE	Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, destroys city and burns Temple; destruction of First Temple
Babylonian and Persian periods (586–332 BCE):
538 BCE	Beginning of Return to Zion in reign of Cyrus, king of Persia, under leadership of Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel
515 BCE	Consecration of Second Temple
445 BCE	Rebuilding of Jerusalem and its walls by Nehemiah
Hellenistic and Hasmonean periods (332–37 BCE):
332 BCE	According to legend Alexander the Great visited Jerusalem; beginning of Greek political and cultural dominance and hellenization program
169 BCE	Antiochus IV Epiphanes, king of Syria, storms and plunder Jerusalem, profances Temple and outlaws practice of Judaism
167–165 BCE	Hasmonean (Maccabean) revolt, conquest of Jerusalem, cleansing of Temple and resumption of Temple service
63 BCE	Pompey enters Jerusalem at head of Roman army
Roman period (37 BCE–324 CE):
37 BCE	Herod, king in Jerusalem under Roman protection; physical splendor and beauty of city reaches a peak
22 BCE	Herod rebuilds Temple
44 CE	King Agrippa I extends city to the north and begins to construct the Third Wall (after his death in the same year, Romans take control of the country)
66 CE	Beginning of Jewish Revolt against Rome
70 CE	Siege of Jerusalem; Titus conquers city, demolishes it and burns Temple; destruction of Second Temple
135 CE	After quelling Bar Kokhba revolt, Romans destroy city, expel Jewish inhabitants and build pagan Roman city, naming it Aelia Capitolina
Byzantine period (324–640 CE):
Beginning of Christian Byzantine rule; during this period Jews were forbidden to reside in Jerusalem except during short reign of Emperor Julian the Apostate (363–363 CE).
614–629	Persians take city and hand it over to the Jews
629	Byzantines return and retake city
Early Arab period (638–1090):
638	Omar ibn el Khattab, known as sword of Islam, conquers city. Jerusalem becomes one of the centers of Islam and is called el Quds (the Holy). Rule shifts from one caliphate to the next
750	End of rule of Umayyad Caliphate and beginning of Abbasid rule
878	Egyptian rule
969	Rule of Fatimid caliphs
1071	Conquest of city by Seljuks (Turks)
1098	Return to power of Fatimids
Crusader period (1099–1250):
1099	Crusaders capture city, slaughter Jewish and Muslim inhabitants and establish Kingdom of Jerusalem
1171	Jewish traveler Benjamin of Tudela visits Jerusalem
1209–1211	300 rabbis from France and England settle in city
1241	Crusaders return and conquer city, entending their rule for several years
1244	Khwarizm Turks attack and destroy city
Mamluk period (1250–1516):
1260	Mongols invade and destroy city
1267	Jerusalem annexed to Mamluk kingdom
1267	Ramban (Nahmanides) settles in Jerusalem; revival of Jewish community
1488	Rabbi Obadiah of Bertinoro arrives in Jerusalem
Ottoman period (1516–1918):
1516	Conquest of Jerusalem by Turkish Sultan Selim I
1538	Building of walls of Jerusalem (as seen today) by Sultan Suleiman I the Magnificent
1831	Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt gains control of Syria and Palestine (inlcuding Jerusalem) from Turkish sultan
1840	Turks regain control from Mohammed Ali
1898	Theodor Herzl, founder of Zionist movement, and Kaiser Wilhelm II meet in Jerusalem
British Mandate (1917–1948):
1917	Entry to Jerusalem of British army. Expansion of local Jewish community. City becomes national and cultural center of emerging Jewish State
1947	UN decision to internationalize Jerusalem
War of Independence, founding of State of Israel and early decades:
With the outbreak of the war, fighting in Jerusalem. Old City cut off from new city. Siege of Jewish Jerusalem.
2 May 1948	Capture of Qatamon quarter
14 May 1948	British evacuate Jerusalem
19 May 1948	Breakthrough to besieged Old City
28 May 1948	Fall of Jewish Quarter in Old City
1 June 1948	Opening of “Burma Road” and end of siege of Jewish Jerusalem. Armisitice Agreement after the war left Israel with new city and enclave on Mt. Scopus, and Jordanians with Old City, Mt. of Olives and several quarters in northeast part of city
13 Dec. 1949	Jerusalem proclaimed capital of State of Israel
Until 1967	City divided
28 June 1967	Proclamation of unification of Jerusalem following Six-Day War