2006 Israel Part II Jordan River, Galilee & Joppa

Day 6, Sun

We departed Jerusalem after breakfast for Galilee via the Jordan Valley. This route allowed us to see more geography of the Holy Land. The first part of our travels took us through the Judean hills along the old road to Jericho, a road known as the "Valley of the shadow of death." This is where the story of the Good Samaritan took place.

Luke 10:30-37 30 In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 

31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins[a] and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' 36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" 

The bus route took us around Jericho (now under Palestinian authority) where Joshua fought his famous battle. 

Joshua 6: 1-5 1 Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. 2 Then the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in”.

The Mount of Temptation is just West of Jericho on top of a hill in background.

Matt 4:1-11 1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." 4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6" If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." 7 Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test" 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." 10 Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only." 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

To the southwest we could see Mt. Nebo in Jordan. Mount Nebo's highest crest reaches an altitude of 800 meters above the surrounding Belqa plateau. The other peaks are slightly lower, all of them rising from 700 meters. 

Its real fame is derived from the biblical event that occurred upon it as described in the Book of Deuteronomy: the death of the prophet Moses.

Deuteronomy 34:1 Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the LORD showed him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan,

Our tour continued northward along the Jordan Valley. The Jordan is for most of its length a narrow meandering stream, impossible tonavigate by boat, especially since damming has taken place near the Sea of Galilee. After the Six- Day War of 1967, the Jordan river has been the revised boundary between Israel and Jordan. Areh said Israel will never relinquish this stretch of land, nor reduce the security outposts here. Our tour group was really struck by how the Israeli had transformed this desert area into a prosperous farming region. Because Israel assisted Jordan with technological know-how and has allowed Jordan exclusive rights to the water of the Yarmuk, the Jordanian side of the Jordan has blossomed as well. Today Jordan and Israel are on good terms.

The Jordan River is the longest and most important river in Palestine. The Bible mentions the Jordan River well over 200 times. In Hebrew it is called Yarden, meaning "the descender" which simply denotes its rapid descent from its headwaters, at more than a thousand feet above sea-level, to its mouth at the Dead Sea, at nearly 1,300 feet below sea-level. The whole distance from the Jordan's sources to the Dead Sea measures about 80 miles in a straight line, but because of the twists and turns of its lower section, its total length measures more than 200 miles.

Where the Jordan River leaves the Sea of Galilee, is Yardenit, the site where some, but not all, Christians claim that Jesus was baptized.

Matthew 3:12-16 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.





We ascended the Golan Heights via a steep winding highway and then drove parallel to the Sea of Galilee. Our guide explained why Israel wrested this high vantage point from Syria in the Six-Day War. He felt Israel could not tolerate shellings from the Golan Heights. For the pilgrim the Golan is the place where Jesus sought his last moments of peace before embarking on his final journey to Jerusalem. Three of the disciples were born on the Golan.

As here was the healing of the blind man,

Mark 8:22-24 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" 24 He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around."

And the transfiguration.

Mark 9 1 And he said to them, "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power." 2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.

We made a stop at an overlook to view the Sea of Galilee below us.

Directly across the sea was clearly visible the city of Tiberias.

To the north stood the majestic and snowcapped mountain of Herman. Midway to the northern end of the sea was located the city of Gadarene where the miracle of the Gadarene Swine took place here

Matthew 8:27-32 27 The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" 28 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass. Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs." He said to them, "Go!" So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.

We descended the heights and continued to Capernaum, site of a second century village and synagogue on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Capernaum was an important Roman town and one of the focal points of Christ’s teaching in Galilee. It was also home to a number of his Disciples, including Simon Peter.



Matthew 4:17-19 18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19" Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men. "


A church has been built over the ruins of what is said to have been Simon Peter’s house. Among Biblical events which took place at Capernaum are the healing of the Centurion's servant.

Luke 7 1 When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2 There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant.

And the calling of Matthew to discipleship and the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law. Matthew 8:13-15 When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

Yet, despite the many miracles Jesus performed here he received nothing but ingratitude. So much that from the synagogue he pronounced a curse upon the city:

Matthew 11:23 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.






Nearby was the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes (built in the 1980s). Because we were pressed for time, our driver allowed us only a view from the bus. The church was built over the supposed spot from which Christ feed 5,000 followers with five loaves and two fish. The second miracle of the loaves and the fishes

Luke 9:15-17 But he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each." 15 The disciples did so, and everybody sat down. 16 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to set before the people. 17 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

From the bus we could see the Mount of the Beatitudes and the modern Church of the Beatitudes. It was an octagonal building, to symbolize the eight Beatitudes, one of which is inscribed on each of the windows. The chapel is surrounded by an attractive column-ed portico and commands one of the best views of the lake. The hill is so-called because it is thought that here, overlooking the lake, Christ gave his Sermon on the Mount. After spending a night in solemn meditation and prayer in the lonely mountain-range to the west of the Lake of Galilee Luke 6:12 on the following morning our Lord called to him his disciples, and from among them chose twelve, who were to be henceforth trained to be his apostles Mark 3:14,15 After this solemn consecration of the twelve, he descended from the mountain-peak to a more level spot Luke 6:17 and there he sat down and delivered the "sermon on the mount" (Mt 5-7) Luke 6:20-49 to the assembled multitude. The mountain here spoken of was probably that known by the name of the "Horns of Hattin" (Kurun Hattin), a ridge running east and west, not far from Capernaum. It was afterwards called the "Mount of Beatitudes."

Matthew 5 1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them saying: 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek,for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful,for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart,for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

After lunch (some had fish from the Sea of Galilee), our driver pulled along side the shore where we could touch the water.

We drove through Tiberias , a city with a population of about 35,000 located on the western shore of Lake Tiberia or the Sea of Galilee. Tiberia was a center of Jewish learning from its founding in AD 19 until the Middle Ages. The city was founded by Herod Antipas. Herod named the city for the emperor Tiberius. After the Roman destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem in AD 70, Jewish scholars began to settle in Tiberias.

We continued our drive. On the way to Nazareth the road passed through an untidy little village once called Cana and now known as Kafr Kanna, where Jesus attended a wedding feast with his mother.

John 2:1-11 1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine." 4 "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come." 5 His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." 


6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.[a] 7 Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet." They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." 11 This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

Then we went on to Nazareth where the bus parked on a scenic overlook of the city, a city of mainly modern appearance. Our guide pointed out the heart of the Old City with its Church of the Annunciation. The huge modern-day building, completed in 1966, is constructed over a cave traditionally believed by Roman Catholics to be the site of the Annunciation. Here the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary:

Luke 1 26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." 


34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[c] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God." 38"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

Jesus walked the streets of Nazareth, as well as Biblical figures Elijah, Deborah, and Solomon. The main events in Jesus' life, as described in the New Testament, was his childhoodand early manhood (Luke 2:39-52, Matthew 2:19-23),

And there was the clash with his fellow citizens (Matthew 13:54-58, Luke 4:17-30).








From the very first events relating to the life of Jesus in Nazareth, we learn that the people of his village did not approve of his preaching in the synagogue.

Luke 4 24"I tell you the truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy[ in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian." 28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

Some have alleged that this sentence in Luke is not correct, as Nazareth is built in a valley and not on a mountain. But the valley of Nazareth is on a mountain overlooking the Jezreel valley - and the mountain of the precipice overlooks the valley of Nazaret and the valley of Jezreel. Upon that wide plain Gideon triumphed and Saul and Jonathan were overthrown.

Nazareth was a small and insignificant village during the period of Jesus. It seems that the words of Nathaniel of Cana characterized the site's seeming insignificance.
John 1:46 "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?"

It is needless to say that the people of Judea had never heard of Nazareth. And from this we understand the reason that Pontius Pilate decorates the cross with the sign "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" (John 19:19) - meaning that the "King of the Jews" is from "nowhere." The early name "Nazarenes" given to the Christians might have been a derogatory nickname that the people of Judea gave to the followers of Jesus (Matthew 26:71, Acts 6:38). Jesus was known throughout the Galilee as Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee. (Matthew 21:11 - but for those not from the Galilee, this name had no meaning for them. As he grew, he must have been taken to Church of the Synagogue in the center of town where he “increased in wisdom and stature” and later proclaimed himself to be the Messiah of Isaiah’s prophecy (Luke 4: 16-30).

The Valley of Jezreel, as it is seen from Nazareth, is a natural battlefield. This fact must have influenced the idea of "...all the holders of swords shall fall by the sword," (Matthew 28:52).

Mount Tabor rises softly, but powerfully, from within the verdant triangle of the Jezreel Valley. A uniquely rounded mountain at an altitude of about 1800 feet, its contours may be viewed and unmistakably identified from miles in any direction. Mt. Tabor is the sight where the prophetess Deborah led the Israelites to victory over Sisera’s army.

Judges 4:13-15 13 Sisera gathered together his nine hundred iron chariots and all the men with him, from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River. 14 Then Deborah said to Barak, "Go! This is the day the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. 
Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?" So Barak went down Mount Tabor, followed by ten thousand men. 15 At Barak's advance, the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot.

As we approached the vibrant city of Haifa darkness had set in, but we could see to the northeast, across the sparkling waters of the harbor, the medieval walled fortress city of Acre. Haifa is a northern city and main seaport of Israel.

The city is located at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, and lies on and around the slopes of Mount Carmel.
1 Kings 18:19-24 19 Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table." 20 So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing. 22 Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only one of the LORD's prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. 23 Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire—he is God." Then all the people said, "What you say is good."

From here we took the coastal road to Tel Aviv. The Center Hotel where we stayed was situated on a small quiet street, right on the famous Dizengoff square in the heart of Tel-Aviv and only a few blocks from the beach. The hotel was a beautiful spot to relax in "The City that Never Stops".

We naturally wanted to visit the square our hotel was located on -- Dizengoff Square. It sported a drum-like fountain (see picture of hotel) by Israeli artist Yaako Agam, which has water jets programmed to perform hourly light and music shows.

Day 7 Mon This morning, we took an optional tour of Tel Aviv and Jaffa. We drove along Dizengoff Street to Yitzhak Rabin Square. Rabin Square was named after the Prime Minister who was assassinated outside City Hall. He had compromised in signing the “Oslo Accord” between himself and Yasser Arafat.

We continued on to Jaffa. During Israel's War of Independence, Jewish forces took control of Jaffa and most of its Arab population fled. According to the Bible, Jaffa (then called Joppa) was founded in the wake of the great flood by Noah’s son Japheth. According to the Bible, the recalcitrant prophet Jonah shirked his divine calling and fled to Jaffa to catch that fated boat to Tarshish

Jonah 1:3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

A monument of a whale (Jonah’s “great fish”) was situated by the old city wall of Joppa which provided a nice setting for those with cameras.














Our guide took us to an overlook of the ancient harbor Jaffa makes an appearance in the NT as well. Archaeologists have unearthed remains dating back to 20th century BC.

Acts 9:36 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and alms deeds which she did. {Dorcas: or, Doe, or, Roe} 37 And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid [her] in an upper chamber. 38 And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring [him] that he would not delay to come to them. {delay: or, be grieved} 39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them. 40 But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning [him] to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41 And he gave her [his] hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive. 42 And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord. 43 And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner.

It was here Peter had a vision telling him that the Gospel extended outside the confines of Judaism.

Acts 10:3-29 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!" 4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked. The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea." 7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa. 9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. 13 Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat." 14"Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean." 15 The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." 16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. 17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate. 18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. 19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Simon, three[a] men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them." 21 Peter went down and said to the men, "I'm the one you're looking for. Why have you come?" 22 The men replied, "We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say." 23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests .The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went along. 24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26 But Peter made him get up. "Stand up," he said, "I am only a man myself." 27 Talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them: "You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection.

Our next stop was at a busy bazaar where we were permitted to stroll at our leisure. We purchased some fresh buns and salami to make tasty sandwiches for our improvised lunch. Here Fred also purchased some jewelry for Annette. The bus came to pick us up and take us to the largest diamond exchange in the world. After a tour of the exhibits and showrooms we asked our guide if the three of us could be dropped off at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art.

Areh called us a cab (and paid for it himself) and we were off. The museum had an impressive exhibit of French impressionistic artwork that included Monet, Renoir and Pizarro. Other important works included Van Dyke, Van Gogh, as well as 17th century religious art from the Netherlands.

When the museum closed we walked (about 20 minutes) to reach a McDonalds for milk shakes. Our hotel was only a few blocks further -- an easy walk.

Day 8 Tues
We had wakeup calls for 2 a.m. so we could depart for the airport at 3 a.m. The hotel gave us boxes of breakfast items to take with us. Shuttle service was provided. We left Tel Aviv on the Israel Airline to Madrid, which departed at 6:40 a.m. Our arrival at JFK was 3:35. Annette was waiting for us at the luggage carousel in Minneapolis around 8 p.m.

Summary: We had a great trip. Good weather. Excellent educational experience. Edifying. Friendly fellow travelers.

APPENDIX HISTORY OF JERUSALEM

It was here that King Solomon built the First Temple of Israel in about 1000 BC.

(2 Chronicles 3:1) Then Solomon began to build the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David. It was on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the place provided by David.


Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it in 587 BC when the Jews were led into captivity

(1 Kings 5810 2 Kings 24-25). 8 On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, an official of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 9 He set fire to the temple of the LORD, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down. 10 The whole Babylonian army, under the commander of the imperial guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem.

The second temple was built in 516 BC after the Jews returned from exile

(Ezra 3:11-13). And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. 12 But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy.

Egyptian tablets (about 1400 BC) that name the city Urusalim are among the first records referring to Jerusalem. In about 1250 BC Hebrews from Egypt began their conquest of Canaan, the region to the west of the Jordan River later known as Palestine. The city was very well fortified, and it took about 200 years before the Hebrews conquered it.

In 1000 BC, David, King of Israel, finally captured the city. According to the Old Testament, King David brought the sacred Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and installed it in a new tabernacle, built a royal palace and other buildings, and strengthened the city's fortifications. David expanded the Kingdom of Israel and made Jerusalem its capital. However, it was his son and successor, King Solomon, who really built a magnificent temple and enlarged the city.

In 586 BC, Babylonians destroyed Solomon's Temple and exiled the Jews. In 539 BC, Persians conquered Babylonia and let the Jews return to Jerusalem. With their return to Jerusalem, a Second Temple was built on the ruins of the First Temple.

Jerusalem was captured by Alexander the Great in 333 BC. After his death, the city came under the rule first of Egyptians and later of Syrians. The Syrian ruler Antiochus IV tried to wipe out the Jewish religion. Judas Maccabeus, a member of a priestly ruling family called the Hasmonaeans, led a revolt. He liberated Jerusalem from the Syrians in 165 BC and later extended Hasmonaean rule over a large part of Judea. Jerusalem became the destination of annual Jewish pilgrimage from rest of Judea since certain religious obligations could only be fulfilled in the temple.

The Romans conquered Jerusalem in 63 BC, and made Herod the King of Judea in 37 BC. During his administration, which lasted until 4 BC, Herod rebuilt the temple, constructed a fortress, and enhanced other elements of the city. The retaining wall built by Herod for the Temple Mount stands today as the Western Wall. After Herod's reign, a series of Roman governors were installed. Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor who sentenced Jesus to be crucified for treason. In 66 AD, the Jews began to revolt against increasingly oppressive Roman rule. In 70 AD, Titus, son of the Roman emperor Vespasian, conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple. The city suffered almost complete destruction during the rebellion against the Romans (132-135) led by Simon Bar Kokhba. Following the Bar Kokhva Rebellion, Jews were banished from the city.

Under the Roman emperor Hadrian, the city was rebuilt as a pagan city, and its name was changed to Aelia Capitolina. Under Roman rule, the city became a destination for Christian pilgrimage, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was built during the reign of Emperor Constantine (303-337). Roman support for churches and religious figures gave the city an increasingly Christian aspect.

In 637, Caliph Umar I conquered Jerusalem and the city came under Muslim control. The Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque were built on the Temple Mount, with the Dome of the Rock standing on the site of the First and Second Temples. The Seljuks, a Turkish dynasty, ruled Jerusalem harshly in the 11th century and continued to expand toward Europe.

In response to this expansion and Turkish control of places sacred to Christianity, Pope Urban II called on Christians to travel to the Middle East and fight to reclaim the Holy Land, especially Jerusalem. Jerusalem fell to the Crusaders in 1099. The Crusaders slaughtered many of the Muslim and Jewish residents and ruled with great cruelty until Saladin captured the city again for the Muslims in 1187. In 1517, Jerusalem was taken by the Ottomans, who ruled it until the 20th century.

During the period of Muslim control, the city was always part of a broader territory and ruled from distant capitals. The city was often poor and neglected. Population growth was slow; it is estimated that less than 10,000 lived in Jerusalem at the beginning of the 19th century. Much of the growth came from Jewish pilgrims who settled in the city. Consequently, Jews became again the majority in Jerusalem by the middle of the 19th century. Population growth led to a housing shortage. Jews began to build neighborhoods outside the Old City. Mishkanot (photo below) is the first Jewish neighborhood which was built outside of the Old City's walls.

During World War I (1914-1918), the British took over control of Jerusalem. The city was poor and underdeveloped at this time. Under the British, the Jewish-Arab struggle for control of Palestine grew in intensity, and the friction among residents of Jerusalem increased as well. Jews and Arabs both sought to gain control in Jerusalem based on feelings of historical, political, and religious rights.

In 1947 the UN recommended that the British mandate of Palestine be divided into a Jewish state and a Palestinian state, and that Jerusalem be made an international city. The UN plan was rejected, and the first Arab-Israeli war broke out in 1947. During this war, called the War of Independence by Israel, Jordanian forces joined in the fight against Israel and succeeded in occupying the eastern side of Jerusalem, including all of the Old City. At the conclusion of the fighting, Jerusalem was divided; the new state of Israel had control of West Jerusalem and Jordan controlled East Jerusalem.

During this period, the Jewish side of the city grew as Israel developed. In 1950 Israel proclaimed Jerusalem its capital. In contrast, East Jerusalem languished under Jordanian control as Jordan directed its resources to the growth of its capital, Amman. Jewish and Christian property in the Jordanian controlled Old City was heavily damaged by a combination of looting, neglect, and destruction.

The city remained divided in this manner until 1967 when Israel gained control of East Jerusalem in the Six-Day War. The boundaries of the city were redrawn to expand its size by more than 200 percent, and in 1980 the Knesset passed a law declaring reunited Jerusalem to be Israel's eternal capital. Israel offered Palestinian residents of the city Israeli citizenship, but most declined this offer. Many Palestinians living in Jerusalem retained Jordanian citizenship. Thus, while Palestinians and Israelis voted in the same Jerusalem municipal elections, they voted in different national elections (Jordanian and Israeli, respectively). In addition to this unique political situation, deep social divisions existed among Jerusalem residents.

After the Six-Day War, new neighborhoods for Israeli Jews were constructed in the area that prior to 1967 had been dominated by Arabs. By 1990 West Jerusalem was exclusively Jewish, and East Jerusalem had nearly equal populations of Arabs and Jews.

Today Jerusalem is a major issue in the Arab-Israeli conflict. While Israel claims sovereignty over all of Jerusalem, Palestinians claim at least the eastern half, including the Old City. Due to the sensitivity and centrality of the Jerusalem issue, discussions about the future of the city have been separated from the main body of the Arab-Israeli peace negotiations of 1994 and 1995. While the issue of Jerusalem's status is still to be negotiated, the city continues to grow and modernize.