Jerusalem
The name Jerusalem first appears in Egyptian Execration texts from the 19th century BCE as Rušalimum. Archaeological evidence points to a settlement near the Gihon Spring dating back to the 4th millennium BCE. During the Canaanite period of the 14th century BCE, ancient tablets referred to the city as Urusalim. This name likely means City of Shalem after a Canaanite deity named Shalem who was the god of dusk. The ending -ayim suggests the dual nature of the city sitting on two hills. King David captured the Jebusite fortress around 1000 BCE and renamed it the City of David. Significant construction activity began during the Iron Age II in the 10th century BCE. By the 9th century BCE the city had become the religious center of the Kingdom of Judah.
Jerusalem has been sacred to Judaism for roughly three thousand years since King David proclaimed it his capital. The Temple Mount remains the holiest site in Judaism where Jews throughout the world turn towards during prayer. The Western Wall attracts over ten million visitors each year as a remnant of the Second Temple. Christianity reveres the city for its Old Testament history and the life of Jesus. Golgotha marks the site of crucifixion while the Church of the Holy Sepulchre houses the empty tomb believed by Christians to be where Jesus rose from death. Islam considers Jerusalem the third-holiest city after Mecca and Medina. Muhammad made his Night Journey there in 621 CE ascending to heaven according to Islamic tradition. The Al-Aqsa Mosque stands on the Temple Mount commemorating this event. The city contains 1204 synagogues, 158 churches, and 73 mosques within its boundaries.
Throughout its long history Jerusalem has been destroyed at least twice and besieged twenty-three times. It was captured and recaptured forty-four times and attacked fifty-two times according to Eric H. Cline's tally. The Babylonians destroyed the First Temple in 586 BCE leading to the exile of the Jewish population. Pompey captured the city in 63 BCE bringing it under Roman Republic rule. Herod the Great expanded the Second Temple making it one of the largest sanctuaries in the ancient world. The Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Second Temple during the siege of 70 CE. A few decades later the city was rebuilt as the Roman colony Aelia Capitolina dedicated to Jupiter. Jews were banned from the city following the Bar Kokhba Revolt between 132 and 136 CE. The Crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099 before Saladin recaptured it in 1187. Israel occupied East Jerusalem from Jordan during the Six-Day War in 1967.
Both Israel and Palestine claim Jerusalem as their capital city though neither claim is widely recognized internationally. Under the 1947 United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, Jerusalem was to be established as a corpus separatum under special international regime. West Jerusalem became part of Israel while East Jerusalem including the Old City was annexed by Jordan after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. In 1980 Israel passed the Jerusalem Law declaring the complete and united city its capital. The United Nations Security Council Resolution 478 declared this law null and void on the 20th of August 1980. On the 6th of December 2017 US President Donald Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital. He announced his intention to move the American embassy to Jerusalem reversing decades of policy. Twenty-two countries relocated their diplomatic missions from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv following the resolution. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stated that any agreement excluding East Jerusalem would be unacceptable. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in 2014 that Jerusalem will never be divided.
In 2020 the population reached 951,100 with Jews comprising 570,100 or 59.9 percent. Muslims numbered 353,800 making up 37.2 percent of residents. Christians accounted for 16,300 people representing 1.7 percent of the total. Since 1860 Jerusalem has grown far beyond the Old City boundaries which were rebuilt around 1538 under Suleiman the Magnificent. In East Jerusalem 52 percent of land was excluded from development while 35 percent was designated for Jewish settlements. Only 13 percent remained available for Palestinian use almost all already built upon. The average size of Jerusalem's 180,000 households is 3.8 people. The city's birthrate stands about 4.2 children per Jewish family and 3.9 children per Arab family. In 2008 the population of East Jerusalem was 456,300 comprising 60 percent of Jerusalem's residents. Of these 195,500 were Jews and 260,800 were Muslim. Palestinians in Jerusalem cannot leave the city without losing their right to live there.
Historically Jerusalem's economy relied almost exclusively on religious pilgrims since it was far from major ports like Jaffa and Gaza. In 2013 seventy-five percent of the 3.5 million tourists to Israel visited Jerusalem. Northern Jerusalem's Har Hotzvim industrial park hosts large Research and Development centers of international tech companies including Intel and Cisco Systems. Time magazine picked Jerusalem as one of five emerging tech hubs in the world in April 2015. Since 1967 East Jerusalem has lagged behind West Jerusalem development despite higher employment rates for Arab households. Only 2.2 percent of land is zoned for industry and infrastructure compared to twice that percentage in Tel Aviv. In 2023 Israel opened a technology park in East Jerusalem known as EasTech where local Palestinian engineers work for multinational companies. Station J an innovation hub located in Sheikh Jarrah serves another tech hub for Palestinians. Various joint summits between Israeli and Palestinian entrepreneurs contribute to growth of the Palestinian IT sector.
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Common questions
When did the name Jerusalem first appear in historical records?
The name Jerusalem first appears in Egyptian Execration texts from the 19th century BCE as Rušalimum. Archaeological evidence points to a settlement near the Gihon Spring dating back to the 4th millennium BCE.
What is the religious significance of Jerusalem for Judaism Christianity and Islam?
Jerusalem has been sacred to Judaism for roughly three thousand years since King David proclaimed it his capital. Christianity reveres the city for its Old Testament history and the life of Jesus while Islam considers Jerusalem the third-holiest city after Mecca and Medina.
How many times was Jerusalem destroyed or besieged throughout its history?
Throughout its long history Jerusalem has been destroyed at least twice and besieged twenty-three times. It was captured and recaptured forty-four times and attacked fifty-two times according to Eric H. Cline's tally.
Why do Israel and Palestine both claim Jerusalem as their capital city?
Both Israel and Palestine claim Jerusalem as their capital city though neither claim is widely recognized internationally. Under the 1947 United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine Jerusalem was to be established as a corpus separatum under special international regime.
What is the population breakdown of Jews Muslims and Christians in Jerusalem today?
In 2020 the population reached 951,100 with Jews comprising 570,100 or 59.9 percent. Muslims numbered 353,800 making up 37.2 percent of residents while Christians accounted for 16,300 people representing 1.7 percent of the total.