I was wondering f womone could help me with this.
A friend and I were discussing the history of Jerusalem earlier tonight and he reckons that up until about the mid 1800's it was pretty much deserted until the Jews moved back in.
But I was under the impression that it was always settled as it was an important place to the muslims.

Can any help me and let me know what really was going on in Jerusalem from the time of Saladin until the 20th century?

btw I looked in the history archive's but didn't find anything there that was relevant.

It was the the third holiest site in Islam, after Mecca and Medinah. I think Jerusalem was continuosly settled during all that time.

It did change hands often though.

So if it was the 3rd Holiest city then that by definition would of meant that it was important and would have been looked after and not left to ruination.

Also does anyone know when the Mosque of Omar was built?
I vaguely remember something about it bieng in the 1800's but I'm not 100% sure.

i believe it holds holy sites for all 3 religions-jewish, islam and christianity-very important to all 3

after saladin jerusalem fell to the egyptian mamlukes in the 1200's and was rebuilt and regained much of its religious and commeral importance. this continued under the ottomans after they took it in 1516 ( i think ). but the late 1500's it began to decline ( like most of the ottoman empire ) till around 1800. renewed christian and jewish pilgrams lead to the building of many churches and by 1900 the jewish community was the largest in the city:) help any

Yes, however their has always been a Jewish community living within her walls, big or small.

Originally posted by XIII
It was the the third holiest site in Islam, after Mecca and Medinah. I think Jerusalem was continuosly settled during all that time.

It did change hands often though.

Well, this is what Palestinian nationalists will tell you, but the third "holiest city in Islam" seems to have been Damascus up until recently. ;)

How so? I didn't know that, but that is enlightening information, indeed.

Well, this is what Palestinian nationalists will tell you, but the third "holiest city in Islam" seems to have been Damascus up until recently

I do not think so. It seems more or less so, that there's an overwhelming opinion, that Jerusalem is the third holliest city. Iirc, the prophet ascended heaven in Jerusalem, that seems quiet important to me.

But I'm sure many other islamic cities are/were important too. Which would be the most importatant cities of christianity ? Jerusalem, Istanbul, Rome, Moscow, Canterbury, the place were the relicts of St. James lie ?

To the poulation issue. I think Jerusalem was a smaller city in the 19th. century. But then, Berlin had quite a population growth in the 19th century too. In earlier day, cities where smaller. So, what's the deeper meaning of that ?

I'd say Rome is the most important (Vatican especially) but since I'm not Christian, I can't really talk. I do know that Jerusalem is the #1 spot for the Jews, for sure.

Originally posted by Yago


I do not think so. It seems more or less so, that there's an overwhelming opinion, that Jerusalem is the third holliest city. Iirc, the prophet ascended heaven in Jerusalem, that seems quiet important to me.


Yeah, it's an overwhelming modern "opinion" formulated because of nationalism, not because of truth. Jerusalem, of course, is sacred to Moslems.Traditionally Muhammed ascended to heaven in Jerusalem, but I have it on good authority that that's not actually in the Koran; if so, it is then just an apocryphal myth. However Damascus was a much more popular pilgrimage centre. ANd, pray tell me, how else is one supposed to measure these things? ;)

Since moslems didn't actually keep a league table on the subject (you'd get the impression that they did), the suggestion that Jerusalem has some eternal status as 3rd holiest place is purely politics. We, as neutrals, should not go repeating such things mindlessly; that just makes us the political tool of someone else's political cause.

Originally posted by Yago


But I'm sure many other islamic cities are/were important too. Which would be the most importatant cities of christianity ? Jerusalem, Istanbul, Rome, Moscow, Canterbury, the place were the relicts of St. James lie ?


Rome, without question, is, after Jerusalem, Christianity's most sacred city! Not just because of the Catholic Church, but because of St Peter and St Paul.

The ordering afterwards (which would include numerous places in the Holy Land) would be pretty arbitrary.

Was Rome not made a holy city for christians through politics aswell?

I just thought that St. Peter's cathedral was there, as well as the Pope. Those are very significant, I'd say.

Originally posted by gael
Was Rome not made a holy city for christians through politics aswell?

St Peter and St Paul were martyred there.

Originally posted by Yago

the place were the relicts of St. James lie ?


:lol: I think those are everywhere.

Seriously though, that saint's bones were rediscovered at Santiago de Compostela by a hermit in the 9th Century.

Santiago de Compostela

Lol, I was seeking for that Compostela part. But Rome ?

I'm not quiet so sure, wouldn't Constantinople much more important for chistianity ? I mean it's the city of the first christian emperor. With the hagia sofia. On the other hand, who cares, it's an orthodox city, not a catholic/protestant one. And for the political part, without the patriarch and emperor in Konstantinople, ahm... the clearer cut is the position of rome. (Yeah, I know the fractions between the emperor and the pope started very early and the definitive friction came sometime in the 1100 century, but still, one competitior out of the field). And somehow, taking it away from the turks never came up in western western Europe. I don't know for sure, but getting back Istanbul, didn't that play a part in the wars between Russia and the Ottoman Empire ?


And for Russian-Orthodox, wouldn't play Moscow an important role ? And Instanbul there too ?

The point I wanted to try to make, it's quiet problematic to have a list of cities important for religion. Even it seems clear cut that rome is number one. But I think, that for a roman-catholic/protestant world. I'm not quite sure about orthodox.

By the way, the bishiop who was guarding the remains of St. Peter demanded equal political status.

Originally posted by Yago


Lol, I was seeking for that Compostela part. But Rome ?

I'm not quiet so sure, wouldn't Constantinople much more important for chistianity ? I mean it's the city of the first christian emperor. With the hagia sofia. On the other hand, who cares, it's an orthodox city, not a catholic/protestant one. And for the political part, without the patriarch and emperor in Konstantinople, ahm... the clearer cut is the position of rome. (Yeah, I know the fractions between the emperor and the pope started very early and the definitive friction came sometime in the 1100 century, but still, one competitior out of the field).


And for Russian-Orthodox, wouldn't play Moscow an important role ? And Instanbul there too ?



Yeah, Moscow and Constantinople are sacred. Moscow less so.

But Rome leads them quite clearly I think. The martyrdom of St Paul and St Peter are two of the most important events in Christianity (and aren't they buried there???). Rome was also the senior Patriarchal Seat of the Church (even the Orthodox acknowledged that). After all, Constantinople and Moscow are the 2nd and 3rd Rome. Never mind the fact that it is still the seat of the Catholic Church, the biggest of Christianity's branches!

But, Constantinople is up there.That city, though, has no role in the Bible, and that is very important. Add to that the fact that most of Constantinople's relics are no longer there.

Alexandria and Antioch are also very holy BTW.

for muslims Jerusalem is the 3rd holiest city, and it has nothing to do with politics. By the way, Jerusalem in arabic is Al-quds and that means "The holy place";
Now for a lot of Arabs and Muslims, Damascus Baghdad or Cairo are great cities where arabic and Islamic civilization reched it peac; Just as for the French for example, Paris is Great, Rome or Jerusalem are Holy.

Saying Jerusalem is the third holiest city is, to a large extent, a political saying. Islam has two very holy cities - Mecca and Medina. Jerusalem is just one site out of many with stories regarding muhamad attached to them. No where in the Kuran or in the religious writings does it say Jerusalem is num3.

As to the city, it was very small untill the late 19th century. The entire city was what today is known as "the old city". Only with the growth of the jewish population (Jeruslame is one of five cities that had a jewish community since biblical times) and the encouragment of a wealthy jewish traveler did the jews build nehibourhoods outside the city's walls, a process which started the city's growth. Untill then the city was just a very small town.

I cant believe youse mugs would forget bethlehem as an important christian city....

The topic is the history of Jerusalem not the most important Christian/MUslim religious cities.

originally posted by Yago
Which would be the most importatant cities of christianity ? Rome, Jerusalem....

Jerusalem is with out queastion the third most holy city for Islam.
Here is a ariel view of the teple mount http://www.templemount.org/aerial.jpg

If some book which mentions holiness is the sole determination of who a city belongs to, then I guess jerusalem is completely israeli.

Time to turn it over then I guess...

mazzz, care to back that up? or do you think that we will all be convinced merely because you've stated it and posted a photo ? :lol:

It is widely know that Jerusalem IS THE THIRD most holy city for Muslims

The Meaning of The Holy Qur'an. Surah:5. Al-Ma'idah. Ayah 21
."O my people! Enter the holy land(Jerusalem) which God hath assigned unto you, and turn not back ignominiously, for then will ye be overthrown, to your own ruin."

Various factors make Jerusalem holy to Muslims At first glance, the holiness of Jerusalem in the Muslim tradition is also religious at heart, and stems from the belief that Muhammad the prophet founder of Islam rose to heaven from the site of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
After the prophet died in June 632 a series of successors, or caliphs, assumed authority as Islam's leaders. Between 661 and 750 the Umayyad Dynasty held the Caliphate and ruled from Damascus. During the time they ruled, on account of various internal and external pressures the Umayyads exerted enormous effort to elevate Jerusalem's status, perhaps even to the level of Mecca.

Daniel Pipes wrote in the Middle East Quarterly: "The first Umayyad ruler, Mu'awiya, chose Jerusalem as the place where he ascended to the caliphate; he and his successors engaged in a construction program - religious edifices, a palace, and roads - in the city. The Umayyads possibly had plans to make Jerusalem their political and administrative capital...But Jerusalem is primarily a city of faith, and, as the Israeli scholar Izhak Hasson explains, the "Umayyad regime was interested in ascribing an Islamic aura to its stronghold and center."

Toward this end , the Umayyad caliph built Islam's first grand structure, the Dome of the Rock, right on the spot of the Jewish Temple, in 688-91. This remarkable building is not just the first monumental sacred building of Islam but also the only one that still stands today in roughly its original form."

The next step the Umayyads took to make Jerusalem holy to Islam relates to a passage in the Quran (17:1) that describes Muhammad's Night Journey to heaven: "Glory to He who took His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the furthest mosque (al masjidi al aqsa)."

Originally posted by mazzz
It is widely know that Jerusalem IS THE THIRD most holy city for Muslims

The Meaning of The Holy Qur'an. Surah:5. Al-Ma'idah. Ayah 21
."O my people! Enter the holy land(Jerusalem) which God hath assigned unto you, and turn not back ignominiously, for then will ye be overthrown, to your own ruin."

Various factors make Jerusalem holy to Muslims At first glance, the holiness of Jerusalem in the Muslim tradition is also religious at heart, and stems from the belief that Muhammad the prophet founder of Islam rose to heaven from the site of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
After the prophet died in June 632 a series of successors, or caliphs, assumed authority as Islam's leaders. Between 661 and 750 the Umayyad Dynasty held the Caliphate and ruled from Damascus. During the time they ruled, on account of various internal and external pressures the Umayyads exerted enormous effort to elevate Jerusalem's status, perhaps even to the level of Mecca.

Daniel Pipes wrote in the Middle East Quarterly: "The first Umayyad ruler, Mu'awiya, chose Jerusalem as the place where he ascended to the caliphate; he and his successors engaged in a construction program - religious edifices, a palace, and roads - in the city. The Umayyads possibly had plans to make Jerusalem their political and administrative capital...But Jerusalem is primarily a city of faith, and, as the Israeli scholar Izhak Hasson explains, the "Umayyad regime was interested in ascribing an Islamic aura to its stronghold and center."

Toward this end , the Umayyad caliph built Islam's first grand structure, the Dome of the Rock, right on the spot of the Jewish Temple, in 688-91. This remarkable building is not just the first monumental sacred building of Islam but also the only one that still stands today in roughly its original form."

The next step the Umayyads took to make Jerusalem holy to Islam relates to a passage in the Quran (17:1) that describes Muhammad's Night Journey to heaven: "Glory to He who took His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the furthest mosque (al masjidi al aqsa)."

That passage does not refer to Jerusalem. It isn't widely known at all, but it is widely stated by many who naively can't see through politics. ;)

The first Umayyad ruler, Mu‘awiya, chose Jerusalem as the place where he ascended to the caliphate; he and his successors engaged in a construction program – religious edifices, a palace, and roads – in the city. The Umayyads possibly had plans to make Jerusalem their political and administrative capital; indeed, Elad finds that they in effect treated it as such. But Jerusalem is primarily a city of faith, and, as the Israeli scholar Izhak Hasson explains, the "Umayyad regime was interested in ascribing an Islamic aura to its stronghold and center." Toward this end (as well as to assert Islam's presence in its competition with Christianity), the Umayyad caliph built Islam's first grand structure, the Dome of the Rock, right on the spot of the Jewish Temple, in 688-91. This remarkable building is not just the first monumental sacred building of Islam but also the only one that still stands today in roughly its original form.

The next Umayyad step was subtle and complex, and requires a pause to note a passage of the Qur'an (17:1) describing the Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey to heaven (isra'):

"Glory to He who took His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the furthest mosque." (Subhana allathina asra bi-‘abdihi laylatan min al-masjidi al-harami ila al-masjidi al-aqsa.)

When this Qur'anic passage was first revealed, in about 621, a place called the Sacred Mosque already existed in Mecca. In contrast, the "furthest mosque" was a turn of phrase, not a place. Some early Muslims understood it as metaphorical or as a place in heaven. And if the "furthest mosque" did exist on earth, Palestine would seem an unlikely location, for many reasons.

Some of them:

* Elsewhere in the Qur'an (30:1), Palestine is called "the closest land" (adna al-ard).

* Palestine had not yet been conquered by the Muslims and contained not a single mosque.

* The "furthest mosque" was apparently identified with places inside Arabia: either Medina or a town called Ji‘rana, about ten miles from Mecca, which the Prophet visited in 630.

* The earliest Muslim accounts of Jerusalem, such as the description of Caliph ‘Umar's reported visit to the city just after the Muslims conquest in 638, nowhere identify the Temple Mount with the "furthest mosque" of the Qur'an.

* The Qur'anic inscriptions that make up a 240-meter mosaic frieze inside the Dome of the Rock do not include Qur'an 17:1 and the story of the Night Journey, suggesting that as late as 692 the idea of Jerusalem as the lift-off for the Night Journey had not yet been established. (Indeed, the first extant inscriptions of Qur'an 17:1 in Jerusalem date from the eleventh century.)

Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiya (638-700), a close relative of the Prophet Muhammad, is quoted denigrating the notion that the prophet ever set foot on the Rock in Jerusalem; "these damned Syrians," by which he means the Umayyads, "pretend that God put His foot on the Rock in Jerusalem, though [only] one person ever put his foot on the rock, namely Abraham."
Then, in 715, to build up the prestige of their dominions, the Umayyads did a most clever thing: they built a second mosque in Jerusalem, again on the Temple Mount, and called this one the Furthest Mosque (al-masjid al-aqsa, Al-Aqsa Mosque). With this, the Umayyads retroactively gave the city a role in Muhammad's life. This association of Jerusalem with al-masjid al-aqsa fit into a wider Muslim tendency to identify place names found in the Qur'an: "wherever the Koran mentions a name of an event, stories were invented to give the impression that somehow, somewhere, someone, knew what they were about."

Despite all logic (how can a mosque built nearly a century after the Qur'an was received establish what the Qur'an meant?), building an actual Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Palestinian historian A. L. Tibawi writes, "gave reality to the figurative name used in the Koran." It also had the hugely important effect of inserting Jerusalem post hoc into the Qur'an and making it more central to Islam. Also, other changes resulted. Several Qur'anic passages were re-interpreted to refer to this city. Jerusalem came to be seen as the site of the Last Judgment. The Umayyads cast aside the non-religious Roman name for the city, Aelia Capitolina (in Arabic, Iliya) and replaced it with Jewish-style names, either Al-Quds (The Holy) or Bayt al-Maqdis (The Temple). They sponsored a form of literature praising the "virtues of Jerusalem," a genre one author is tempted to call "Zionist." Accounts of the prophet's sayings or doings (Arabic: hadiths, often translated into English as "Traditions") favorable to Jerusalem emerged at this time, some of them equating the city with Mecca. There was even an effort to move the pilgrimage (hajj) from Mecca to Jerusalem.

Scholars agree that the Umayyads' motivation to assert a Muslim presence in the sacred city had a strictly utilitarian purpose. The Iraqi historian Abdul Aziz Duri finds "political reasons" behind their actions. Hasson concurs:
The construction of the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa mosque, the rituals instituted by the Umayyads on the Temple Mount and the dissemination of Islamic-oriented Traditions regarding the sanctity of the site, all point to the political motives which underlay the glorification of Jerusalem among the Muslims.
Thus did a politically-inspired Umayyad building program lead to the Islamic sanctification of Jerusalem.

um ok..... what are you trying to prove?
It is a fact that MUSLIMS consider Jerusalem holy, thats all im saying

Originally posted by mazzz
um ok..... what are you trying to prove?
It is a fact that MUSLIMS consider Jerusalem holy, thats all im saying

Quote myself:

Originally posted by calgacus


Since moslems didn't actually keep a league table on the subject (you'd get the impression that they did), the suggestion that Jerusalem has some eternal status as 3rd holiest place is purely politics. We, as neutrals, should not go repeating such things mindlessly; that just makes us the political tool of someone else's political cause.

Forgive me everybody, but wasn't the original purpose of this thread to dicsuss the history of Jerusalem, and not unquantifiable things such as how 'important' it may or may not have been to the various religious factions?
Perhaps if we just concentrated on it's factual history, it may give us an idea of it's importance.....


Roman Occupation
---------------------
Conquest by the Romans under the general and statesman Pompey the Great in 63 bc resulted in no serious material disaster to the city. Its greatest prosperity was attained under Herod the Great. Besides a complete reconstruction of the Temple on a scale that was truly magnificent, involving the expenditure of vast sums of money, Herod undertook the building of the Xystus, an open place surrounded by a gallery; his own great palace, on the western side of the city; and a hippodrome, theatre, and large reservoir. In addition to these works, minor improvements were made, including the general strengthening of the city’s fortifications. Less than a century later, however, during a Jewish rebellion against Roman authority, Titus, son of the Roman emperor Vespasian, captured and razed the city (ad 70); only a few remnants of the western fortifications remained. With this calamity, the history of ancient Jerusalem came to an end.

The Roman emperor Hadrian visited the city, which was largely in ruins, in about ad 130 and began its reconstruction. The rebellion of the Jews, led by Simon Bar Kokhba, against the Romans between the years 132 and 135 led the emperor to make the new city a pagan one, called Aelia Capitolina, and to prohibit all Jews from entering it. The wall that encircled it was, in general, on the line of the old wall, except on the south, where it excluded a large portion of the former city.

A Christian City
-----------------
Little is known of the city from the time of Hadrian until that of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great, when Christianity became the religion of the empire. The population of Jerusalem was gradually supplemented by Christians, and pilgrims flocked to the city. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was built at the order of Constantine. Other buildings of like character were subsequently constructed, and Jerusalem became a Christian city. Among the noteworthy buildings belonging to this period are the Church of St Stephen, north of the city, built by the Byzantine empress Eudocia, who also rebuilt the ancient southern wall; and the great Church of St Mary on the Temple hill, which was built by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I.

After being captured by the Persians under King Khosrau II in 614, and then recovered by the Byzantine emperor Heraclius in 628, Jerusalem was taken in 637 by the Muslims under the caliph Umar I (see Caliphate). A shrine, the Dome of the Rock, was erected over the rock believed to be the altar place of Solomon’s Temple. The Christian population was treated leniently by its Muslim conquerors, but when the Egyptian Fatimid caliphs became the rulers of Jerusalem in 969 the situation became more precarious. The Seljuk Turks conquered the city in 1071, and their maltreatment of Christians and destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre were among the causes of the Crusades. In 1099 the Crusaders, under the French nobleman Godfrey of Bouillon, gained possession of the city and slaughtered many of its inhabitants (Christian and Muslim). Jerusalem again became a Christian-dominated city and the capital of the so-called Latin Kingdom, until its capture in 1187 by the Muslim leader Saladin all but ended Christian rule (see Jerusalem, Latin Kingdom of).

Later History
--------------
From the 13th century, when Jerusalem was captured by the Egyptian Mamelukes, through Ottoman rule, beginning in 1517, the city’s importance declined. During these centuries, however, many Jews, fleeing persecution in Europe, returned to Jerusalem; by the late 19th century they had become a majority of the population. The city was taken by British forces in 1917, and from 1922 to 1948 it formed part of the British mandate in Palestine. After the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, Jerusalem was the site of some of the most bitter fighting between the Jews and the Arabs. The United Nations General Assembly, in its original partition plan of November 29, 1947, had proposed to establish Jerusalem and its environs as an international enclave. The objective was to ensure free access for all religious groups to the holy places of the city. In the spring of 1948, however, the opposing armies of Israel and Jordan seized Jerusalem—Israel occupied the western portion of the city, containing the modern residential and business sections, and Jordan occupied the eastern portion, including the Old City. In addition, the Israeli forces held a corridor to Jerusalem extending from Tel Aviv-Yafo on the coast. In the armistice signed on April 3, 1949, between Israel and Jordan, each side recognized the other’s holdings in Jerusalem. In 1950 the New City was made the capital of Israel. During the Six-Day War of June 1967, Israeli forces captured the Old City, and the Israeli Knesset unilaterally decreed the reunification of the entire city. This was reiterated by the Knesset in 1980, when the undivided city was declared the eternal capital of Israel.

Microsoft Encarta 2002.

@ calgacus- then what would you think the thrid most holy city would be?

Ive been told damascus

Originally posted by Immortal
Ive been told damascus

Well, Islam has only two cities that really stand out: Mecca and Medina. After that, I guess it's pretty arbitrary. But Damascus appears to have been regarded much more highly than Jerusalem for most of Islamic history.

Originally posted by calgacus


Well, Islam has only two cities that really stand out: Mecca and Medina. After that, I guess it's pretty arbitrary. But Damascus appears to have been regarded much more highly than Jerusalem for most of Islamic history.

Wouldn't Baghdad be up there too, and Cairo, perhaps. Baghdad, I believe, was the seat of power for Muslim Caliphs during a certain time period (pardon my ignorance soundingness, I just can't type much now).

@Mazzz, if you had read the thread first before posting, you would have known what Calgacus had said in the first place. Please do next time :)

Ok I dont think you guys understand the differnce between "Important cities" such as Cario,Damacus,Baghdad
and "Holy Cities"

Originally posted by mazzz
Ok I dont think you guys understand the differnce between "Important cities" such as Cario,Damacus,Baghdad
and "Holy Cities"

Or maybe you don't understand. Weren't the leaders of Islam during the Middle Ages and on supposedly hold some divine right to be leaders? Relation to Muhammed, perhaps?

The point is, because I already know what you are thinking: Jerusalem is deservedly Israeli.

No you could not be more wrong Bender, In Islam it is stressed that Muhammed(pbah) was THE LAST one to be given a message from God. The Klaipha were simpley the rulers of the Muslims.

Next one would be insane to say the the Jews of no claim what so ever to Jerusalem, they certinly do! Im not going to turn this into an other Palistine vs Israeli debate! I hope you wont either.

This thread was started by Sir Eric, because he was curious about the history of Jerusalem...

Baghdad,Cario,Damacus were important cities for Islam, but were not in any way "Holy"

Originally posted by mazzz
No you could not be more wrong Bender, In Islam it is stressed that Muhammed(pbah) was THE LAST one to be given a message from God. The Klaipha were simpley the rulers of the Muslims.

Next one would be insane to say the the Jews of no claim what so ever to Jerusalem, they certinly do! Im not going to turn this into an other Palistine vs Israeli debate! I hope you wont either.

This thread was started by Sir Eric, because he was curious about the history of Jerusalem...

Baghdad,Cario,Damacus were important cities for Islam, but were not in any way "Holy"

No, you're not holy! :p
;)
lol, just joshin'.

Okedoke.

Kindly return to the main topic of history of Jerusalem, rather than questions of holiness. I don't want a religion or ME thread here either.

Thanks.

Originally posted by mazzz


Baghdad,Cario,Damacus were important cities for Islam, but were not in any way "Holy"

Sorry, mazzz, Moslems do regard Damascus as holy, for numerous reasons. Baghdad and Cairo - I don't know - but Damascus is often called the "4th Holiest City in Islam", even though it is historically more highly revered than Jerusalem!


- Sorry, XIII :(

Thanks for the post Kryten :goodjob:

I can add some pre-roman history to what you posted.

I found the following on this website.http://phoenicia.org/jerusalem.html

The original inhabitants of Jerusalem were Phoenician Canaanites. Jerusalem was originally a village built on a hill. The name "Urushalim is first found on Egyptian statues, circa 2500 B.C. "Urushalim", in fact is a word of Canaanite derivation; the prefix "uru", meaning "founded by", and the suffix "salem" or "Shalem," Phoenician Canaanite god of dusk. This evidence is reinforced by archaeology and by tablets found in Elba, Syria, dating back to 3000 B.C., on which the god Shalem being venerated in a city called Uruksalem is mentioned. The old name of the city Urushalim figures also in the Egyptian texts called Texts of Proscription of XII dynasty 'ws'mm pronounced in Akkadian language Urushalim city of god.

The historical record shows no mention of Jerusalem for five centuries prior to the 14th Century B.C., when King Abdi Hepa, king of the Phoenician Canaanites, wrote to the Pharaoh Akhnaton and implored him to rid Jerusalem of new invaders. He described a group of people known as the "Habirus", as having already conquered Rushada, and advancing on Jerusalem. In the Bible, the story of Abraham mentions Melchizedek, the King of Salem (King of Jerusalem) and Priest of the Most High God (El Elion), who offered bread and wine to Abraham.

In 1000 B.C., King David, conquered Jerusalem, and established it as his capital. At the time of his conquest, the city was known as "Jebus" but he renamed it Jerusalem, once again.

XIII: Is this good enough to add to your list of history articles?

well IF(Many people say Sidi Oqba, the Great Mosque of Kairouan,Tunisia) Damacus is 4th then Jerusalem is Third, Im not going to dicuss this anymore, you can think what you think and ill think what I think, lets stay on topic here...

A brief history of Jerusalem
--------------------------
The original Stone Age inhabitants of the region were drive out by the Canaanites about 5000 – 4000 BC.
The Jebusites were the dominant tribe, and established a fortified stronghold at a site called ‘Jerusalem’.
1440 BC: the region was under the control of Egypt following the conquests of Thutmosis III.
1250 BC: the Hebrews invaded Canaan led by Joshua.
1000 BC: David captures the Jebusite stronghold, and makes it his capital of his Kingdom.
926 BC: the 10 northern tribes breakaway to form the Kingdom of Israel with Samaria as their religious & political capital.
The remaining southern tribes form the Kingdom of Judah. As the capital of only 2 of the 12 tribes, Jerusalem’s importance diminishes greatly.
850 BC: Shalmaneser III of Assyria turns Palestine (i.e. Israel & Judah) into vassal kingdoms.
722 BC: Sargon II of Assyria destroys Samaria after a 3 year siege. Jerusalem becomes important again.
614 BC: Following the conquest of Assyria by the Medes & Babylonians, Judah becomes independent once more.
587 BC: Nebuchadnezzer II of Babylon destroys Jerusalem after a 2 year siege (‘The Babylonian Captivity’).
539 BC: Cyrus II of Persia conquers Palestine. Return of the Jews.
331 BC: Alexander the Great of Macedonia controls Palestine.
323 BC: Controlled by Ptolemaic Egypt, and later Seleucid Persia.
165 BC: Revolt by the Maccabee or Hasmonaean family. Judah becomes independent once more.
67 BC: Civil war in Judaea, during which Pompey the Great of Rome captured Jerusalem.
70 AD: Titus, the son of the Roman emperor Vespasian, crushes a rebellion in Judaea by razing Jerusalem.
130 AD: The emperor Hadrian rebuilds the city. The Jews rebel again, are crushed, and the new city made off limits to them.
350 AD: Jerusalem becomes a Christian as opposed to a pagan religious city.
614 AD: Khosrau II of Sassanid Persia conquers Jerusalem.
628 AD: Heraclius of Byzantium recaptures the city.
637 AD: Umar I of the Arabs captures the city, and it becomes a Muslim, but Christians & Jews are allowed.
969 AD: Egyptian Fatimid’s control Jerusalem, and are not so tolerant.
1071 AD: The city is conquered by the Seljuk Turks, who are hostile to non-Muslims.
1099 AD: The Crusaders capture Jerusalem and slaughter the inhabitants, Christians, Jews and Muslims!
1187 AD: The Muslim leader Saladin recaptures the city, and tolerance returns.
1250 AD: Under the control of the Egyptian Mamelukes.
1517 AD: Under the control of the Ottoman Turks.
1917 AD: Taken by the British.
1948 AD: The modern state of Israel created, and the city is partitioned between the Jews and Arabs.
1967 AD: Captured in its entirety during the ‘Six Day War’, it was once again made a capital, and is currently under Israeli control.

(Why do I say “currently”?
Well, if nothing else, the history of this place shows us that nothing remains the same forever!)

Originally posted by Kryten
1000 BC: David captures the Jebusite stronghold, and makes it his capital of his Kingdom.
926 BC: the 10 northern tribes breakaway to form the Kingdom of Israel with Samaria as their religious & political capital.
The remaining southern tribes form the Kingdom of Judah. As the capital of only 2 of the 12 tribes, Jerusalem’s importance diminishes greatly.

First of all, why isn't the building of the first temple and the building of it's new walls are forgotten here. Secondly Jeruslem's importance hardly diminishes, as the temple remains holy to the northern tribes. Also the southern tribes were among the larger tribes.

Originally posted by Kryten
850 BC: Shalmaneser III of Assyria turns Palestine (i.e. Israel & Judah) into vassal kingdoms.
722 BC: Sargon II of Assyria destroys Samaria after a 3 year siege. Jerusalem becomes important again.
614 BC: Following the conquest of Assyria by the Medes & Babylonians, Judah becomes independent once more.

The Assyrians haven't took over Jeruslame and didn't turn Judea to a vassal kingdom. Also, why the use in the name Palestine a thousand years before it was invented?

Originally posted by Kryten
539 BC: Cyrus II of Persia conquers Palestine. Return of the Jews.

Plus the building of the second temple.

Originally posted by Kryten
70 AD: Titus, the son of the Roman emperor Vespasian, crushes a rebellion in Judaea by razing Jerusalem.

And destroying the temple. BTW it was after a long siege and civil war within the city.


Originally posted by Kryten
130 AD: The emperor Hadrian rebuilds the city. The Jews rebel again, are crushed, and the new city made off limits to them.

Hadrian plans to rebuild the city, with a temple to a Roman god where the temple once stood.

Originally posted by Kryten
1517 AD: Under the control of the Ottoman Turks.
1917 AD: Taken by the British.

What about the building of the new nehibourhoods outside the walls? Or the building of the old city's walls?

Originally posted by Kryten
1948 AD: The modern state of Israel created, and the city is partitioned between the Jews and Arabs.
1967 AD: Captured in its entirety during the ‘Six Day War’, it was once again made a capital, and is currently under Israeli control.


The city was made a capital long before the six days war.

Well, I did say “A BRIEF history of Jerusalem”. ;)


First of all, why isn't the building of the first temple and the building of it's new walls are forgotten here.
I thought this was a thread about the history of the CITY, and not about the buildings within that city, be they temples, city walls, palaces, granaries or paved roads.


Also the southern tribes were among the larger tribes.
Says who? Certainly not the vast majority of modern archaeologists and historians, as well as the ancient scholars themselves.


What about the building of the new neighbourhoods outside the walls? Or the building of the old city's walls?
What about the building of modern hotels, modern shops, the introduction of street lighting, the adding of gas and electricity, and modern traffic lights? :D


The Assyrians haven't took over Jerusalem and didn't turn Judea to a vassal kingdom.
Answer:-
“Shalmaneser III (reigned 859-824 BC) King of Assyria, the son of Ashurnasirpal.
Two of his monuments, now in the British Museum, are particularly noteworthy: the Black Obelisk on which Jehu, King of Israel, is depicted kissing Shalmaneser’s feet, and the plaques of hammered bronze known as the Gates of Balawat.
Towards the end of Shalmaneser’s rule a revolt broke out in the Assyrian court, and several years of civil war ensued. Assyria fell into obscurity and its power declined. In the middle of the 8th century, however, its fortunes revived with the accession of Tiglath-pileser III (reigned 745-727 BC) who vigorously proceeded to build Assyria into a world empire. He relieved Assyria from the pressure of the Aramaean tribes that were menacing the valley of the central Tigris, expelled the Urartians from Syria, annexed the Aramaean states of Arpad and Damascus, subjugated the cities of Palestine, and made himself the ruler of Babylonia”
Microsoft Encarta Reference Library 2002.

Other sources also mention that “ In 701 BC, Hezekiah, the leader of Judah, with Egyptian support, attempted to breakaway from Assyria. Sennacherib of Assyria defeated the Egyptians, subjugated Judah, threatened Jerusalem, and imposed tribute upon them. Hezekiah’s son Manasseh was once again a vassal of Assyria.”
How do you think the Assyrians got to Egypt, other than by going through Judah?
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads5/Assyrian_map.gif


Also, why the use in the name Palestine a thousand years before it was invented?
Answer:-
“As Egyptian power began to weaken after the 14th century BC, new invaders appeared: the Hebrews, a group of Semitic tribes from Mesopotamia, and the Philistines (after whom the country was later named), an Aegean people of Indo-European stock.
Hebrew tribes probably migrated to the area centuries before Moses led his people out of serfdom in Egypt (c. 1270 BC), and Joshua conquered parts of Palestine (c. 1230 BC). The conquerors settled in the hill country, but they were unable to conquer all of Palestine.
The Israelites, a confederation of Hebrew tribes, finally defeated the Canaanites about 1125 BC but found the struggle with the Philistines more difficult. The Philistines had established an independent state on the southern coast of Palestine and controlled a number of towns to the north and east. Superior in military organization and using iron weapons, they severely defeated the Israelites about 1050 BC. The Philistine threat forced the Jews to unite and establish a monarchy. David, Israel's great king, finally defeated the Philistines shortly after 1000 BC, and they eventually assimilated with the Canaanites.”
Microsoft Encarta Reference Library 2002.

Is this not where the name comes from?
Philistine = Palestine?


The city was made a capital long before the six days war.
Answer:-
“In 1950 the New City was made the capital of Israel. During the Six-Day War of June 1967, Israeli forces captured the Old City, and the Israeli Knesset unilaterally decreed the reunification of the entire city. This was reiterated by the Knesset in 1980, when the undivided city was declared the eternal capital of Israel.”
Microsoft Encarta Reference Library 2002.

(All complaints to be directed to Microsoft Encarta, and to the writers of just about every other history book....not me! :lol: )

- Building a wall in an ancinet city is a very major step, as is having a building with immense religious and historical importance.
- Getting out of the walls was the start of the new Jerusalem and was probably one of the most important changes in the city.
- Phlistine was the name of the area which is today Gaza. Considering the entire area as Palestine was only done by the Romans as a result of the 135AD rebelion, as a punishment to the jews.
- The Assyrians took over Israel, and took over some of Judea, but after their siege over Jerusalem failed (which is what matters here) they were driven away.

Not trusting Encarta to be absolutely correct (it is after all only a reference encyclopaedia, and not an in-depth historical study), I consulted my many other history volumes….which I admit, do not go into as much detail as I would have liked.
Nonetheless, to cover your points:-

The Wall & the Temple.
Just about EVERY ancient city had walls, which is why I didn’t mention it. Likewise, I didn’t mention every single ruler of Jerusalem.
As I said, it was only a brief history.
Well, not even a history to be honest. More of a list of owners throughout the ages. But considering the importance that religion has played in cities such as Jerusalem and Rome, then perhaps I should have given it a mention.

Names.
Yes, you are correct. When the Romans first took over the region, they called it “Judea”, because that was what the people who lived there called it. It was only later after the failed rebellion against Hadrian that the area got the name “Palestine”, which is what it was called for the next 1800 years.
Soooo....it was called Canaan for nearly 3,000 years until conquered by the Hebrews (4000 to1120 BC), then Israel-Judah for 400 years until the Assyrians conquered Israel (1120 to 720 BC), then Judea for 1200 years by the people that lived there until the Romans renamed it (1120 BC to 135 AD), then Palestine for the next 1800 years (135 AD to 1948 AD), and has recently been called Israel once more for 55 years (1948 AD to the present).
Hmmm....it seems that it has been called ‘Israel’ for the shortest period of time during the last 6,000 years. ;)

Assyrian Dominance.
Now here I must disagree with you. ALL my sources, without exception, state that after the Assyrians had destroyed the northern Kingdom of Israel and their capital of Samaria in 722 BC, the southern Kingdom of Judah under the reign of Hezekiah formed an alliance with the Egyptians against Assyria. The coalition was defeated in 701 BC by an Assyrian invasion under Sennacherib, who re-established Assyrian authority over Judah and forced Hezekiah to pay a heavy tribute (see 2 Kings 18:13-16).
Oh, they didn’t capture the southern capital of Jerusalem....but then they didn’t need to, as the threat was enough to force Judah to surrender, or suffer the same fate as Samaria (the Assyrians were not very nice people).

- Every ancinet city had a wall, but the building of any new wall was a major project which also suggests other things.
- The country wasn't called "Palestine" by all it's conquerors between 135 and 1948.
- The Assyrians didn't take over Judea, the fact remains.

Originally posted by G-Man
- The Assyrians didn't take over Judea, the fact remains.

True....
....just like the Germans didn't take over Vichy France in 1940, or Napoleon didn't take over Austria 1809, or Philip & Alexander of Macedon didn't take over Greece in 338 BC, or the Persian Empire didn't take over Phoenicia & the city of Tyre....
All these states were allowed to keep some form of self government, but they were still under the indirect control of their conquerors, and forced to pay tribute or to follow the policies of their masters.

Call it hegemony, call it vassalage, call it dominance, call it client status, call it being subordinate.....whatever you call it, it is not the complete freedom to do as you will. ;)

Later edit:-
Ah....after more research, I begin to understand your point.
Yes, the Assyrians under Sennacherib did try to besiege Jerusalem, but the siege failed.
Nonetheless.....


Israel faced a severe threat from Assyria for many years. The words of the prophets Amos, Hosea, Micah, and Isaiah are filled with warnings that God sent Assyria in order to punish the people of Israel for their lack of faithfulness (Isa 10.5). Some of the Assyrian invasions of Israel are described in 2 Kings (15.29; 17.3, 6, 24; 18.9, 13-25; 19.35-37). One important battle, the one fought at Qarqar in north Syria in 835 B.C., is not mentioned in the Bible. This is surprising, since King Ahab of Israel was part of a coalition of kings who fought against Shalmaneser III and temporarily halted Assyrian expansion.
Ultimately, the northern kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrians in 722 B.C. Its capital, Samaria, was destroyed and many of its people were led away as prisoners to live in other lands controlled by Assyria. Jerusalem, in the south, narrowly escaped destruction by Sennacherib in 701 B.C., though they paid heavy taxes to Assyria for years to avoid being overrun (2 Kgs 18.13-32; 19.1-36).
(Quoted from the “Bible Resource Centre” at:-
http://www.bibleresourcecenter.org/vsItemDisplay.dsp&objectID=1350E8D8-F1D9-4C74-A38D361CA6A35DA9&method=display )

Originally posted by Sir Eric
Thanks for the post Kryten :goodjob:

I can add some pre-roman history to what you posted.

I found the following on this website.http://phoenicia.org/jerusalem.html

XIII: Is this good enough to add to your list of history articles? Articles must be self-written, so as not to get into copyright troubles. ;)

Sorry, mazzz, Moslems do regard Damascus as holy, for numerous reasons. Baghdad and Cairo - I don't know - but Damascus is often called the "4th Holiest City in Islam", even though it is historically more highly revered than Jerusalem!

No way Damascus is regarded as holy as Jerusalem. The Omeyyade Mosque is seen as important since it's very old (some of it was built in the 8th century AD), but nothing of the life of Muhammad is related to Damascus unlike Mecca, Medina or Jerusalem. These are the three holy cities of Islam. Now some will call Damascus the 4th holy city of Islam, but some will say Kairouan or Baghdad or Najaf is.