History of Jerusalem

Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Israel and has long played an important role in the religions of Judaism, Chritianity and Islam. The city’s history stretches back over 3,000 years, and is of immense spiritual significance to members of these faiths.

Ancient times

Originally known as Ursalim, the city first made an appearance in literature in 2000 BC, when it was recorded in an Egyptian manuscript. In 1000 BC, the city was overtaken by King David and his followers the Israelites.  The Israelites remained in power until 734 BC, when the Assyrian conquest occurred. The regime remained relatively stable until 586 BC, when the region was invaded by the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, and the Jews were driven into exile. The trials and hardships of this time are recorded in Psalm 137.

Roman occupation

However, the Jews returned in 538 BC, and remained here for over 300 years, in spite of the presence of Alexander the Great and later, Pompey the Great. In 70 AD, there was a Jewish revolt against the Roman overlords and this resulted in the Jews being banished from the region or sold into slavery. In an effort to prevent any further Jewish uprisings, the Romans razed the city, and built the Roman city of Aelia Capitolina in its place.

Middle Age conflicts

Christianity wasn’t an officially recognised religion until 330 AD, with many of the buildings associated with Christianity dating from this era. Muslims arrived later in 638 AD, with the claim that the Prophet Mohammed ascended into heaven from within the walls of Jerusalem.

Tolerance and co-existence reigned for hundreds of years, but was eventually supplanted by sectarianism and bigotry, which led to the brutal Christian Crusades of 1099. The Crusades were victorious at first, but were overcome by Saladin in 1187, when Islam was reinstated as the primary religion in the region. The Mamaluks followed Saladin, and constructed many of the Islamic buildings that are still present today in the Old City’s Muslim Quarter.

Recent history

In the 18th and 19th centuries, there was a large immigration of Jews to the region, and they re-established themselves as the majority. The mass immigration led to overcrowding, and settlements sprung up outside the city walls. Shortly after this, the Ottoman Empire went into decline and in 1917, the city was captured by the British.

Under a mandate issued by the League of Nations, Britain was given the task of establishing a Jewish national home in Palestine, while endeavouring to uphold the rights of other religions. This period saw the construction of many educational institutions such as the Hebrew University, but troubled times lay ahead for the city.

The UN proposed that the city should by partitioned in 1947, as the British mandate expired. However the Palestinians rejected this plan, and after the 1948 to 1949 war between Israel and Jordan, the city was split between the two countries. The 1949 ceasefire left the city divided for the next 18 years, until the city was taken over entirely by the Israelis in the Six Day War of 1967. However, the international community has not accepted this action.

Though the city is no longer physically divided, deeper divisions remain, with the Jewish and Palestinian communities living separate lives. The two communities have their own newspapers, fire and police departments, electricity networks and schools, while holding conflicting views on their respective rights to the city. The Israelis see Jerusalem as their city and are unwilling to compromise and accept the Palestinians claim to East Jerusalem.

Over the past 30 years, the Israelis have pursued a huge resettlement programme that has constructed new Jewish neighbourhoods around the city, and infringed further upon the land of Arab East Jerusalem. The Palestinians have objected to these actions, and the status of the city remains disputed.