A Spring and a Name
Jerusalem’s earliest settlement dates to around 3000 BCE near the Gihon Spring. Known as “Rusalimum” in Egyptian texts around 2000 BCE, it began as a fortified Canaanite city by the 17th century BCE. Walls built with massive stones protected its water system.
During the Amarna period in the 14th century BCE, it was a vassal to Egypt, with rulers like Abdi-Heba sending letters to Pharaohs. The city’s strategic value and fresh water made it a vital stop for trade caravans and a contested site among local powers.
The City of David and the First Temple
Around 1000 BCE, King David captured Jerusalem and made it the capital of the united Kingdom of Israel. His son Solomon constructed the First Temple, turning Jerusalem into a major religious center.
Archaeological debates continue about the scale of these developments, but textual sources describe Solomon building a palace and religious sites. When the kingdom split, Jerusalem became the capital of Judah. The city survived the Assyrian siege of 701 BCE, with records from King Sennacherib confirming his campaign and tribute extracted from Hezekiah.
Conquest, Destruction, and Return
In 586 BCE, the Babylonians captured Jerusalem, destroyed the First Temple, and exiled much of the population. After the Persian conquest of Babylon in 539 BCE, Cyrus the Great allowed Jewish exiles to return. By 516 BCE, the Second Temple was completed.
Governors like Ezra and Nehemiah oversaw the rebuilding of the city’s walls and administration under Persian rule. During this time, Yehud coinage appeared, inscribed in Aramaic, believed to have been minted in or near Jerusalem.
Foreign Rule and Enduring Significance
After Alexander the Great’s conquest in 332 BCE, Jerusalem came under Hellenistic influence. The Hasmonean revolt in the 2nd century BCE restored Jewish independence briefly. In 63 BCE, Roman general Pompey took the city, integrating it into the Roman world.
The Second Temple was destroyed in 70 CE during the Jewish–Roman wars. Banned to Jews after the Bar Kokhba revolt, it later became important to Christians during the Byzantine era. In 638 CE, Muslim forces captured Jerusalem, building the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque. The city’s layered past laid the foundation for its future centrality in three major religions and its contested status in the modern era.
Jerusalem’s story begins over 5,000 years ago near the Gihon Spring.
Known as "Rusalimum" in Egyptian texts around 2000 BCE, it was fortified by the Canaanites by the 17th century BCE.
During the Late Bronze Age, it became a vassal of Egypt, appearing in the Amarna letters.🧵 pic.twitter.com/lW96grAFi5
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