Jerusalem: The City of David
"And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years; seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty-three years reigned he in Jerusalem." - I Kings 2:11
Jerusalem has stood at the center of the Jewish people's national and spiritual life since King David made it the capital of his kingdom in 1003 BCE. The city remained the capital of the Davidic dynasty for 400 years, until the kingdom was conquered by the Babylonians. Following the return from the Babylonian exile in 538 BCE, Jerusalem again served as the capital of the Jewish people in its land for the next five and a half centuries.
From 1948 to 1967, Jerusalem was a city divided as a result of a war thrust upon her. For nineteen years, concrete walls and barbed wire sealed off one part of the city from the other. Its eastern section, including the Old City, was annexed by Jordan, and ruled from its capital, Amman. The western sector of Jerusalem became Israel's capital.
Following another war in June 1967, Jerusalem was reunited. The barriers dividing the city were demolished, the gates of the Old City were opened to people of all faiths, and the eastern sector was reintegrated into the nation's capital.
In July 1980 the Knesset passed the Basic Law - Jerusalem, which restated Israel's rights and obligations concerning the capital. The Law affirmed that the holy places of all religions be protected from desecration, free access to them be guaranteed, and the Government provide for the development and the prosperity of the city and the well-being of its inhabitants.
Click here to learn more about Jerusalem. |
Jerusalem Day
 Every year on Jerusalem Day, youths from all over Israel ascend to the streets of Jerusalem in celebration!
To see the celebration, click here.
|
Historical Jerusalem
Jerusalem, a city of over 3000 years and the capital of the Jewish State of Israel for the past 43 years, is surrounded by history.
|
|
Sites of Jerusalem
"Ten measures of beauty were bestowed upon the world; nine were taken by Jerusalem and one by the rest of the world" - Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Kiddushin 49:2
Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, is located in the heart of the country, nestled among the Judean Hills. The city's ancient stones, imbued with millennia of history and its numerous historical sites, shrines and places of worship attest to its meaning for Jews, Christians and Muslims. Its modern architecture, well-tended parks, contemporary malls, outlying industrial zones, and ever-expanding suburbs are signs of a very bright future. Jerusalem's incandescent glow - golden in sunshine and silver by moonlight, is rivaled in impact only by the kaleidoscope of its people - some the descendants of generations of Jerusalemites, others who have come from all four corners of the earth. Mingling with people wearing the spectrum of modern fashion are dark-suited ultra-Orthodox Jews, Arab women in brightly embroidered shifts and Christian clergy in somber robes. Jerusalem - praised by the Prophets, enshrined in literature and liturgy, and sung by poets, near and far, down through the generations. Click here to view breathtaking pictures of the spirit of Jerusalem. |
Tastes of Jerusalem
The people of Jerusalem come from all over the world, bringing with them their traditions, their religions, and their recipes.
Watch a special about Jerusalem Street Food here.
Click here to taste the international table that is Jerusalem. |
Sounds of Jerusalem
There is no city in Israel that has brought more songs from around the world than the city of Jerusalem.
|
|
