Discover 10 Key Moments in Jerusalem’s Jewish Story

The name Jerusalem comes from two names: Abraham called it “Yireh” after offering Isaac, and Shem, the son of Noah, called it “Shalem.” The Midrash explains that Hashem joined both names together to create “Yerushalayim” (Jerusalem).

When Joshua led the people into the Land of Israel, Jerusalem was a powerful, fortified Jebusite city that they couldn’t conquer. It was King David who finally captured it, brought the Ark of the Covenant there, and made it the capital. Although David wanted to build the Temple, Hashem told him that his son Solomon would build it. David still bought the land where the Temple would one day stand.

The First Temple was built by King Solomon in the year 2928 from Creation. From that time, Jerusalem became the spiritual and political heart of the Jewish people. But after Solomon’s death, the kingdom split in two, and Jerusalem remained only the capital of the Kingdom of Judah.

The Kingdom of Judah lasted longer than the northern tribes, but in the year 3338, the Babylonians destroyed the First Temple and exiled the people to Babylon. They stayed there for 70 years.

The Second Temple was built by Jews who returned from Babylon under the leadership of Zerubbabel, with permission from King Cyrus of Persia. It was completed in the year 3412. However, it didn’t have some of the most holy items that the First Temple had, like the Ark, the Divine Presence, and more. The Sages teach that these will return with the building of the Third Temple.

The time of the Second Temple was full of challenges. It included Greek rule, the Hasmonean revolt, and deep divisions among the people. Then came Roman rule. Before its destruction, King Herod renovated the city and rebuilt the Temple in a magnificent way. The Sages said, “Whoever hasn’t seen Herod’s building has never seen a beautiful building in his life.” Sadly, in the year 3828, the Romans, led by Titus, destroyed it.

After destroying Jerusalem, the Romans built a new Roman-style city on its ruins, full of idols. They renamed it Aelia Capitolina and banned Jews from living there. Even when the Roman Empire became Christian, Jerusalem remained closed to Jews.

In the year 638 CE, Jerusalem was taken by the Muslims. Aside from about 90 years of Crusader rule, it stayed under Muslim control until the end of World War I. During most of this time, Jews were allowed to return and live there.

The Ramban, one of the great rabbis of Spain, arrived in Jerusalem in 1267. The city was mostly in ruins, and very few Jews lived there. He started a synagogue and a yeshiva, helping rebuild the community. Since then, there has been a continuous Jewish presence in the city. Though the community struggled with poverty and hardship, Jews around the world cared for it and sent help.

In 1948, the State of Israel was born, but the Old City of Jerusalem was not under Jewish control. That changed after the Six-Day War, 19 years later, when Jewish sovereignty returned to the Old City. Today, Jerusalem is the largest city in Israel. We still pray for the day it will be fully restored as the prophets described: a city filled with beauty, holiness, and peace.