The ancient city of Jerusalem is regarded as holy by three religions. The city has served as the center of Jewish life for thousands of years. For Christians, it is holy because of its connections with Jesus. For Muslims, Jerusalem is the site of one of their most sacred shrines. The city is located 15 miles (24 kilometers) west of the Dead Sea and 35 miles (56 kilometers) east of the Mediterranean Sea. Since 1980 the country of Israel has claimed Jerusalem as its capital. The Arab groups of the region, as well as other countries, have protested that claim. The issue remains unresolved. Places of interestThe city has two main parts—the Old City and the New City. Many of Jerusalem's important religious sites are in the Old City. On a raised area known as the Temple Mount are two mosques important to the Muslim faith. The first is a marble and tile mosque known as the Dome of the Rock. It was built in the 7th century AD and is believed to be the site where the angel Gabriel carried the prophet Muhammad to heaven. Nearby is the silver-domed Al Aksa mosque, built in the 8th century AD. Also on the site, Abraham is said to have prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac. - The Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem.
On the west side of the Temple Mount is part of a wall that is the only remaining section of the Second Temple of Jerusalem. The temple was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70. Called the Western, or sometimes Wailing, Wall, the remaining section is considered holy by Jewish people. To the north is the Via Dolorosa, or Street of Sorrows, believed to be the path Jesus walked as he carried his cross to the site of his crucifixion. The street ends at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the main Christian shrine in Jerusalem. It was built over the site where Christians believe Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and then reborn. In the New City is Yad Vashem, a memorial to victims of the Holocaust. Yad Vashem has museums, research centers, and the famous Boulevard of the Righteous, a street lined with trees that is dedicated to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. Jerusalem also has a Biblical Zoo that contains a collection of animals mentioned in the Bible. People and cultureThe population of the city as a whole is about two thirds Jewish, with the rest divided between Christians and Muslims. The Old City has Jewish, Christian, Armenian, and Muslim sections. Arabs and Jews can be seen in both modern and traditional dress. Outside the walls of the Old City, Jerusalem is a modern city. It has networks of tall buildings, supermarkets, businesses, schools, restaurants, theaters, and cafes. Modern Jerusalem is an educational center and the seat of Israel's government. Educational institutions include Hebrew University and Hebrew Union College. EconomyGovernment, public service, and education are the major sources of employment in Jerusalem. However, many of these types of jobs provide low incomes for people, so poverty levels are high in Jerusalem. The city is also a banking, insurance, and finance center. Because of the large amounts of tourism the city attracts, there are many restaurant, hotel, and trade jobs as well. Industry is a small part of the Jerusalem economy. The city's major products include chemicals and pharmaceuticals, electronics, food and beverages, apparel, and printed materials. HistoryPeople have been living in Jerusalem since at least 3000 BC. The city has been destroyed and rebuilt several times, and it has been controlled by many different groups of people throughout its history. The Kingdom of IsraelOne famous ruler was David, the king of the Israelites, who captured Jerusalem in about 1000 BC. The city then became the Jewish kingdom's capital. The next ruler was King Solomon, David's son, who expanded the city and built the Great Temple. After Solomon's death the kingdom was divided and Jerusalem became the capital of the new kingdom of Judah. In 586 BC King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon captured Jerusalem, destroyed the Great Temple, and forced the king to leave. The city remained in Babylonian captivity for 50 years. This captivity ended in 538 BC when Persia's Cyrus II the Great, who had captured Babylon, allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. The Second Temple was finished in 515 BC. Roman periodThe Roman Empire took over Jerusalem in 63 BC. From 40 BC to 4 BC the Roman king Herod the Great brought riches and fame to the city. He also rebuilt the Temple, which had been plundered by an earlier Roman ruler. It was during Herod's reign that Jesus of Nazareth was put to death. In AD 66 the Jews rose up in arms against Roman rule. Four years later the Roman emperor Titus crushed the rebels and destroyed the city, including the Temple. Christian pilgrims soon began to travel to Jerusalem because of its association with Jesus. After the Roman emperor Constantine the Great converted to Christianity in the 4th century, many Christian churches and shrines were built in the city. Muslim ruleIn 638 the Muslim leader Omar arrived in Jerusalem. This marked the beginning of a long period of Muslim rule of the city. At first people of all religions were allowed in Jerusalem, but eventually only Muslims had permission to be there. In the 11th century, Christians from the West began a series of military campaigns known as the Crusades to take back control of Jerusalem from the Muslim rulers. They gained control for several years, but they were finally defeated in the 13th century. After the Muslims regained control, Jews were once again allowed to live in Jerusalem. The city remained in Muslim hands for the next 500 years. In the 19th century the city began expanding beyond the walls of the Old City. Modern eraDuring World War I (1914–18), the British captured Jerusalem and the rest of Palestine from the Ottoman Turks. They remained there until after World War II (1939–45). After the war, the United Nations decided that Palestine should be divided into an Arab and a Jewish state and that Jerusalem should be an international city. As soon as the British left in 1948, the state of Israel was established. It was immediately attacked by Arab countries, including the new Arab state of Jordan. In the fighting, Jordan captured the Old City, and Israel captured the rest of Jerusalem. Later, during the Six-Day War of 1967, Israel invaded the Old City and brought all of Jerusalem under Israeli rule. Although the Israeli government made Jerusalem its capital in 1980, many Arab groups argue that Israel does not have the right to claim Jerusalem as its capital. Jerusalem continues to be a site of fighting between Israelis and Palestinians and other Arab groups. Population (2001 estimate), 657,500. |