Alex Kern

Intro to the Old Testament

Dr. McGinn

September 16^th 2004

The City of Jerusalem- From Hardships to Holy Land

As I traveled through Jerusalem, I learned many things about typical clothes, food, and water sources during each period of the city’s history. All of these characteristics were interesting, indeed. What I found most impressive and significant, however, is the many periods of disruption and inefficiency the city has endured. It is amazing to me that this “Holy City” has remained and strived through each stage of unsettlement. In order to support my claim of significance, I will briefly describe the hardships Jerusalem and each time the city emerged and over game these difficulties and setbacks.

It was during the First Temple Period that Jerusalem’s influence was engraved in history. In 1004 B.C.E., King David conquered Jerusalem and made the city a center of government. During this time it became the political and religious “mecca” for the Jewish people. When power was transferred to Solomon, a Temple dedicated to the God of the Israelites was built. Solomon also built many exuberant palaces where pagan rituals were practiced upon his encouragement. It was these rituals and gaudy palaces that caused the people of Jerusalem to turn against the King. Because of this, the kingdom lasted only lasted for twenty years.

During the Second Temple Period and the reign of King Herod Jerusalem grew. Huge building projects took place which included the Second Wall, palaces, markets and theatres. When King Herod died a strong force of Roman oppression overflowed into the city, because of this there was much resistance by the Jewish population. In 70 C.E. Jerusalem was taken over by the Romans and the city burned to the ground as did its progress and splendor.

In the Roman-Byzantine Period, Jerusalem was no longer the capital or a center of thriving economics. Jews were no longer able to enter the city and Christianity was completely forbidden under Emperor Hadrian’s rule. The transfer of power to Constantine, however, re-sparked Christianity. Churches were built and pilgrims fled to the Empire. The transformation back to Christianity impacted Jerusalem both materially and spiritually. During Constantine’s rule the city’s population increased and it became a place of Christian scholarship and spirituality. During the sixth century, Jerusalem’s reputation, for being the actual site of numerous events in the Scriptures, came alive. The up-slope for Jerusalem was relatively short lived, however. In 614, the city fell to the Persians and then after being restored in 620, fell again to the Muslim Arabs.

Under the control of the Arabs and Omar, Jerusalem was able to preserve the Christian holy places and practice their Christian customs. In the seventh century, Jerusalem was considered to be the third holiest place in Islam. When the Omayyad dynasty was overruled by the Abbasists, Jerusalem’s economic and political power, once again, decreased. During this time, the population and size of the city also decreased. However, the importance of religion was not affected at all, as the Jewish population was still able to live in the city. Because of this, the community of Jews maintained a powerful position in the city.

In 1099 Jerusalem was restored to the hands of the Christian religion after being controlled by Muslims for 460 years. Jerusalem was pronounced as being the capital of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. After being named as such, the population changed dramatically. The people spoke French, prayers were said in Latin, and European and Eastern Christians filled the streets. Churches and traditions were rebuilt in the name of the Christian faith.

In 1260, Egypt overtook Palestine and in effect became the leaders of Jerusalem. Even though religion was particularly important, political power was very insignificant during the Mameluke Period. The Mameluke forces were defeated in 1517, which began the rule of Jerusalem by the Ottoman Turks. During the Ottoman Period, the city of Jerusalem grew magnificently. Structures that had been destroyed for centuries were rebuilt. The growth was due to “Suleiman the Magnicifent” and after his death the growth of Jerusalem greatly decreased and it became a very unimportant town. This was the case for 300 years. During the 19^th century, changes in politics took place and once again Jerusalem became an influential city.

In 1917, Jerusalem, once again, underwent a change in power. As World War One ended, the city surrendered to British forces which lasted thirty years. Under British rule, Jerusalem was named as the capital of the whole country. With the expansion of the city also came the expansion of tension between Jews and Arabs, leading to several bloody conflicts between the years of 1920 and 1929, turning into the Arab revolt of 1936-1939. In 1949, Jerusalem saw the end of the War of Independence, dividing the city. In 1967, the city became united and Jews, Christians and Muslims were able to live side by side.

It is necessary to understand the many ebbs and flows that were created throughout the history of Jerusalem to truly appreciate the city as “Holy.” Once one values the cities history, the holy sites and events become more real and meaningful. These feelings, at least for me, will transfer into a positive and significant reaction to the class. It is not hard to realize how many hardships and struggles the city has gone through, and one would be foolish to ignore the strength of the religion and politics that created such a Holy place.

With further investigation I would like to know how Christianity, itself, sustained such negative forces. I do not just want to know how it maintained an influence in Jerusalem but in other Eastern European countries. I would also like to know more about the ancient relics and monuments in Jerusalem and more of what they mean to modern Christianity.