Jerusalem

By Wikipedia

Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and, if including the area and population of East Jerusalem, its largest city in both population and area, with a population of 763,800 residents over an area of 125.1 km. Located in the Judean Mountains, between the Mediterranean Sea and the northern edge of the Dead Sea, modern Jerusalem has grown far beyond the boundaries of the Old City. The city has a history that goes back to the 4th millennium BCE, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. Jerusalem is the holiest city in Judaism and Christianity and has been the spiritual center of the Jewish people since c. 1000 BCE, when David the King of Israel first established it as the capital of the Jewish Nation, and his son Solomon commissioned the building of the First Temple in the city. Jerusalem contains a number of significant Christian sites, and although it is never mentioned explicitly in the Qur'an, Islam regards Jerusalem as its third-holiest city. Despite having an area of only 0.9 square kilometer (0.35 square mile), the Old City is home to sites of key religious importance, among them the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque. The old walled city, a World Heritage site, has been traditionally divided into four quarters, although the names used today—the Armenian, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Quarters—were introduced in the early 19th century. The Old City was nominated for inclusion on the List of World Heritage Sites in danger by Jordan in 1982. In the course of its history, Jerusalem has been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times. Today, the status of Jerusalem remains one of the core issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem has been repeatedly criticized by the United Nations and related bodies, and Palestinians demand East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. In the wake of United Nations Security Council Resolution 478 (passed in 1980), most foreign embassies moved out of Jerusalem.

Read all

More Content

Links

Jerusalem

Related Topics

Selected Articles

JPost Blogs

Articles about Jerusalem

13 injured in J'lem traffic accident, 3 hurt seriously

Abbas: Borders most important to us, security for Israelis

Games We Play: Hockey

Sa’ar touts instilling ‘Zionist, Jewish’ values

Encountering Peace: What about the Strip?

Clinton to join 2nd round of talks in Sharm, Jerusalem

The Region: Barack hearts Bibi

US officials: Clinton to arrive in Jerusalem for talks

Prayer notes removed from Kotel ahead of High Holidays

Palestinians to Iran: Mind your own business

'Hamas may accept a peace agreement with Israel'

September 5: Seen that movie

‘PA journalists depend on Israeli media’

Gov't offers Palestinians gestures instead of settlements

Arab League head says peace talks should be given a chance

Another Tack: From Brooklyn to Park Place

Middle Israel: Person of the year

Record year for bad PR, and good tourism

How to win friends and influence politicians

Israelis, Palestinians to work out framework agreement

Share Services

JPosts Sites:

Sites Of Interest:

Services:

JPost Guides:

Information: