Jerusalem timeline: a city rich with history, steeped in change

The Supreme Court ruling Monday that refuses to allow Americans born in Jerusalem to have their passports changed to reflect Israel as their birthplace is another watershed moment for the heavily-disputed city.

The city has a complex and diverse history spanning thousands of years.

Jerusalem was first settled in 4500-3500 BCE and underwent a long series of power shifts throughout its history. The city has been controlled by Jewish, Arab and Christian populations, creating an intricate history of the city's meaning for many communities.

Victor Lieberman, a history professor at the University of Michigan who teaches a course on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, said the heated topic of debate regarding Jerusalem is indicative of its complicated history.

"It's obviously a complex ethnic mosaic with a long history of separate communities," Lieberman said. "What's important to understand is how the current arrangement originated."

Lieberman noted the most recent chapter in the city's history, as the state of Israel was formed in 1948 and captured Jerusalem's Old City and its eastern half from Jordan in the Six-Day War of 1967.

"Jews and Arabs have separate narratives, which are self-justifying. It's very hard to get a compromise and understanding that both sides can accept," Lieberman said. "The Palestinians see themselves as victims of injustices, and the Israelis see themselves as victims of injustice."

The timeline below reflects some of the critical periods in the city's history:

4500-1000 BCE – The first settlement of Jerusalem appears near the Gihon Spring. The city is later conquered by the Canaanites, who live there before King David conquers the city. He establishes Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish Kingdom and establishes the first Jewish temple.

701-600 BCE – Assyrian ruler Sennacherib sieges Jerusalem, cutting off supplies to the Jewish population. The Babylonian Empire conquers Jerusalem, destroying the city and the first Jewish temple.

539 BCE – The Persian ruler Cyrus the Great conquers the Babylonian Empire, which included Jerusalem at the time. A second Jewish temple is built in the city to replace the original.

63 BCE- 629 CE – Roman General Pompey the Great gains control of Jerusalem. During Roman rule, Jesus was crucified in the city. After his crucifixion, Romans destroy the city and the second Jewish temple, rebuilding Jerusalem as a Roman city based in Christian religion. Though Persians captured the city, the Byzantine Christians reclaimed Jerusalem.

632 - 638 – Prophet Muhammad dies at the age of 63. Caliph Umar, a companion of Prophet Muhammad, conquers Jerusalem, which extends the Islamic empire and asserts Arab rule.

661-1099 – The Arab rule continues in the city as the Umayyad Dynasty takes control, which will later be replaced by the Abbasid Dynasty. At this point, Jerusalem became a sacred city for them and the religions of Islam and Christianity.

1099 – 1244 – The Crusaders conquer Jerusalem, taking the control away from Arabs. Saladin, the first Sultan of Egypt, fought against the Crusaders and led the Muslim opposition, though the two groups fought for control of the city for decades.

1517 – The Ottoman Empire captures Jerusalem, and allows for the return of the Jewish population. The number of Jewish people living in the city and the surrounding area increases heavily under the Ottoman rule.

1917 – The British capture Jerusalem during World War I.

1948 – 1967 – The State of Israel is established after World War II. In an agreement with Jordan, Jerusalem was divided into East Jerusalem (on the Jordanian side) and West Jerusalem (on the Israeli side). Later, Israel claimed Jerusalem's Old City and its eastern half in Six-Day War of 1967.

Source: The American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise(https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/jerutime.html)

Map of Ancient Jerusalem

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After 1380 B.C.Jebus, the original name of Jerusalem, is populated by the Jebusites (a Canaanite tribe). A partial siege of Judah against the city (Judges 1:8) takes place a short time after the death of Joshua.

1003David battles the Jebusites in Jebus and conquers the city. King David pays the Jebusites money to buy Jerusalem and Temple Mount. It becomes the capital of a united Israel and is known as "the city of David."

959 - 958Solomon completes building the temple of God.

930Israel splits into two after the death of Solomon. Ancient Jerusalem becomes the capital of the Kingdom of Judah. Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, is Judah's first king and rules for seventeen years.

925The city is attacked by Shishak, the king of Egypt (2Chronicles 12:9; 1Kings 14:25-26). He is the first Egyptian Pharaoh to capture and pillage the city.

850The city is attacked by the Philistines, Arabians and Ethiopians (2Chronicles 21:16). The royal palace is looted.

792King Jehoash of Israel sacks the city, destroys its walls and takes King Amaziah of Judah prisoner.

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735 - 732Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, king of Israel, attack the city (2Chronicles 28). King Ahaz seeks the aid of Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria, to deliver him from Rezin and Pekah.

701Sennacherib, king of Assyria, attacks King Hezekiah (2Chronicles 32). Sennacherib threatens to destroy the city, however, God has the Angel of the Lord kill 185,000 troops as they prepare to enter it (2Kings 18-19).

597The city falls to King Nebuchadnezzar. He takes Judah's king as prisoner to Babylon and sets up Zedekiah as King.

586King Nebuchadnezzar destroys the city and burns its temple. People of Judah are taken captive to Babylon.

516The rebuilding of the temple is completed during the reign of Persian King Darius I.

500s - 400sEzra, temple priests and Levites known as The Great Assembly complete the canonization of the Old Testament part of the Bible.

332Instead of fighting a bloody battle the city surrenders to Alexander the Great. Alexander spares the city.

175Antiochus IV Epiphanes becomes King of the Seleucid Empire. He begins to force Greek culture into Judea and outlaws the Sabbath and circumcision. Antiochus also sacks Jerusalem and erects an altar to Zeus in the Second Temple.

167The Maccabean revolt against the Seleucids is started by a Jewish priest named Mattathias.

164The Maccabees, led by Mattathias' son Judas Maccabeus, captures Jerusalem and rededicates the temple.

63The Roman Republic, led by Pompey, occupies Palestine.

47Julius Caesar appoints Antipater I the Idumaean to be procurator of Judea. Antipater is founder of the Herodian dynasty of rule that will last until 92 A.D.

40 - 37Herod the Great is appointed King of Judea ("King of the Jews") by the Roman Senate. He is given an army and eventually conquers the ancient city of David.

20Herod begins work rebuilding the temple.

5 B.C.Jesus is born.

c. 4Herod dies. He is succeeded by his son Herod Antipas.

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