See also: East Jerusalem

Jerusalem
Jerusalem, viewed from the Mount of Olives
Emblem Flag
Hebrew	יְרוּשָׁלַיִם (Yerushalayim)
(Standard)	Yerushalayim
Arabic	commonly القـُدْس (Al-Quds); officially in Israel أورشليم القدس (Urshalim-Al-Quds)
Name meaning	Hebrew: (see below), Arabic: "The Holy"
Government	City
District	Jerusalem
Population	732,100[1] (2007)
Jurisdiction	125,156 dunams (125. East Jerusalem refers to the part of Jerusalem captured by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and subsequently by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. The Mount of Olives (also Mount Olivet, جبل الزيتون الطور Jebel az-Zeitun הר הזיתים Har HaZeitim; is a mountain ridge in east The coat of arms of Jerusalem is an emblem of the city as well as of its Municipality. The Flag of Jerusalem is based on the Flag of Israel. It features two horizontal blue stripes reminiscent of the Tallit, or Jewish prayer shawl Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language The following list of Israeli cities is based on the current index of the There are six main administrative districts of Israel, known in Hebrew as mehozot (מחוזות singular mahoz) and fifteen The Jerusalem District is one of six administrative districts of Israel. A dunam or dönüm, dunum, donum is a unit of Area used in the Ottoman Empire and still used in various standardized versions 2 km²)
Mayor	Uri Lupolianski
Website	www.jerusalem.muni.il[i]

Jerusalem seen from Spot Satellite

Jerusalem (Hebrew: יְרוּשָׁלַיִם‎ (audio) (help·info), Yerushaláyim; Arabic: القُدس (audio) (help·info), al-Quds)^[ii] is the capital^[iii] of Israel. Uri Lupolianski was elected Mayor of Jerusalem on June 6, 2003, after serving on the Jerusalem City Council from 1989. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics.

Including both Israeli citizens and Arab non-citizens, Jerusalem is the largest city in Israel^[2] in both population and area,^[3] with 732,100 residents in an area of 125. 1 square kilometers (49 sq mi). Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. ^[1][4] Located in the Judean Mountains, between the Mediterranean Sea and the northern tip of the Dead Sea, modern Jerusalem has grown up around the Old City. The Judean Mountains, (جبال الخليل Transliteration: Jibal al-Khalil, הרי יהודה Transliteration: Harei Yehuda) The Dead Sea (יָם הַ‏‏מֶ‏ּ‏לַ‏ח, "Sea of Salt"البَحْر المَيّت, "Dead Sea" is a salt lake between Its Jewish neighborhoods, circled around its civic and cultural hub, extend westward toward Israel's urban core in Gush Dan (Tel Aviv region). Gush Dan (גּוּשׁ דָּן is a Metropolitan area including areas from both the Tel Aviv and the Central Districts of Israel. Its Arab neighborhoods stretch from the Old City to the East, towards Ramallah in the North, and towards Bethlehem in the South. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding

The city has a history that goes back as far as the 4th millennium BCE, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. The 4th millennium BC saw major changes in human culture It marks the beginning of the Bronze Age and of Writing. ^[5] Jerusalem has been the holiest city in Judaism and the spiritual center of the Jewish people since the 10th century BCE,^[6] contains a number of significant ancient Christian sites, and is widely considered the third-holiest city in Islam. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings There are many Holy sites in various Islāmic traditions For all muslims the Ka'bah is considered the Holiest shrine followed by Masjidun Nabawi ( The Prophet's Mosque For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. ^[7] Despite having an area of only 0. 9 square kilometer (0. 35 square mile),^[8] the Old City is home to several sites of key religious importance: the Temple Mount and its Western Wall for Jews, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians, and the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslims. The Temple Mount ( הַר הַבַּיִת, Har haBáyit) also called the Noble Sanctuary ( الحرم القدسي الشريف, al-haram The Western Wall (הכותל המערבי translit: HaKotel HaMa'aravi) sometimes referred to as the Wailing Wall or simply the Kotel (lit PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Sanctum Sepulchrum also called the Church of the Resurrection, ( Greek: Ναός της Αναστάσεως Naos tis Anastaseos A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth The Dome of the Rock ( Arabic: مسجد قبة الصخرة translit Al-Aqsa Mosque ( Arabic:المسجد الاقصى /æl'mæsdʒɪd æl'ɑqsˁɑ/ {{Audio|ArAqsaMosque A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion The walled area of Jerusalem, which constituted the entire city until the 1860s, is now called the Old City, and was added to the List of World Heritage Sites in danger in 1982. The Old City (העיר העתיקה HaIr HaAtika, البلدة القديمة al-Balda al-Qadimah) is a 0 These are thirty sites which the UNESCO World Heritage Committee has decided to include on a list of World Heritage Sites in danger; this list also shows the year ^[9] The Old City has been traditionally divided into four quarters, although the names used today—the Armenian, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Quarters—were only introduced in the early 19th century. The Armenian Quarter is one of the four quarters of the Old City of Jerusalem. The Christian Quarter is one of the four quarters of the ancient walled Old City of Jerusalem, the other three being the Jewish Quarter, the Muslim Quarter For the article on Jewish Quarters throughout the Jewish diaspora, see Jewish Quarter (diaspora The Jewish SukAlKataninJPG||thumb|left|Market of the Cotton Workers reconstructed in 1336 by the Mamluk ruler Emir Tankriz governor of Damascus]] The Muslim Quarter is one of the ^[10]

Today, Jerusalem remains a bone of contention in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem (captured in the 1967 Six-Day War) has been particularly controversial. The Jerusalem Law is a common name of Basic Law Jerusalem Capital of Israel passed by the Knesset on July 30, 1980 (17th East Jerusalem refers to the part of Jerusalem captured by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and subsequently by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. Background Suez Crisis aftermath The Suez Crisis of 1956 represented a military defeat but a political victory for Egypt Jerusalem has not been internationally recognized as Israel's capital, and no embassies are located in Jerusalem-proper. Palestinians view the eastern part of the city in which the Arab population resides as Occupied and consider East Jerusalem the capital of a potential Palestinian state. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn Proposals for a Palestinian state (دولة فلسطين refer to the proposed establishment of an independent state for the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, which is currently ^[11][12]

Etymology

Jerusalem
Names History Timeline Sites Old City Buildings Demographics Mayors Religions Christianity Islam Judaism Transportation Education
v • d • e

Further information: Names of Jerusalem

Although the precise origin of the Hebrew name for Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) remains uncertain, scholars have proposed a variety of interpretations. This article explores the different names of Jerusalem and their linguistic natures etc This article chronicles the history of Jerusalem. Antiquity (prehistory - 1000 BCE The earliest traces of human occupation in Jerusalem go back to the late This is a partial timeline of major events in the History of Jerusalem:; 1800 BCE: The Jebusites build the wall Jebus ( Jerusalem Jerusalem neighborhoods and settlements Thoroughfares Bethlehem Road (part of Highway 60 (Israel) Hebron Road-King The Old City (העיר העתיקה HaIr HaAtika, البلدة القديمة al-Balda al-Qadimah) is a 0 Founded around 3000 BCE the Old City of Jerusalem is divided into Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and Armenian quarters. This is the list of Mayors of Jerusalem in chronological order The city of Jerusalem, located in modern-day Israel, is significant in a number of religious traditions including Abrahamic religions Judaism See also Religious significance of Jerusalem For Christians, Jerusalem's place in the life of Jesus gives it great importance in addition to its See also Religious significance of Jerusalem Jerusalem in Islam is considered a sacred city and has played a significant role in the faith See also Religious significance of Jerusalem Since the 10th century BCE Jerusalem in Judaism has been the holiest city, focus and spiritual centre of Transport in Jerusalem is characterized by a well-developed inter-city network and an emerging developing intra-city network This article explores the different names of Jerusalem and their linguistic natures etc Some say it means "legacy of peace" — a combination of yerusha (legacy) and shalom (peace). Shalom ( is a Hebrew word meaning peace, completeness, and welfare and can be used idiomatically to mean hello, and goodbye "Shalom" is a cognate of the Hebrew name "Shlomo," i. e. , King Solomon, the builder of the First Temple. ^[13][14] Alternatively, the second part of the word could be Salem (Shalem literally "whole" or "in harmony"), an early name for Jerusalem^[15] that appears in the Book of Genesis. ^[16] Others cite the Amarna letters, where the Akkadian name of the city appears as Urušalim, a cognate of the Hebrew Ir Shalem. The Amarna letters (sometimes "Amarna correspondence" or "Amarna tablets" are an archive of correspondence on Clay tablets mostly diplomatic Some believe there is a connection to Shalim, the beneficent deity known from Ugaritic myths as the personification of dusk. Shalim is the king of dusk in the pantheon of Ugarit. He is the twin brother and counterpart of Shahar the king of dawn Ugarit ( Ugaritic: ʼugrt; Hebrew:; Arabic:) (modern Ras Shamra رأس شمرة ("top/head/cape of the wild Fennel ^[17]

A Midrashic interpretation in Genesis Rabba explains that Abraham came to the city, then called Shalem, after rescuing Lot. Midrash ( Hebrew: מדרש plural midrashim, lit "to repeat" is a Hebrew term referring to the not exact but comparative ( homiletic Genesis Rabba ( Bereshit Rabba in Hebrew: בראשית רבה) is a religious text from Judaism 's classical period Abraham ( Ashkenazi   Avrohom or Avruhom; ابراهيم, {{Unicode|Ibrāhīm}}; Ge'ez: According to the Bible and the Quran, Lot ( Arabic: لوط, Lūṭ |; "Hidden covered" was the Nephew ^[18] Upon arrival, he asked the king and high priest Melchizedek to bless him, and Melchizedek did so in the name of God (indicating that he, like Abraham, was a monotheist). Melchizedek is an enigmatic figure twice mentioned in the Hebrew Tanakh and in the Christian Old Testament. God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. For the Celtic Frost album see Monotheist (album In Theology, monotheism (from Greek grc [[wiktμόνος μόνος]] This encounter between Melchizedek and Abraham was commemorated by renaming the city in their honor: the name Yeru (derived from Yireh, the name Abraham gave to the Temple Mount) was combined with Shalem,^[18] producing Yeru-Shalem, meaning the "city of Shalem," or "founded by Shalem. The Temple Mount ( הַר הַבַּיִת, Har haBáyit) also called the Noble Sanctuary ( الحرم القدسي الشريف, al-haram " If shalem means "complete" or "without defect, "Yerushalayim would mean the "perfect city," or "the city of he who is perfect". ^[19] The ending -im indicates the plural in Hebrew grammar and -ayim the dual, leading to an interpretation of the name as representing two facets of the city, such as two hills. ^[20][21] The pronunciation of the last syllable as -ayim appears to be a late development, which had not yet appeared at the time of the Septuagint. The Septuagint (ˈsɛptuədʒɪnt or simply " LXX " is the Koine Greek version of the Hebrew Bible, translated in stages between the

A city called Rushalimum appears in ancient Egyptian records, which many scholars believe to be the first reference to Jerusalem. Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now

History

Main article: History of Jerusalem

See also: History of ancient Israel and Judah, History of Palestine, and Timeline of Jerusalem

Ceramic evidence indicates the occupation of Ophel, within present-day Jerusalem, as far back as the Copper Age, c. This article chronicles the history of Jerusalem. Antiquity (prehistory - 1000 BCE The earliest traces of human occupation in Jerusalem go back to the late The history of Ancient Israel and Judah is known to us from classical sources including Judaism 's Tanakh or Hebrew Bible (known The History of Palestine is the account of events in the greater geographic area in the Southern Levant known as Palestine, which includes not just the West Bank This is a partial timeline of major events in the History of Jerusalem:; 1800 BCE: The Jebusites build the wall Jebus ( Jerusalem The Ophel ( Hebrew: עופל meaning fortified hill or risen area is the biblical name given to a certain part of a settlement or city that is elevated from its surroundings The Chalcolithic (Greek khalkos + lithos ' Copper stone' period or Copper Age period known as the '''Eneolithic''' ('''Æneolithic''' is a 4th millennium BCE,^[22][5] with evidence of a permanent settlement during the early centuries of the Early Bronze Age, c. The 4th millennium BC saw major changes in human culture It marks the beginning of the Bronze Age and of Writing. The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for 3000-2800 BCE. ^[22] Ann Killebrew has shown how Jerusalem was a large and important walled city in the MB IIB and IA IIC (ca. 1800-1550 and 720-586 BCE), during the intervening Late Bronze (LB) and IA I and IIA/B Ages Jerusalem was a small and relatively insignificant and unfortified town. ^[23] The earliest written references to the city are probably in the Berlin and Brussels groups of Execration Texts (c. 19th century BCE) (which refer to a city called Roshlamem or Rosh-ramen)^[22] and the Amarna letters (c. Execration texts, also referred to as Proscription Lists, are ancient Egyptian Hieratic texts which contained the names of loathed people Circa (often abbreviated c, ca, ca or cca and sometimes Italicized to show it is Latin) means "about" The 19th century BC was the century which lasted from 1900 BC to 1801 BC The Amarna letters (sometimes "Amarna correspondence" or "Amarna tablets" are an archive of correspondence on Clay tablets mostly diplomatic  14th century BCE). ^[24][25] Some archaeologists, including Kathleen Kenyon, believe Jerusalem as a city was founded by West Semitic people with organized settlements from around 2600 BCE. Dame Kathleen Mary Kenyon ( 5 January, 1906 &ndash 24 August, 1978) was an important English Archaeologist of Neolithic The West Semitic languages are a proposed major sub-grouping of Semitic languages. The 26th century BC is a Century which lasted from the year 2600 BC to 2501 BC According to Jewish tradition the city was founded by Shem and Eber, ancestors of Abraham. Shem (; Greek: Σημ, Sēm; Arabic: ar سام; Ge'ez: ሴም Sēm; "renown prosperity name" Eber ( עֵבֶר, Standard Hebrew ʿÉver, Tiberian Hebrew ʿĒḇer, Arabic: ھود is a person from the Hebrew Abraham ( Ashkenazi   Avrohom or Avruhom; ابراهيم, {{Unicode|Ibrāhīm}}; Ge'ez: The Biblical account portrays the Jebusites as having control of the city, inhabiting the area around the present-day city until the late 11th century BCE when David is said to have invaded and conquered their city, Jebus, and established it as the capital of the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah (c. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin According to the Hebrew Bible, the Jebusites ( were a Canaanite tribe who inhabited the region around Jerusalem prior to its capture by King David David, Arabic: داوود or داود dawud, "beloved" was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible The United Monarchy ( United Kingdom of Israel and Judah) refers to a period in the traditional account of the History of ancient Israel and Judah lasting  1000s BCE). ^[26][27][iv] Recent excavations of a large stone structure are interpreted by some archaeologists as lending credence to the biblical narrative. The Large Stone Structure is the name given to the remains of a large public building in the City of David neighborhood of central Jerusalem, south of the Old

Temple periods

According to the Hebrew Bible, David reigned until 970 BCE, when his son Solomon became king of Israel. The term Hebrew Bible is a generic reference to those books of the Bible originally written in Biblical Hebrew (and the related Biblical Aramaic David, Arabic: داوود or داود dawud, "beloved" was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible King Solomon ( Ge'ez: ስለሞን Arabic: ar سليمان, Sulayman, all from the Triliteral root S-L-M, "peace" The Kingdom of Israel ( ( KJV Israel in Samaria) was one of the successor states to the older United Monarchy (also often called the 'Kingdom of Israel' ^[28] Within a decade, Solomon began to build the Holy Temple on Mount Moriah inside the city. Etymology The Hebrew name given in Scripture for the building is Beit HaMikdash or "The Holy House" and only the Temple in Jerusalem is referred to by this name Moriah ( Hebrew: מוריה Mōriyyā = "ordained/considered by YHWH " is the name given to a mountain range by the book of Genesis Solomon's Temple (later known as the First Temple), went on to play a pivotal role in Jewish history as the repository of the Ark of the Covenant. Solomon's Temple (בית המקדש transliterated Beit HaMikdash) also known as the First Temple, was according to Jewish history is the History of the Jewish people, faith, and culture. The Ark of the Covenant (אָרוֹן הָבְרִית ʔārōn hāb’rīθ, Modern aron habrit) is described in the Bible as a sacred container wherein ^[29] The next four centuries, up until the destruction of Solomon's Temple (c. 586 BCE), are known in history as the First Temple Period. Solomon's Temple (בית המקדש transliterated Beit HaMikdash) also known as the First Temple, was according to ^[30] Upon Solomon's death (c. 930 BCE), the ten northern tribes split off to form the Kingdom of Israel. The phrase Ten Lost Tribes of Israel refers to the ancient Tribes of Israel that disappeared from the Biblical account after the Kingdom of Israel was destroyed The Kingdom of Israel ( ( KJV Israel in Samaria) was one of the successor states to the older United Monarchy (also often called the 'Kingdom of Israel' Under the leadership of the House of David and Solomon, Jerusalem remained the capital of the Kingdom of Judah. Judea is a term used for the mountainous southern part of the historic Land of Israel. ^[31]

The Tower of David as seen from the Hinnom Valley

When the Assyrians conquered the Kingdom of Israel in 722 BCE, Jerusalem was strengthened by a great influx of refugees from the northern kingdom. The Tower of David (מגדל דוד Migdal David, برج داود Burj Daud) is an ancient Citadel located near the Jaffa Gate entrance to for the Polish film see Gehenna (film See also Jewish eschatology Gehennam (or gehenom or gehinom (גהינום is Early history The most Neolithic site in Assyria is at Tell Hassuna, the center of the Hassuna culture The First Temple period ended around 586 BCE, as the Babylonians conquered Judah and Jerusalem, and laid waste to Solomon's Temple. ^[31] However, many claims of the Fall of Jerusalem are gathered from the Ptolemaic records, in which some dates have been found to be erroneous. Some religions claim that Jerusalem fell in 606-607 BCE; however, no historical evidence supports that the 18th or 19th year of Nebuchadrezzar was in the year 607 BCE, and Zecharias 7:1-5 establishes the year 587 BCE for the complete and final attack on Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Nebuchadrezzar II, more often called Nebuchadnezzar (c 630-562 BC was a ruler of Babylon in the Chaldean Dynasty, who reigned c

In 538 BCE, after fifty years of Babylonian captivity, Persian King Cyrus the Great permitted the Jews to return to Judah to rebuild Jerusalem and their holy temple. The Babylonian captivity, Babylonian exile, is the name typically given to the deportation and exile of the Jews of the ancient Kingdom of Judah to The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia The following is a comprehensive list of kings of Persia, which includes all of the empires ruling over geographical Iran Construction of the Second Temple, was completed in 516 BCE, during the reign of Darius the Great, seventy years after the destruction of the First Temple. The Second Temple (בית המקדש romanized 'Beit HaMikdash' meaning 'Holy House' was the reconstructed Temple in Jerusalem which stood between 516 BCE and 70 CE Darius I the Great (c 549 BC&ndash486 BC 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 Dārayavahuš: "Possessing goodness" Having ascended to power amidst controversy and bloodshed ^[32][33] Jerusalem resumed its role as capital of Judah and center of Jewish worship. When Macedonian ruler Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire, Jerusalem and Judea fell under Macedonian control, eventually falling to the Ptolemaic dynasty under Ptolemy I. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia Macedon or Macedonia ( Greek grc Μακεδονία grc-Latn Makedonía) was the name of a kingdom centered in the northern-most The Ptolemaic dynasty (sometimes also known as the Lagids, from the name of Ptolemy I's father Lagus) was a Hellenistic Macedonian royal family For the astronomer see Ptolemy; for others named "Ptolemy" or "Ptolemaeus" see Ptolemy (disambiguation. In 198 BCE, Ptolemy V lost Jerusalem and Judea to the Seleucids under Antiochus III. Ptolemy V Epiphanes ( Greek:, Ptolemaĩos Epiphanḗs, reigned 204 – 181 BCE) son of Ptolemy IV Philopator and Arsinoe Judea or Judæa ( Hebrew: יהודה Standard Yəhuda Tiberian Yəhûḏāh, "praised The Seleucid Empire /sə'lusɪd/ ( 312 - 63 BC) was a Hellenistic empire i Antiochus III the Great, ( Greek; ca 241&ndash187 BC ruled 222&ndash187 BC younger son of Seleucus II Callinicus The Seleucid attempt to recast Jerusalem as a Hellenized polis came to a head in 168 BCE with the successful Maccabean revolt of Mattathias the High Priest and his five sons against Antiochus Epiphanes, and their establishment of the Hasmonean Kingdom in 152 BCE with Jerusalem again as its capital. This article focuses on the cultural aspects of the Hellenistic age for the historical aspects see Hellenistic period. A polis ( πόλις, pronunciation, in English-- plural poleis ( πόλεις, pronunciation, in English --is a City, a The Maccabean Revolt was a Jewish revolt against Seleucidic and Syrian rulers taking place in the second century before Christ "Matityahu" redirects here For the Israeli settlement see Matityahu West Bank. Another Antiochus IV Epiphanes was king in Commagene under Caligula and Claudius. The Hasmoneans (/hæzməˡniən/ חשמונאים Hashmonaiym, Audio were the ruling dynasty of the Hasmonean Kingdom ( 140 &ndash 37 BCE ^[34]

The Jewish-Roman wars and the Jewish diaspora

Siege and Destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans (1850 painting by David Roberts)

As Rome became stronger it installed Herod as a Jewish client king. The Jewish diaspora ( Hebrew: Tefutzah, "scattered" or Galut גלות "exile" Yiddish: tfutses) the presence The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Herod (הוֹרְדוֹס Horodos, Greek: Herōdes) also known as Herod I or Herod the Great (73 BC – 4 BC in Jericho Satellite state is a political term that refers to a country which is formally independent but under heavy influence or control by another country Herod the Great, as he was known, devoted himself to developing and beautifying the city. He built walls, towers and palaces, and expanded the Temple Mount, buttressing the courtyard with blocks of stone weighing up to 100 tons. Herod's Temple in Jerusalem was a massive expansion of the Temple Mount and construction of a completely new and much larger Jewish Temple by King Under Herod, the area of the Temple Mount doubled in size. The Temple Mount ( הַר הַבַּיִת, Har haBáyit) also called the Noble Sanctuary ( الحرم القدسي الشريف, al-haram ^[35][36][28] In 6 CE, the city, as well as much of the surrounding area, came under direct Roman rule as the Iudaea Province^[37] and Herod's descendants through Agrippa II remained client kings of Judea until 96 CE. Kingdom of Judea redirects here For the 10th-6th century BCE kingdom see Kingdom of Judah Iudaea ( Hebrew: יהודה Standard For other with this name see Agrippa (disambiguation. Agrippa II (b Roman rule over Jerusalem and the region began to be challenged with the first Jewish-Roman war, the Great Jewish Revolt, which resulted in the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. The Second Temple (בית המקדש romanized 'Beit HaMikdash' meaning 'Holy House' was the reconstructed Temple in Jerusalem which stood between 516 BCE and 70 CE In 130 CE Hadrian Romanized the city, and renamed it Aelia Capitolina. Publius Aelius Hadrianus (January 24 76 &ndash July 10 138 as emperor Imperator Caesar Divi Traiani filius Traianus Hadrianus Augustus, and Divus Hadrianus after Aelia Capitolina ( Latin in full Colonia Aelia Capitolina) was a city built by the emperor Hadrian in the year 131, and occupied ^[38] Jerusalem once again served as the capital of Judea during the three-year rebellion known as the Bar Kochba revolt. Background After the failed Great Jewish Revolt in the year 70 the Roman authorities took measures to suppress the rebellious province The Romans succeeded in recapturing the city in 135 CE and as a punitive measure Hadrian banned the Jews from entering it. As a result the city became entirely pagan (non-Jewish). Hadrian proceeded to rename the entire Iudaea Province to Syria Palaestina after the Biblical Philistines in an attempt to thwart future rebellion and to de-Judaize Judea. Kingdom of Judea redirects here For the 10th-6th century BCE kingdom see Kingdom of Judah Iudaea ( Hebrew: יהודה Standard The History of Palestine is the account of events in the greater geographic area in the Southern Levant known as Palestine, which includes not just the West Bank The Philistines ( Hebrew פלשתים plishtim) (see "other uses" below were a people who inhabited the southern coast of Canaan, Judea or Judæa ( Hebrew: יהודה Standard Yəhuda Tiberian Yəhûḏāh, "praised ^[39][40] Enforcement of the ban on Jews entering Aelia Capitolina continued until the 4th century CE. Aelia Capitolina ( Latin in full Colonia Aelia Capitolina) was a city built by the emperor Hadrian in the year 131, and occupied

In the five centuries following the Bar Kokhba revolt, the city remained under Roman then Byzantine rule. Background After the failed Great Jewish Revolt in the year 70 the Roman authorities took measures to suppress the rebellious province The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial During the 4th century, the Roman Emperor Constantine I constructed Christian sites in Jerusalem such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Roman Emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period (starting at about 27 BC Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus (27 February ca. 272 &ndash 22 May 337 commonly known as Constantine I, Constantine the Great, or Saint Constantine The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Sanctum Sepulchrum also called the Church of the Resurrection, ( Greek: Ναός της Αναστάσεως Naos tis Anastaseos Jerusalem reached a peak in size and population at the end of the Second Temple Period: The city covered two square kilometers (0. 8 sq mi. ) and had a population of 200,000^[41][39] From the days of Constantine until the Seventh Century, Jews were banned from Jerusalem. ^[42]

Roman-Persian Wars

Within the span of just a few decades, Jerusalem shifted from Roman to Persian rule and returned to Roman dominion once more. Following Sassanid Khosrau II's early seventh century push into Byzantine and advancing through Syria, Sassanid Generals Shahrbaraz and Shahin decided to attack the famous Byzantine-controlled city of Jerusalem (Persian: Dej Houdkh). The Sassanid Empire or Sassanian Dynasty or Sassanian Dynasty (ساسانیان) is the name used for the third Iranian dynasty and the second Persian empire Khosrau II or Khosrow II ( Chosroes II or Xosrov II in classical sources sometimes called Shahrbaraz (or Shahrwaraz) (died June 9, 630) was a general with the rank of Eran Spahbod ( Commander of the Army of Iran) under Shāhin son of Dulnak (Persian دولناک ( (died c 626 was a senior Sassanid general ( Spahbod) during the reign of Khosrau II ^[43]

Providing access to the Mediterranean Sea, the city would provide a strategic location for the Sassanids to begin constructing a naval fleet and its capture would undoubtedly weaken the Byzantine-Empire's overseas strength. In the Siege of Jerusalem (614), after 21 days of relentless siege warfare, Jerusalem was captured and the Persian victory resulted in the territorial annexation of Jerusalem. The Siege of Jerusalem in 614 AD was part of the final phase of the Roman-Persian Wars, as the Persian shah Khosrau II and his general Shahrbaraz conquered the Byzantine Events By Place Europe The Palace of Diocletian is damaged by the Avars who sack nearby Salona. After the Sassanid army entered Jerusalem, the holy "True Cross" was stolen and sent back to the Sassanian capital as a battle-captured holy relic, and the Jewish rebels joined the Persians. The birth of the Sassanid army (ارتش ساسانيان Artesh-e Sāsānīyān, Pahlavi Spâh سپاه "army" dates back to the rise of The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which by a Christian tradition are believed to be from the actual cross upon which Jesus was crucified For the Spanish saint see Ctesiphon of Vergium. Ctesiphon (قطسيفون تیسفون was one of the great cities of the Persian Empire General Shahrbaraz ordered a swift razing and looting of Jerusalem. Having recognized the assistance of the Jews in the significant capture, he even gave them the opportunity to personally massacre their Christian enemies. The conquered city and the Holy Cross would remain in Sassanid hands for some fifteen years until the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius recovered them in 629. Heraclius, or Herakleios (Flavius Heraclius Augustus;) (c 575 - February 11, 641) was a Byzantine Emperor, who ruled the East ^[43]

Islamic rule

In 638, the Islamic Caliphate extended its dominion to Jerusalem. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. A caliphate (from the Arabic خلافة or khilāfa) is the political leadership of the Muslim community in classical and medieval Islamic history With the Arab conquest, Jews were allowed back into the city. The Muslim conquest of Syria occurred in the first half of the 7th century and refers to the region known as the Bilad al-Sham, the Levant, or Greater Syria ^[44] The Rashidun caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab signed a treaty with Monophysite Christian Patriarch Sophronius, assuring him that Jerusalem's Christian holy places and population would be protected under Muslim rule. The Rightly Guided Caliphs or The Righteous Caliphs ( ar الخلفاء الراشدون) is a term used in Sunni Islam to refer to the first Umar (a=عمر بن الخطاب|t=`Umar ibn al-Khattāb c 581-83 CE &ndash 7 November, 644) also known as Umar the Great or Omar the Great Monophysitism (from the Greek monos meaning 'one alone' and physis meaning 'nature' or Monophysiticism is the Christological position that For the Bulgarian enlightener see Sophronius of Vratsa. Sophronius (born 560 in Damascus - died March 11, 638 Umar was then led to the Temple Mount, where the Foundation Stone lay, and he and other Muslims began cleaning up the site to build the al-Aqsa Mosque. The Temple Mount ( הַר הַבַּיִת, Har haBáyit) also called the Noble Sanctuary ( الحرم القدسي الشريف, al-haram The Foundation Stone ( Hebrew: אבן השתייה translit Even haShetiya) or Rock ( Arabic: translit Al-Aqsa Mosque ( Arabic:المسجد الاقصى /æl'mæsdʒɪd æl'ɑqsˁɑ/ {{Audio|ArAqsaMosque Umar was invited by Sophronius to pray at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, but refused fearing future generations of Muslims would claim the church as their own. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Sanctum Sepulchrum also called the Church of the Resurrection, ( Greek: Ναός της Αναστάσεως Naos tis Anastaseos Instead, however, he arranged the construction of the Mosque of Umar across from the church. ^[45]

By the end of the 7th century, the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik had commissioned and completed the construction of the Dome of the Rock over the Foundation Stone. Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan (646-705 (عبد الملك بن مروان was the 5th Umayyad Caliph. The Dome of the Rock ( Arabic: مسجد قبة الصخرة translit The Foundation Stone ( Hebrew: אבן השתייה translit Even haShetiya) or Rock ( Arabic: translit ^[46] In the four hundred years that followed, Jerusalem's prominence diminished as Arab powers in the region jockeyed for control. ^[47]

Shifts in control: The Crusades, Saladin, and the Mamluks

Medieval illustration of capture of Jerusalem during the First Crusade, 1099

17th century drawing by a German traveler

In 1099, Jerusalem was besieged by the First Crusaders, who massacred most of its Muslim and Jewish inhabitants. The Siege of Jerusalem took place from June 7 to July 15, 1099 during the First Crusade. The First Crusade was launched in 1095 by Pope Urban II with the dual goals of conquering the sacred city of Jerusalem and the Holy Land and freeing ^[48] That would be the first of several conquests to take place over the next four hundred years. In 1187, the city was taken from the Crusaders by Saladin. Salahadin Ayyubi ( Arabic:صلاح الدين يوسف بن أيوب Kurdish: سه‌لاحه‌دین ئه‌یوبی Selah'edînê Eyubî; c ^[49] Between 1228 and 1244, it was given by Saladin's descendant al-Kamil to the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. Al-Kamil (الكامل ( epithet: al-Malik al-Kamel Naser al-Din Abu al-Ma'ali Muhammed) (1180-1238 was an Ayyubid Sultan of Kurdish The Holy Roman Emperor (Römischer Kaiser or Römisch-Deutscher Kaiser Romanorum Imperator was the elected monarch ruling over the many varying numbers of states Frederick II ( December 26, 1194 &ndash December 13, 1250) of the Hohenstaufen dynasty was a Pretender to the title Jerusalem fell again in 1244 to the Khawarizmi Turks, who were later, in 1260, replaced by the Mamluks led by Baibars. Khwarezm were a series of States centered on the Amu Darya River delta of the Baibars, or al-Malik al-Zahir Rukn al-Din Baybars al-Bunduqdari ( Arabic ar الملك‭ ‬الظاهر‭ ‬ركن‭ ‬الدين‭ ‬بيبرس‭ ‬البندقداري

Ottoman rule

In 1517, Jerusalem and its environs fell to the Ottoman Turks, who would maintain control of the city until the 20th century. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish ^[49] In the 16th and 17th centuries, the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt and nomadic marauders were staved off. Regional trade flourished and Jerusalem's economy and population expanded until the 18th and 19th centuries, as the power of the Ottoman Empire receded and Turkish investment in the city declined.

The mid-19th century saw radical shifts in the political climate in the city, along with a new international presence in the city. After the Egyptian General Ibrahim Pasha's occupation of Syria in 1832, foreign missions and consulates were established throughout the province that the Ottomans were unable to dislodge following re-occupation. Ibrahim Basha (إبراهيم باشا ‎ (1789 &ndash November 10 1848) a 19th century general of Egypt. This era saw the first expansion outside the Old City walls, as new neighborhoods were established to relieve overcrowding, starting with the construction of new buildings inside and outside the town by the English and German Protestants in the 1840's. Wealthy Muslim families built Ottoman-style villas on the edge of the burgeoning German Colony, establishing a new center for leading Arab families. The period saw the first waves of Jewish immigration from Europe, and the first of the new Jewish neighborhoods outside the city walls included the Russian Compound, the Jewish Mishkenot Sha'ananim, both founded in 1860^[50]. The Russian Compound (מִגְרַשׁ הָרוּסִים Migrash HaRusim) is one of the oldest districts in central Jerusalem, including a large Russian Orthodox Mishkenot Sha’ananim ( משכנות שאננים) (lit "Tranquil Abode" was the first Jewish neighborhood built outside the walls of the Old City Later, Bukhari Jews formed the Bukhari Compound, and poor Middle Eastern Jews moved out of the Old City to form the neighborhood of Nakhlaot. The era saw a building boom and cultural efflorescence that continued without interruption until World War One.

British Mandate transition period and the 1948 Arab-Israeli War

General Edmund Allenby enters the Jaffa Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem on December 11, 1917

In 1917 after the Battle of Jerusalem, the British Army, led by General Edmund Allenby, captured the city. Field Marshal Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby 1st Viscount Allenby GCB GCMG GCVO ( April 23 1861 - May 14 1936 Jaffa Gate ( Hebrew: Sha'ar Yafo, Arabic: باب الخليل Bab el-Khalil) also David's Gate (Hebrew Sha'ar David) The Old City (העיר העתיקה HaIr HaAtika, البلدة القديمة al-Balda al-Qadimah) is a 0 Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Background The Egyptian Expeditionary Force had won the decisive Battle of Gaza in November under the newly appointed Commander-in-Chief of Palestine The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. Field Marshal Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby 1st Viscount Allenby GCB GCMG GCVO ( April 23 1861 - May 14 1936 ^[51] The League of Nations, through its 1922 ratification of the Balfour Declaration, entrusted the United Kingdom to administer the Mandate for Palestine and help establish a "Jewish National Home" in the region. The League of Nations was an International organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920 Ratification is the act of giving official sanction or approval to a formal document such as a treaty or constitution Balfour Declaration of 1917 (dated November 2 1917) was a Classified formal statement of Policy by the British government stating The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Palestine Mandate, was a set of protocols or articles that formed a multilateral legal and administrative agreement The terms " Jewish state " and " homeland of the Jewish people " are used to describe the State of Israel and refer to its status as a Nation-state ^[52] The period of the Mandate saw the construction of new garden suburbs in the western and northern parts of the city^[53][54] and the establishment of institutions of higher learning such as the Hebrew University, founded in 1925. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (האוניברסיטה העברית בירושלים الجامعة العبرية في القدس abbreviated HUJI) is ^[55]

Eric H. Cline, author of Jerusalem Besieged, notes that Jerusalem has been destroyed at least twice, besieged 23 times, attacked an additional 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times. Eric H Cline (born September 1, 1960) is an Author, Historian, Archaeologist ^[56]

As the British Mandate for Palestine was expiring, the 1947 UN Partition Plan (Part III) recommended "the creation of a special international regime in the City of Jerusalem, constituting it as a corpus separatum under the administration of the United Nations. The Palestine Mandate, was a set of protocols or articles that formed a multilateral legal and administrative agreement The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine or United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181 was a plan approved by the General Assembly on November 29 Corpus separatum is Latin for "separated body" The 1947 UN Partition Plan used this term to refer to a proposed internationally administered zone to include The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security "^[57] The international regime was to remain in force for a period of ten years, whereupon a referendum was to be held in which the residents of Jerusalem were to decide the future regime of the city. (Jerusalem had a Jewish majority both in 1948 and in 1958. )^[58] However, this plan was not implemented as the Haganah and the Jordanian Arab Legion fought for control of the city. Haganah ( Hebrew: "The Defense" ההגנה was a Jewish Paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine The Arab Legion ( al-Jaysh al-Arabī) was the regular army of Transjordan and then Jordan in the early part of the 20th Century On May 28, the Arab Legion gained control over the Old City; all of its Jewish inhabitants were either taken prisoner or handed over to the Red Cross to be permanently transferred to Israeli-controlled areas. Events 585 BC - A Solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling ^[59]

The 1948 War occasioned massive displacement of Arab and Jewish populations shifting space in conjunction with shifts in control. Due to mob and militia violence on both sides, 1,500 of the 3,500 (mostly ultra-Orthodox) Jews in the Old City moved to west Jerusalem as a unit. The Arab town of Lifta (today within the bounds of Jerusalem) was captured by the nascent Israeli troops in 1948, and its residents were loaded on trucks and taken to East Jerusalem. Lifta (لفتا מי נפתוח Mei Niftoach, lit spring of Aramaic for corridor) was a village on the outskirts of Jerusalem which existed since Biblical ^{[60] [61][62]} In addition to the depopulation of thousands of Arabs from Jerusalem's surrounding villages of Lifta, Deir Yassin, Ein Karem, and al-Maliha, all predominantly Arab urban centers ringing the western side of Jerusalem's old city were transferred to Israeli control (i. Deir Yassin (دير ياسين was an Arab village lying 1400 meters to the north of what is now Yad Vashem, which had declared its neutrality during the Ein Kerem (عين كارم עין כרם lit Spring of the Vineyard) also commonly known as Ein Karem, is a neighborhood in southwest Jerusalem e. Talbiya, al-Qatamon, upper and lower Baqa'a, Mamilla, and Abu-Tur-Musrara). Talbiya or Talbiyeh (טלביה is an upscale neighborhood in Jerusalem, Israel, located between Rehavia and Katamon. Katamon (קטמון is a neighbourhood in south-central Jerusalem, Israel. Mamilla (ממילא was an early neighbourhood constructed outside Jerusalem 's Old City west from the Jaffa Gate, and now refers to the $400 million commercial ^{[63] [64]}

Establishment of the State of Israel

View of Mishkenot Sha'ananim, one of the first Jewish neighborhoods built outside the Old City, today

See also: UN General Assembly Resolution 194

At the end of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Jerusalem found itself divided between Israel and Jordan (then known as Transjordan). Mishkenot Sha’ananim ( משכנות שאננים) (lit "Tranquil Abode" was the first Jewish neighborhood built outside the walls of the Old City United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194 was passed on December 11 1948, near the end of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern The Emirate of Transjordan ( Arabic: ar إمارة شرق الأردن) was a former Ottoman territory incorporated into the British Mandate of Palestine The ceasefire line established through the Armistice Agreement of 1949 between Israel and Jordan, cut through the center of the city from 1949 until 1967, during which time West Jerusalem was part of Israel and East Jerusalem was part of Jordan. A ceasefire (or truce) is a temporary stoppage of a War or any Armed conflict, where each side of the conflict agrees The 1949 Armistice Agreements are a set of agreements signed during 1949 between Israel and its neighbors Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan East Jerusalem refers to the part of Jerusalem captured by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and subsequently by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. In 1949, Israel designated West Jerusalem as its capital. Contrary to the terms of the Armistice Agreement of 1949 between Jordan and Israel, Israelis were denied access to Jewish holy sites, many of which were desecrated, and only allowed extremely limited access to Christian holy sites. The 1949 Armistice Agreements are a set of agreements signed during 1949 between Israel and its neighbors Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan ^[65][66]

Following the 1967 Six-Day War Israel captured East Jerusalem, asserted sovereignty over the entire city, and later in 1980 declared Jerusalem, "complete and united", to be the capital of Israel. Background Suez Crisis aftermath The Suez Crisis of 1956 represented a military defeat but a political victory for Egypt ^[67] This action, however, was criticised in the non-binding UNSC resolution 478, which declared the assertion of sovereignty to be "null and void. United Nations Security Council Resolution 478 declared Israel's 1980 " Jerusalem Law " which declared Jerusalem to be " Further, East Jerusalem has been seen by the Palestinian Arabs as a possible capital of a proposed Palestinian state. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn Proposals for a Palestinian state (دولة فلسطين refer to the proposed establishment of an independent state for the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, which is currently ^[68][69] They also refer to Security Council resolution 252, which considers invalid expropriation of land and other actions that tend to change the legal status of Jerusalem. ^[70] The status of the city and of its holy places remains disputed to this day.

Geography

View of Jerusalem Forest from Yad Vashem

Jerusalem is situated around 31°47′N, 35°13′E on the southern spur of a plateau in the Judean Mountains, which include the Mount of Olives (East) and Mount Scopus (North East). In Geology and Earth science, a plateau, also called a high plateau or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting The Judean Mountains, (جبال الخليل Transliteration: Jibal al-Khalil, הרי יהודה Transliteration: Harei Yehuda) The Mount of Olives (also Mount Olivet, جبل الزيتون الطور Jebel az-Zeitun הר הזיתים Har HaZeitim; is a mountain ridge in east Mount Scopus ( Hebrew הַר הַצּוֹפִים ( Har HaTzofim) Arabic جبل المشارف Ǧabal al-Mašārif, The elevation of the Old City is approximately 760 m. ^[71] The whole of Jerusalem is surrounded by valleys and dry riverbeds (wadis), although those to the north are less pronounced than those on the other sides. Wadi (وادي) (also Vadi) is traditionally a valley In some cases it can refer to a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain

Three of the most prominent valleys in the region, the Kidron, Hinnom, and Tyropoeon Valleys, intersect in an area just south of the Old City of Jerusalem. The Kidron Valley (נחל קדרון Naḥal Qidron; also Qidron Valley; وادي الجز Wadi al-Joz) is valley on the eastern side of The Old for the Polish film see Gehenna (film See also Jewish eschatology Gehennam (or gehenom or gehinom (גהינום is Tyropoeon Valley (ie "Valley of the Cheesemakers quot is the name given by Josephus the historian to the Valley or rugged Ravine, in ^[72] The Kidron Valley runs just to the east of the Old City and separates the Mount of Olives from the city proper. The Kidron Valley (נחל קדרון Naḥal Qidron; also Qidron Valley; وادي الجز Wadi al-Joz) is valley on the eastern side of The Old The Mount of Olives (also Mount Olivet, جبل الزيتون الطور Jebel az-Zeitun הר הזיתים Har HaZeitim; is a mountain ridge in east Along the southern side of old Jerusalem is the Valley of Hinnom, a steep ravine associated in Biblical eschatology with the concept of Gehenna or hell. for the Polish film see Gehenna (film See also Jewish eschatology Gehennam (or gehenom or gehinom (גהינום is Eschatology (from the Greek, Eschatos meaning "last" and -logy meaning "the study of" is a part of Theology for the Polish film see Gehenna (film See also Jewish eschatology Gehennam (or gehenom or gehinom (גהינום is Hell, according to many Religious beliefs, is a location in the Afterlife, which may be described as a place of suffering ^[73] A third valley commenced in the northwest near the present-day location of Damascus Gate, ran south-southeasterly through the center of the Old City down to the Pool of Siloam, and divided the lower part into two hills, the Temple Mount to the east, and the rest of the city to the west (the lower and the upper cities described by Josephus). The Damascus Gate (also known as Shechem Gate or Nablus Gate) (or in Arabic باب العامود; Bab-al-Amud, meaning Gate of the Column Pool of Siloam (Breikhat Hashiloah is a rock-cut pool on the southern slope of the City of David (believed to be the original site of Jerusalem) now outside the walls Josephus (AD 37 – c 100 also known as Yosef Ben Matityahu (Joseph son of Matthias and after he became a Roman citizen, as Titus Flavius Josephus Today, this valley, the Tyropoeon Valley, is mostly hidden from view due to the amount of debris that has accumulated within the ravine over the past few millennia. ^[72]

Jerusalem is 60 kilometers (37 mi)^[74] east of Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean Sea. Tel Aviv-Yafo (תֵּל ־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ تل أبيب Tal ʾAbīb) (usually Tel Aviv) is the second-largest city in Israel On the opposite side of the city, approximately 35 kilometers (22 mi)^[75] away, is the Dead Sea, the lowest body of water on Earth. The Dead Sea (יָם הַ‏‏מֶ‏ּ‏לַ‏ח, "Sea of Salt"البَحْر المَيّت, "Dead Sea" is a salt lake between This article describes extreme locations on Earth. Entries listed in bold are Earth-wide extremes Neighboring cities and towns include Bethlehem and Beit Jala to the south, Abu Dis and Ma'ale Adumim to the east, Mevaseret Zion to the west, and Ramallah and Giv'at Ze'ev to the north. Bethlehem ( بيت لحم,, lit "House of Meat" Βηθλεέμ Bethleém בית לחם Beit Lehem, lit "House of Bread" is a Beit Jala ( Arabic: (lit Aramaic 'grass carpet' is a Arab Christian town in the Bethlehem Governorate of the West Bank. Abu Dis (ابو ديس is a Palestinian town in the Jerusalem Governorate, bordering Jerusalem. Ma'ale Adumim (מעלה אדומים is an Israeli Settlement and city located east of Jerusalem in the West Bank and on the edge of the Judean Mevaseret Zion (מְבַשֶּׂרֶת צִיּוֹן قالونيا is a suburb of Jerusalem, Israel. Ramallah ( Arabic:) (lit "Height of God" is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank adjacent to Al-Bireh with a population 118000 Giv'at Ze'ev (גִּבְעַת זְאֵב is an Israeli settlement and town governed by a local council, located northwest of Jerusalem. ^[76][77][78]

Climate

The city is characterized by a Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers, warm to cool spring and autumn, and cool, wet winters. A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles the Climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes over half of the area with this climate type world-wide Significant snowfall occurs every couple of winters, with trace snow in 4 out of 5 winters on average. January is the coldest month of the year, with an average monthly temperature of 8 °C (46 °F). July and August are the hottest months, with an average monthly temperature of 23 °C (73 °F). ^[79] Temperatures vary widely from day to night, and Jerusalem evenings are typically cool even in summer. The average annual precipitation is close to 590 millimetres (23 in) with rain occurring mostly between October and May. ^[79]

Most of the air pollution in Jerusalem comes from vehicular traffic, especially in East Jerusalem. Air pollution is the human introduction into the atmosphere of Chemicals Particulate matter, or Biological materials that cause harm or discomfort East Jerusalem refers to the part of Jerusalem captured by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and subsequently by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. ^[81] Many main streets in Jerusalem were not built to accommodate such a large volume of traffic, leading to traffic congestion and more carbon monoxide released into the air. Carbon monoxide, with the chemical formula CO is a colorless odorless tasteless yet highly toxic Gas. Industrial pollution inside the city is sparse, but emissions from factories on the Israeli Mediterranean coast can travel eastward and settle over the city. The Israeli Coastal Plain (מישור החוף Mishor HaHof) is the narrow Coastal plain along Israel's Mediterranean Sea coast which houses 70% of ^[81][82]

Development plans

(Below is a partial listing of important plans in the city center. See end of article for listing of neighborhoods and settlements of Jerusalem, or see List of places in Jerusalem. Jerusalem neighborhoods and settlements Thoroughfares Bethlehem Road (part of Highway 60 (Israel) Hebron Road-King )

Kikar Ha Chatulim, Museum of Human Dignity: Kikar Ha Chatulim is a small square in the immediate vicinity of the West Jerusalem city center, Zion Square, a few minute's walk from the Old City. Zion squre jerusalem mozesyjpg|thumb|300px|Zion Square at night (looking towards Jaffa Road) The American Jewish institution, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, has launched the development of a 'Museum of Tolerance and Human Dignity' modeled after its media-based Hollywood-style museum in Los Angeles, to be located adjacent to Independence Park on the grounds of Mamila cemetery,^[83] largely regarded as the most important Muslim cemetery in the region. The Simon Wiesenthal Center (often abbreviated SWC) with headquarters in Los Angeles The Museum of Tolerance ( MOT) is a Multimedia Museum in Los Angeles California, with an associated museum in New York City, designed Mamilla (ממילא was an early neighbourhood constructed outside Jerusalem 's Old City west from the Jaffa Gate, and now refers to the $400 million commercial ^[84] Frank Gehry has designed the future museum in the theme of a fruit bowl. Frank Owen Gehry CC (born Ephraim Owen Goldberg, February 28, 1929) is a Pritzker Prize -winning Architect ^[85] The plan has elicited a considerable outcry from many in the Israeli archaeologist community as well as Muslim authorities, and has been stayed several times by the courts. It has also been critiqued for its emphasis on tolerance amongst Jews (rather than Palestinians and Israelis) and for the Simon Wiesenthal Center's lack of transparency throughout the process. ^[86][87] The museum is due for completion in 2009. ^[88]

Mamila Complex: As of 2008, this former Mizrahi ghetto directly adjacent to the Old City was in the process of redevelopment into an elite complex with luxury apartments and a shopping center. Mizrahi Jews or Mizrahim, ( also referred to as Edot HaMizrach (Communities of the East are Jews descended ^[89] During the construction stage the project significantly altered the layout of downtown Jerusalem.

Silwan, City of David: Silwan is a Palestinian town of 45,000 located directly southeast of the Old City, extending along the Kidron Valley and running alongside the eastern slopes of Jabal Al-Mukaber. Silwan or " Kfar Shiloah " (כפר השילוח سلوان is a Palestinian neighborhood of 45000 adjacent to the Old City of Jerusalem, extending On maps issued by the Israeli government and organizations, part of Silwan is labeled 'City of David' (Ir David in Hebrew). Since Israel gained control over East Jerusalem in 1967, Jewish settler organizations have sought to root a Jewish presence in Silwan. In particular the ElAd Foundation, linked with ElAd Properties, a real estate company owned by a fundamentalist settler organization based in New York,^[90] was established in 1986^[91]with the aim of constructing a modern-day City of David' in the place of the Palestinian village of Silwan. The State of Israel has entrusted full responsibility and control over the archaeological sites in Silwan to ElAd. Haaretz has reported that ElAd destroyed Palestinian archaeological findings^[92] and conducted excavations in the midst of Palestinian properties. ^[93] Writes The Times Online, according to Israeli anti-settlement campaigners, "Jewish settler groups are digging an extensive tunnel network under Muslim areas of Jerusalem's Old City while building a ring of settlements around it to bolster their claim to the disputed city in any future peace deal. "^[94] In 2005, Al-Ayyam reported Israeli government plans to demolish 88 Palestinian homes in Al-Bustan neighborhood^[95] to make way for ElAd's planned archaeological park. al-Ayyam is a Palestinian Newspaper, based in Ramallah. It is the second-largest circulation daily newspaper in the Palestinian territories. Over the years 50 Jewish families have moved live in the area and more are being recruited. ^[96] As of April 2008, the Israeli High Court had issued a temporary order staying further construction for the time being. ^[97]

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Jerusalem

In May 2007, Jerusalem had a population of 743,000, of whom 68% were Jewish, 30% were Muslim, and 2% were Christian, and a population density of 5,750. Founded around 3000 BCE the Old City of Jerusalem is divided into Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and Armenian quarters. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 4 inhabitants per square kilometer (14,893. 5/sq mi). ^[3][98] In 2005, Jerusalem received 2,850 immigrants, with nearly three quarters of them arriving from the United States, France, and former members of the Soviet Union. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Within Israel, emigrants from Jerusalem outnumber immigrants to the city. In 2005, over ten thousand Israelis migrated to Jerusalem while over sixteen thousand left the city. ^[3] The population of Jerusalem, however, continues to rise due to high birth rates, especially among the Arab and Haredi Jewish communities (whose birth rates are higher than the Israeli national average). Crude birth rate is the natality or Childbirths per 1000 people per year Haredi or Chareidi Judaism is the most theologically conservative form of Orthodox Judaism. Consequently, the total fertility rate in Jerusalem (4. The total fertility rate ( TFR, sometimes also called the fertility rate, period total fertility rate (PTFR or total 02) is far higher than those of comparable cities in the region such as Tel Aviv (1. 98) and well above the national average of 2. 90. Similarly, the average size of Jerusalem's 180,000 households is 3. 8 people. ^[3]

In 2005, the total number of residents in Jerusalem grew by approximately 13,000 (1. 8%) — similar to Israeli national average. However, as the city has continued to grow, the religious and ethnic composition of Jerusalem has proceeded to shift. Although children under age fifteen account for 31% of the Jewish population, they account for 42% of the Arab one. ^[3] These recent data corroborate the observation that the percentage of Jews in Jerusalem has been declining over the past four decades. In 1967, the year of the Six-Day War, Jews accounted for 74 percent of the population, which is nine percent more than 2006. Background Suez Crisis aftermath The Suez Crisis of 1956 represented a military defeat but a political victory for Egypt ^[99] Explanations for this decline are the soaring cost of housing in Jerusalem, the smaller job market and the growing religious character of the city. Many young people are moving to the suburbs and coastal cities in search of cheaper housing and the more secular lifestyle offered by other cities. ^[100]

Demographics and the Jewish-Arab population divide continue to play a major role in the dispute over Jerusalem. In 1998, the Jerusalem Development Authority proposed expanding city limits to the west to include more areas heavily populated with Jews. ^[101]

Local government

Safra Square, Jerusalem City Hall

The Jerusalem City Council has thirty-one elected members, one of whom is the mayor. Safra Square (כיכר ספרא kikar safra) is Jerusalem 's City hall Complex named after Jacob and Esther Safra parents of A city council is a form of Local government, usually covering a City or other Urban area, such as a Town. The mayor serves a five-year term and appoints six deputies. The current mayor of Jerusalem, Uri Lupolianski was elected in 2003. Uri Lupolianski was elected Mayor of Jerusalem on June 6, 2003, after serving on the Jerusalem City Council from 1989. ^[102] Apart from the mayor and his deputies, City Council members receive no salaries and work on a voluntary basis. The longest-serving Jerusalem mayor was Teddy Kollek, who spent twenty-eight years — six consecutive terms — in office. Theodor "Teddy" Kollek ( טדי קולק) ( May 27, 1911 &ndash January 2 2007) was Mayor of Jerusalem Most of the meetings of the Jerusalem City Council are private, but each month, it holds a session that is open to the public. ^[102] Within the city council, religious political parties form an especially powerful faction, accounting for the majority of its seats. ^[103] The headquarters of the Jerusalem Municipality and the mayor's office are at Safra Square (Kikar Safra) on Jaffa Road. Safra Square (כיכר ספרא kikar safra) is Jerusalem 's City hall Complex named after Jacob and Esther Safra parents of Jaffa Road (شارع يافا רחוב יפו is one of the longest and oldest streets in Jerusalem. The new municipal complex, comprising two modern buildings and ten renovated historic buildings surrounding a large plaza, opened in 1993. ^[104] The city falls under the Jerusalem District, with Jerusalem as the district's capital. The Jerusalem District is one of six administrative districts of Israel.

Capital of Israel

Further information: Positions on Jerusalem

See also: Politics of Israel

Office of the President of Israel (2007)

By Israeli law, Jerusalem is the de-jure capital of Israel, and de-facto contains the parliament, government offices, Supreme Court, President's quarters, and Prime Ministers's quarters. Israel has De facto control over all of Jerusalem. However there are many differing legal and diplomatic positions on Jerusalem. Politics of Israel takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Israel is The President of the State of Israel (נשיא המדינה Nesi HaMedina, lit However Jerusalem has not been recognized internationally as the capital of Israel. Many countries see Jerusalem as equally the capital of the future Palestinian state, or view the city as a shared international heritage site that should be governed by a range of stakeholders locally and worldwide.

On December 5, 1949, the State of Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, proclaimed Jerusalem as Israel's capital^[105] and since then all branches of the Israeli government — legislative, judicial, and executive — have resided there. Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations. Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and is the most powerful political officer in Israel (the President of Israel being a titular figurehead Politics of Israel takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Israel is Politics of Israel takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Israel is Politics of Israel takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Israel is Politics of Israel takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Israel is ^[106] At the time of the proclamation, Jerusalem was divided between Israel and Jordan and thus only West Jerusalem was considered Israel's capital. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern Immediately after the 1967 Six-Day War, however, Israel annexed East Jerusalem, making it a de facto part of the Israeli capital. East Jerusalem refers to the part of Jerusalem captured by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and subsequently by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. Israel enshrined the status of the "complete and united" Jerusalem — west and east — as its capital, in the 1980 Basic Law: Jerusalem, Capital of Israel. The Jerusalem Law is a common name of Basic Law Jerusalem Capital of Israel passed by the Knesset on July 30, 1980 (17th ^[67]

The Knesset Building in Jerusalem, home to the legislative branch of the Israeli government

The status of a "united Jerusalem" as Israel's "eternal capital"^[107][105] has been a matter of immense controversy within the international community. For Beit Knesset a Jewish Place of worship, see Synagogue. The Knesset (כנסת lit Politics of Israel takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Israel is Israel has De facto control over all of Jerusalem. However there are many differing legal and diplomatic positions on Jerusalem. Although some countries maintain consulates in Jerusalem, and two maintain embassies in Jerusalem suburbs, all embassies are located outside of the city proper, mostly in Tel Aviv. A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one State or an international Inter-governmental organization (such as the United Nations) present in Tel Aviv-Yafo (תֵּל ־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ تل أبيب Tal ʾAbīb) (usually Tel Aviv) is the second-largest city in Israel ^[108][109]

The non-binding United Nations Security Council Resolution 478, passed on August 20, 1980, declared that the Basic Law was "null and void and must be rescinded forthwith. A non-binding resolution is a written motion adopted by a Deliberative body that cannot progress into a Law. United Nations Security Council Resolution 478 declared Israel's 1980 " Jerusalem Law " which declared Jerusalem to be Events 636 - Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control of Syria and Palestine Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) " Member states were advised to withdraw their diplomatic representation from the city as a punitive measure. Most of the remaining countries with embassies in Jerusalem complied with the resolution by relocating them to Tel Aviv, where many embassies already resided prior to Resolution 478. Tel Aviv-Yafo (תֵּל ־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ تل أبيب Tal ʾAbīb) (usually Tel Aviv) is the second-largest city in Israel Currently there are no embassies located within the city limits of Jerusalem, although there are embassies in Mevaseret Zion, on the outskirts of Jerusalem, and four consulates in the city itself. Mevaseret Zion (מְבַשֶּׂרֶת צִיּוֹן قالونيا is a suburb of Jerusalem, Israel. ^[108] In 1995, the United States Congress had planned to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem with the passage of the Jerusalem Embassy Act. The United States Jerusalem Embassy Act, passed by Congress on October 23, 1995, states that " Jerusalem should ^[110] However, U. S. presidents, including President Bush and President Clinton, have argued that Congressional resolutions regarding the status of Jerusalem are merely advisory. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States The Constitution reserves foreign relations as an executive power, and as such, the US embassy is still in Tel Aviv. ^[111] Israel's most prominent governmental institutions, including the Knesset,^[112] the Supreme Court,^[113] and the official residences of the President and Prime Minister, are located in Jerusalem. For Beit Knesset a Jewish Place of worship, see Synagogue. The Knesset (כנסת lit The Supreme Court ( Hebrew: בית המשפט העליון Beit haMishpat ha'Elyon) is at the head of the court system in the State of Israel. The President of the State of Israel (נשיא המדינה Nesi HaMedina, lit The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and is the most powerful political officer in Israel (the President of Israel being a titular figurehead

Palestinian claims

Further information: Positions on Jerusalem (Palestinian)

Prior to the creation of the State of Israel, Jerusalem served as the administrative capital of the British Mandate of Palestine, which included present-day Israel and Jordan. Israel has De facto control over all of Jerusalem. However there are many differing legal and diplomatic positions on Jerusalem. The Palestine Mandate, was a set of protocols or articles that formed a multilateral legal and administrative agreement For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern ^[114] From 1949 until 1967, West Jerusalem served as Israel's capital but was not recognized internationally as Israel's capital, because UN General Assembly Resolution 194 ruled Jerusalem an international city. United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194 was passed on December 11 1948, near the end of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. As a result of the Six-Day War in 1967, the whole of Jerusalem came under Israeli control. Background Suez Crisis aftermath The Suez Crisis of 1956 represented a military defeat but a political victory for Egypt According to the Oslo Accords, the final status of Jerusalem should be determined by peaceful negotiations, as the Palestinian National Authority sees East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. Israeli-Palestinian conflict The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles Proposals for a Palestinian state (دولة فلسطين refer to the proposed establishment of an independent state for the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, which is currently ^[11] Orient House was the headquarters of the Palestine Liberation Organization in the 1980s and 1990s, but is currently closed. The Orient House was the PLO headquarters in East Jerusalem in the 1980s and 1990s The Palestine Liberation Organization ( PLO) (منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية or Munazzamat al-Tahrir al-Filastiniyyah) is a political and paramilitary ^[115]

Palestinian officials have encouraged Arabs over the years to stay in the city to maintain their claim. Jerusalem has been a magnet for Arab migrants, offering more jobs than any city in the West Bank or Gaza Strip. The West Bank (الضفة الغربية, הגדה המערבית Hagadah Hamaaravit) also referred to in Israel as " Judea and Samaria The Gaza Strip (قطاع غزة, רצועת עזה Retzu'at 'Azza) is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Egypt on the south-west ^[116] Palestinians are attracted to the access to jobs, healthcare, social security, other benefits, and overall quality of life Israel provides to Jerusalem residents. Health care is the prevention treatment and management of illness and the preservation of mental health through the services offered by the medical, Nursing Social security primarily refers to a Social insurance program providing social protection or protection against socially recognized conditions including poverty old Quality of life is the degree of well-being felt by an individual or group of people ^[117] Arab residents of Jerusalem who choose not to have Israeli citizenship are granted an Israeli identity card that allows them to pass through checkpoints with relative ease and to travel throughout Israel, making it easier to find work. Residents also are entitled to the subsidized healthcare and social security benefits Israel provides its citizens. Palestinians in Jerusalem can send their children to Israeli-run schools, although not every neighborhood has one, and universities. Israeli doctors and highly regarded hospitals such as Hadassah Medical Center are available to residents. Hadassah Medical Center (מרכז רפואי הדסה includes two University hospitals at Ein Kerem and Mount Scopus in Jerusalem, ^[118]

Culture

The Shrine of the Book, housing the Dead Sea Scrolls, at the Israel Museum

Although Jerusalem is known around the world for its religious significance, the city is also home to many artistic and cultural venues. The Shrine of the Book, a wing of the Israel Museum near Givat Ram in western Jerusalem, houses the Dead Sea Scrolls —discovered 1947–56 The Israel Museum Jerusalem (מוזיאון ישראל ירושלים Muze'on Yisrael Yerushalayim) was founded in 1965 as Israel 's National museum. The city of Jerusalem, located in modern-day Israel, is significant in a number of religious traditions including Abrahamic religions Judaism The Israel Museum, Jerusalem's premier art museum, annually attracts nearly one million visitors, approximately one-third of them international tourists. The Israel Museum Jerusalem (מוזיאון ישראל ירושלים Muze'on Yisrael Yerushalayim) was founded in 1965 as Israel 's National museum. ^[119] The twenty-acre museum complex comprises several buildings featuring special exhibits and extensive collections of Judaica, archaeological findings, and Israeli and European art. The Dead Sea scrolls, discovered in the mid-twentieth century in the Qumran caves near the Dead Sea, are housed in the Museum's Shrine of the Book. The Dead Sea Scrolls consist of roughly 1000 documents including texts from the Hebrew Bible, discovered between 1947 and 1979 in eleven Caves For the country that features in Yes Minister, see here. Qumran (خربة قمران חירבת קומראן Khirbet Qumran The Shrine of the Book, a wing of the Israel Museum near Givat Ram in western Jerusalem, houses the Dead Sea Scrolls —discovered 1947–56 ^[120] The Youth Wing, which mounts changing exhibits and runs an extensive art education program, is visited by 100,000 children a year. The museum has a large outdoor sculpture garden, and a scale-model of the Second Temple was recently moved from the Holyland Hotel to a new location on the museum grounds. ^[119] Other museums affiliated with the Israel Museum are the Rockefeller Archaeological Museum, Ticho House, and the Paley Center of Art. The Rockefeller Museum, formerly the Palestine Archaeological Museum, is an archaeological Museum located in East Jerusalem that houses a large The Ticho House (בית טיכו Beit Tikho) is a Museum located in one of the first houses in Jerusalem built outside the Old City Walls at The Rockefeller Museum, located in East Jerusalem, was the first archaeological museum in the Middle East. It was built in 1938 during the British Mandate. ^[121][122] Ticho House, in downtown Jerusalem, houses the paintings of Anna Ticho and the Judaica collections of her husband, an ophthalmologist who opened Jerusalem's first eye clinic in this building in 1912. Anna Ticho (1894 &ndash 1980 was a Jewish artist born in Moravia who became famous for her drawings of the Jerusalem hills ^[123]

Mahane Yehuda Market in West Jerusalem

Another prominent cultural institution in Jerusalem is Yad Vashem, Israel's national memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. Mahaneh Yehuda Market (שוק מחנה יהודה Shuk Mahaneh Yehuda) often referred to as the 'Shuk' is an outdoor marketplace in central Jerusalem, stretching Yad Vashem (יד ושם also spelled Yad VaShem; "Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority" is Israel 's official memorial to the Jewish The Holocaust (from the Greek el ''ὁλόκαυστον'' (el-Latn holókauston holos, "completely" and kaustos, "burnt" also known as Yad Vashem houses the world's largest^[124] library of Holocaust-related information, with an estimated 100,000 books and articles. ^[125] The complex contains a state-of-the-art museum that explores the genocide of the Jews through exhibits that focus on the personal stories of individuals and families whose lives were torn asunder, and a gallery displaying permanent and changing exhibits of work by artists who died in the Holocaust. ^[125] Another memorial at Yad Vashem commemorates the 1. 5 million Jewish children who perished at the hands of the Nazis. Yad Vashem operates as both a research and educational institution.

The Jerusalem Theater at night

One of the city's foremost orchestras is the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, which has been operating since the 1940s. The Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra of the Israel Broadcasting Authority ( Hebrew: התזמורת הסימפונית ירושלים רשות השידור ha-Tizmoret ^[126] The Orchestra has held performances in cities around the world, including Vienna, Frankfurt, and New York City. Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. The City of New York ^[126] Within walking distance of the Old City is a cultural district which includes the Khan Theatre, the only repertoire theater in the city,^[127] and the Jerusalem Cinematheque. The Old City (העיר העתיקה HaIr HaAtika, البلدة القديمة al-Balda al-Qadimah) is a 0 For other meanings of repertory please see Repertory (disambiguation. The Jerusalem Theater, located in the Talbiya neighborhood, hosts over 150 concerts a year, as well as theater and dance companies and performing artists from overseas. Talbiya or Talbiyeh (טלביה is an upscale neighborhood in Jerusalem, Israel, located between Rehavia and Katamon. ^[128] Other prominent facilities for the performing arts include the International Convention Center (Binyanei HaUma) near the entrance to city, where the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra plays, the Gerard Behar Center in downtown Jerusalem, the Jerusalem Music Center in Yemin Moshe,^[129] and the Targ Music Center in Ein Kerem. The performing arts are those forms of Art which differ from the Plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own Body, Face and presence The International Convention Centre (מרכז הקונגרסים הבינלאומי Merkaz HaKongresim HaBenleumi) commonly known as Binyanei HaUma (בנייני The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (abbreviation IPO; Hebrew: התזמורת הפילהרמונית הישראלית ha-Tizmoret ha-Filharmonit ha-Yisre'elit Yemin Moshe (lit Memorial to Moshe is a Neighborhood in Jerusalem, Israel Ein Kerem (عين كارم עין כרם lit Spring of the Vineyard) also commonly known as Ein Karem, is a neighborhood in southwest Jerusalem The Palestinian National Theatre, founded in 1984 and once the only center for art and culture in East Jerusalem,^[130] today presents art from the Palestinian perspective. The Palestinian National Theatre ( Arabic: المسرح الوطني الفلسطيني is a Palestinian -owned Theatre in Jerusalem 's American Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn ^[131] The Israel Festival,^[132] featuring local and international vocal artists, concerts, plays and street theater, has been held annually since 1961. The Israel Festival is a multidisciplinary arts festival held every spring in Israel. For the past 25 years, Jerusalem has been the major organizer of this event, which takes place in May-June, and most of the performances take place at venues around the city. ^[133]

Religious significance

Main article: Religious significance of Jerusalem

Jerusalem plays an important role in the three monotheistic religions — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The city of Jerusalem, located in modern-day Israel, is significant in a number of religious traditions including Abrahamic religions Judaism For the Celtic Frost album see Monotheist (album In Theology, monotheism (from Greek grc [[wiktμόνος μόνος]] Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. The 2000 Statistical Yearbook of Jerusalem lists 1204 synagogues, 158 churches, and 73 mosques within the city. A synagogue (from Greek: grc συναγωγή transliterated synagogē, "assembly" he בית כנסת beit knesset, "house of A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger ^[134] Despite efforts to maintain peaceful religious coexistence, some sites, such as the Temple Mount, have been a continuous source of friction and controversy. The Temple Mount ( הַר הַבַּיִת, Har haBáyit) also called the Noble Sanctuary ( الحرم القدسي الشريف, al-haram

The Western Wall and Dome of the Rock. The Western Wall (הכותל המערבי translit: HaKotel HaMa'aravi) sometimes referred to as the Wailing Wall or simply the Kotel (lit The Dome of the Rock ( Arabic: مسجد قبة الصخرة translit The compound on which the Dome of the Rock sits is known to Jews as the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism, and known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif, one of the three holiest sites in Islam. The Dome of the Rock ( Arabic: مسجد قبة الصخرة translit The Temple Mount ( הַר הַבַּיִת, Har haBáyit) also called the Noble Sanctuary ( الحرم القدسي الشريف, al-haram Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut The Temple Mount ( הַר הַבַּיִת, Har haBáyit) also called the Noble Sanctuary ( الحرم القدسي الشريف, al-haram For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation.

Jerusalem has been sacred to the Jews since the 10th century BCE,^[6] as the site of Solomon's Temple and the Second Temple. Solomon's Temple (בית המקדש transliterated Beit HaMikdash) also known as the First Temple, was according to The Second Temple (בית המקדש romanized 'Beit HaMikdash' meaning 'Holy House' was the reconstructed Temple in Jerusalem which stood between 516 BCE and 70 CE It is mentioned in the Bible 632 times. Today, the Western Wall, a remnant of the Second Temple, is a holy site for Jews, second only to the Temple Mount itself. The Western Wall (הכותל המערבי translit: HaKotel HaMa'aravi) sometimes referred to as the Wailing Wall or simply the Kotel (lit ^[135] Synagogues around the world are traditionally built with the Holy Ark facing Jerusalem,^[136] and Arks within Jerusalem face the "Holy of Holies". Women praying in the Western Wall tunnels by David Shankbonejpg|thumb|Women praying in the tunnel at the closest physical point for observant women to the Holy of Holies. ^[137] As prescribed in the Mishna and codified in the Shulchan Aruch, daily prayers are recited while facing towards Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. The Mishnah or Mishna (he משנה "repetition" from the verb shanah he שנה or "to study and review" is a major work of Rabbinic Judaism The Shulchan Aruch (שולחן ערוך literally " Set Table " (also Shulhan Aruch or Shulchan Arukh) is a Codification Many Jews have "Mizrach" plaques hung on a wall of their homes to indicate the direction of prayer. In Judaism, mizrah ( Hebrew: מזרח "east" is the direction to be faced during prayer ^[137][138]

The main entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Christianity reveres Jerusalem not only for its role in the Old Testament but also for its significance in the life of Jesus. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Sanctum Sepulchrum also called the Church of the Resurrection, ( Greek: Ναός της Αναστάσεως Naos tis Anastaseos In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) According to Biblical accounts, Jesus was brought to the city of Jerusalem not long after his birth^[139] and later in his life cleansed the Second Temple. ^[140] The Cenacle, believed to be the site of Jesus' Last Supper, is located on Mount Zion in the same building that houses the Tomb of King David. Cenacle has a modern and a biblical meaning After the 19th century Cenacle is used for a small gathering of specialists (esp In the Christian Gospels the Last Supper (also called the Lord's Supper or Mystical Supper) was the last meal Jesus shared with his Mount Zion (הר צִיּוֹן Har Tzion) is a hill just outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. King David's Tomb (קבר דוד המלך is believed to be situated on Mount Zion near the Old City of Jerusalem, Israel. ^[141][142] Another prominent Christian site in Jerusalem is Golgotha, the site of the crucifixion. "Golgotha" redirects here For other uses see Golgotha (disambiguation. Crucifixion (from Latin crucifixio, noun of process crucifixio, from perfect passive participle crucifixus, fixed to a cross from The Gospel of John describes it as being located outside Jerusalem,^[143] but recent archaeological evidence suggests Golgotha is a short distance from the Old City walls, within the present-day confines of the city. The Gospel of John (literally According to John; Greek, Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Kata Iōannēn) is the fourth Gospel in the canon ^[144] The land currently occupied by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is considered one of the top candidates for Golgotha and thus has been a Christian pilgrimage site for the past two thousand years. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Sanctum Sepulchrum also called the Church of the Resurrection, ( Greek: Ναός της Αναστάσεως Naos tis Anastaseos ^{[144][145][146]}

Jerusalem is widely considered the third-holiest city in Islam. There are many Holy sites in various Islāmic traditions For all muslims the Ka'bah is considered the Holiest shrine followed by Masjidun Nabawi ( The Prophet's Mosque ^[7] For approximately a year, before it was permanently switched to the Kabaa in Mecca, the qibla (direction of prayer) for Muslims was Jerusalem. The Kaaba ( Arabic: ar الكعبة; 'kɑʕbɑ or 'kæʕbæ "Cube" is a Cuboidal building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the Mecca ˈmɛkə also spelled Makkah ˈmækə (in full Makkah Al-Mukarramah (Arabic mækːæ(t ælmʊkarˑamæ مكّة المكرمة, literally Honored Qiblah ( ar قبلة, also transliterated as Kiblah) is an Arabic word for the direction that should be faced when a Muslim prays during Ṣalāt ( Arabic: صلاة‎, pl ṣalawāt, Qur'anic Arabic: صلوة ṣalawah) (also munz in Pashto and ^[147] The city's lasting place in Islam, however, is primarily due to Muhammad's Night of Ascension (c. IMPORTANT PLEASE READ ##### For all questions relating to the addition of (pbuh peace be upon him or other honorifics In Islamic tradition the Isra and Mi'raj (الإسراء والمعراج) are the two parts of a journey that Muhammad took in one night around the year 620 620 CE). Muslims believe Muhammad was miraculously transported one night from Mecca to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, whereupon he ascended to Heaven to meet previous prophets of Islam. Mecca ˈmɛkə also spelled Makkah ˈmækə (in full Makkah Al-Mukarramah (Arabic mækːæ(t ælmʊkarˑamæ مكّة المكرمة, literally Honored Jannah (جنّة is the Islamic conception of Paradise. The Arabic form Jannah is a shortened version meaning simply "Garden" Muslims regard as Prophets of Islam ( Arabic: نبي) those non-divine humans chosen by Allah as Prophets ^[148][149] The first verse in the Qur'an's Surat al-Isra notes the destination of Muhammad's journey as al-Aqsa (the farthest) mosque,^[150] in reference to the location in Jerusalem. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran Sura Al-Isra ( Arabic: سورة الإسراء, Sūratu al-Isrā, "The Night Journey " also called Sura Bani Isra'il Today, the Temple Mount is topped by two Islamic landmarks intended to commemorate the event — al-Aqsa Mosque, derived from the name mentioned in the Qur'an, and the Dome of the Rock, which stands over the Foundation Stone, from which Muslims believe Muhammad ascended to Heaven. Al-Aqsa Mosque ( Arabic:المسجد الاقصى /æl'mæsdʒɪd æl'ɑqsˁɑ/ {{Audio|ArAqsaMosque The Dome of the Rock ( Arabic: مسجد قبة الصخرة translit The Foundation Stone ( Hebrew: אבן השתייה translit Even haShetiya) or Rock ( Arabic: translit ^[151]

Sports

The two most popular sports in Jerusalem, and Israel as a whole, are football (soccer) and basketball. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m ^[152] Beitar Jerusalem Football Club is one of the most popular teams in Israel. Beitar Jerusalem FC (מועדון כדורגל בית"ר ירושלים Mōadōn Kadūregel Beitár Yerushaláyim) is an Israeli Football (soccer Fans include several former and current political figures who make a point of attending its games. ^[153] Jerusalem's other major football team, and one of Beitar's top rivals, is Hapoel Jerusalem Football Club. Hapoel "Peace" Jerusalem Football Club ( Hebrew: מועדון כדורגל הפועל "השלום" ירושלים Moadon Kadouregel Hapoel haShalom Yerushalayim Whereas Beitar has been Israel State Cup champion five times,^[154] Hapoel has only won the Cup once. The State Cup (גביע המדינה Gvia HaMedina) is the second most important tournament in Israeli football after Ligat ha'Al the top division Also, Beitar plays in the more prestigious premier league, while Hapoel is in the third division national league. Structure There are 12 teams in Liga Artzit Each team plays thirty three matches the first 22 matches are played on a home and away basis with the last 11 fixtures based on league

In basketball, Hapoel Jerusalem is higher up on the scale. Hapoel 'Migdal' Jerusalem (הפועל 'מגדל' ירושלים is a Basketball team based in Jerusalem, Israel. In a league dominated by Maccabi Tel Aviv it has yet to win a championship, but it has won the Israeli Cup three times, and it took the European ULEB Cup in 2004. Maccabi "Electra" Tel Aviv (מכבי "אלקטרה" תל-אביב is a professional Basketball team based in Tel Aviv, playing in the ^[155] Since its opening in 1992, Teddy Kollek Stadium has been Jerusalem's primary football stadium, with a capacity of 21,000. Teddy Stadium (אצטדיון טדי Itztadion Teddy) is a multi-use Stadium in Jerusalem, Israel. ^[156]

Economy

Ben Yehuda Street on Shabbat, when businesses are closed

Historically, Jerusalem's economy was supported almost exclusively by religious pilgrims, as it was located far from the major ports of Jaffa and Gaza. Ben Yehuda Street (מדרחוב בן יהודה known as the Midrachov, is a lively Pedestrian mall in downtown Jerusalem, Israel. Shabbat or Shabbos ( Hebrew: שַׁבָּת, shabbāt, shabbes, "rest/inactivity" is the Weekly Sabbath Jaffa يَافَا;(יָפוֹ Yafo; also Japho, Joppa) is an ancient Port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world Gaza (غزة, עַזָּה ʕazzā is the largest city in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories. ^[157] Jerusalem's religious landmarks today remain the top draw for foreign visitors, with the majority of tourists visiting the Western Wall and the Old City,^[3] but in the past half-century it has become increasingly clear that Jerusalem's providence cannot solely be sustained by its religious significance. The Western Wall (הכותל המערבי translit: HaKotel HaMa'aravi) sometimes referred to as the Wailing Wall or simply the Kotel (lit The Old City (העיר העתיקה HaIr HaAtika, البلدة القديمة al-Balda al-Qadimah) is a 0 ^[157]

Although many statistics indicate economic growth in the city, since 1967 East Jerusalem has lagged behind the development of West Jerusalem. East Jerusalem refers to the part of Jerusalem captured by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and subsequently by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. ^[157] Nevertheless, the percentage of households with employed persons is higher for Arab households (76. 1%) than for Jewish households (66. 8%). The unemployment rate in Jerusalem (8. 3%) is slightly better than the national average (9. 0%), although the civilian labor force accounted for less than half of all persons fifteen years or older — lower in comparison to that of Tel Aviv (58. In Economics the people in the labor force are the suppliers of labor Tel Aviv-Yafo (תֵּל ־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ تل أبيب Tal ʾAbīb) (usually Tel Aviv) is the second-largest city in Israel 0%) and Haifa (52. Haifa (חֵיפָה; حَيْفَا) is the largest City in Northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country with 4%). ^[3] Poverty in the city has increased dramatically in recent years; between 2001 and 2007, the number of people below the poverty threshold increased by forty percent. The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of Income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate Standard of living in a given country ^[158] In 2006, the average monthly income for a worker in Jerusalem was NIS5,940 (US$1,410), NIS1,350 less than that for a worker in Tel Aviv. The Israeli New Sheqel ( ( sign: ₪; code: ILS) (also spelled unofficially shekel; pl The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ^[158]

During the British Mandate, a law was passed requiring all buildings to be constructed of Jerusalem stone in order to preserve the unique historic and aesthetic character of the city. The Palestine Mandate, was a set of protocols or articles that formed a multilateral legal and administrative agreement Meleke (ملكي also transliterated melekeh or malaki) is a lithologic type of white coarsely crystalline thickly ^[54] Complementing this building code, which is still in force, is the discouragement of heavy industry in Jerusalem; only about 2. Heavy industry does not have a single fixed meaning as compared to Light industry. 2% of Jerusalem's land is zoned for "industry and infrastructure. " By comparison, the percentage of land in Tel Aviv zoned for industry and infrastructure is twice as high, and in Haifa, seven times as high. ^[3] Only 8. 5% of the Jerusalem District work force is employed in the manufacturing sector, which is half the national average (15. The Jerusalem District is one of six administrative districts of Israel. 8%). Higher than average percentages are employed in education (17. 9% vs. 12. 7%); health and welfare (12. 6% vs. 10. 7%); community and social services (6. 4% vs. 4. 7%); hotels and restaurants (6. 1% vs. 4. 7%); and public administration (8. 2% vs. 4. 7%). ^[159] Although Tel Aviv remains Israel's financial center, a growing number of high tech companies are moving to Jerusalem, providing 12,000 jobs in 2006. High tech is Technology that is at the cutting edge —the most advanced technology currently available ^[160] Northern Jerusalem's Har Hotzvim industrial park is home to some of Israel's major corporations, among them Intel, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, and ECI Telecom. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (טבע תעשיות פרמצבטיות בע"מ is an international Pharmaceutical company headquartered in Petah Tikva ECI Telecom Ltd, is a telecommunication equipment manufacturer based in Petah Tikva, Israel. Expansion plans for the park envision one hundred businesses, a fire station, and a school, covering an area of 530,000 m² (130 acres). ^[161]

Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the national government has remained a major player in Jerusalem's economy. The government, centered in Jerusalem, not only generates a large number of jobs, but also offers subsidies and incentives for new business initiatives and start-ups. In Economics, a subsidy (also known as a subvention is a form of financial assistance paid to a business or economic sector ^[157]

Transportation

Main article: Transport in Jerusalem

Jerusalem's Central Bus Station

The airport nearest to Jerusalem is Atarot Airport, which was used for domestic flights only until its closure in 2001. Transport in Jerusalem is characterized by a well-developed inter-city network and an emerging developing intra-city network The Jerusalem Central Bus Station is the main Bus depot in Jerusalem, Israel and one of the busiest bus stations in the country Atarot Airport officially known Jerusalem International Airport, is a domestic-only airport in northern Jerusalem. Since then it has been under the control of the Israel Defense Forces due to disturbances in Ramallah and the West Bank. Ramallah ( Arabic:) (lit "Height of God" is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank adjacent to Al-Bireh with a population 118000 The West Bank (الضفة الغربية, הגדה המערבית Hagadah Hamaaravit) also referred to in Israel as " Judea and Samaria All air traffic from Atarot was rerouted to Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel's largest and busiest airport, which serves nine million passengers annually. Ben Gurion International Airport (נמל התעופה בן גוריון Namal HaTe'ūfa Ben Gūryōn,, also referred to by its Hebrew acronym Natbag (נתב"ג ^[162]

Egged Bus Cooperative, the second-largest bus company in the world,^[163] handles most of the local and intercity bus service out of the city's Central Bus Station on Jaffa Road near the western entrance to Jerusalem from highway 1. Egged Israel Transport Cooperative Society Ltd (אגד is the largest Bus company in Israel, and the second largest in the world (after London Buses The Jerusalem Central Bus Station is the main Bus depot in Jerusalem, Israel and one of the busiest bus stations in the country Jaffa Road (شارع يافا רחוב יפו is one of the longest and oldest streets in Jerusalem. Highway 1 (כביש 1 is the main highway connecting Tel Aviv with Jerusalem.

Israel Railways runs a limited rail service to Malha train station, from Tel Aviv via Beit Shemesh. Israel Railways (רכבת ישראל Rakévet Yisra'él) is Israel 's government-owned national railway company and is responsible for all inter-city and suburban The Jerusalem Malha Railway Station is the main Train station in Jerusalem, operated by Israel Railways. Beit Shemesh (בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ officially also spelled Bet Shemesh) is a city in Israel 's Jerusalem District, at the end of 2007 home ^[164][165]

Begin Expressway is one of Jerusalem's major north-south thoroughfares; it runs on the western side of the city until its northern end merges with Route 443, which continues toward Tel Aviv. Route 404, usually referred to as Menachem Begin Expressway (or Begin Boulevard) is an urban Freeway in western Jerusalem named after sixth Route 443 (כביש 443 מעלה בית חורון also Ma'ale Beit Horon (ascent of Beth-Horon) is the main highway connecting Modi'in with Route 60 runs through the center of the city near the Green Line that, de facto, separates East Jerusalem from West Jerusalem. Route 60 (כביש 60 is a north-south intercity road in Israel and the West Bank that stretches from Beersheba to Nazareth. The term Green Line is used to refer to the 1949 Armistice lines established between Israel and its neighbours ( Egypt, Jordan, Construction is progressing on parts of a 35-kilometer (22-mile) ring road around the city, fostering faster connection between the suburbs. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California. ^[166][167] The eastern half of the project was conceptualized decades ago, but reaction to the proposed highway is still mixed. ^[166]

As of 2007, Egged buses, taxicabs and private cars are the only transportation options in Jerusalem. However, this will change with the completion of the Jerusalem Light Rail, a new rail-based transit system currently under construction. The Jerusalem Light Rail project consists of one and at a later stage multiple Light rail lines to provide rapid public transport in Jerusalem. A rail-based system was first envisioned in 1995; since then, a light rail system has been chosen over a subway or monorail design due to its cheaper cost, minimal disruption, and preservation of the city center's aesthetics. For specific light rail systems many of which use the words "light rail" as part of their name see List of light-rail transit systems. A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway A monorail is a transportation system based on a single beam The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system or the vehicles travelling on such a beam or ^[168] The rail system will be capable of transporting an estimated 200,000 people daily. It will have twenty four stops, and is scheduled for completion in January 2009. ^[169]

Another work in progress^[169] is the new high-speed rail line from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which is scheduled to be completed in 2011. Tel Aviv-Yafo (תֵּל ־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ تل أبيب Tal ʾAbīb) (usually Tel Aviv) is the second-largest city in Israel Its terminus will be an underground station (80m deep) serving the national Convention centre and the Central Bus Station,^[170] and is planned to be extended eventually to Malha station. The Jerusalem Malha Railway Station is the main Train station in Jerusalem, operated by Israel Railways.

Education

The campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem atop Mount Scopus

Jerusalem is home to several prestigious universities, with courses offered in Hebrew, Arabic, and English. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (האוניברסיטה העברית בירושלים الجامعة العبرية في القدس abbreviated HUJI) is Mount Scopus ( Hebrew הַר הַצּוֹפִים ( Har HaTzofim) Arabic جبل المشارف Ǧabal al-Mašārif, Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Founded in 1925, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem^[171] is one of the most respected institutions of higher learning in Israel. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (האוניברסיטה העברית בירושלים الجامعة العبرية في القدس abbreviated HUJI) is The Board of Governors has included such prominent Jewish intellectuals as Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud. Albert Einstein ( German: ˈalbɐt ˈaɪ̯nʃtaɪ̯n; English: ˈælbɝt ˈaɪnstaɪn (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955 was a German -born theoretical Sigmund Freud (ˈziːkmʊnt ˈfʁɔʏt born Sigismund Shlomo Freud (May 6 1856 &ndash September 23 1939 was an Austrian Psychiatrist who founded ^[55] The university has produced several Nobel laureates; recent winners associated with Hebrew University include Avram Hershko,^[172] David Gross,^[173] and Daniel Kahneman. The Nobel Prize (Nobelpriset (Nobelprisen is a Swedish prize established in the 1895 will of Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel; it was first awarded in Peace, Literature This is a list of Nobel Prize Laureates awarded for their outstanding contributions to Humanitarian causes for Peace, work in Literature Avram Hershko (אברהם הרשקו (born 31 December 1937) is an Israeli biochemist and Nobel laureate in Chemistry David Jonathan Gross (born February 19, 1941 in Washington DC Daniel Kahneman (דניאל כהנמן (born 5 March 1934 is an Israeli American psychologist and Nobel laureate, notable for his work on ^[174] One of the university's major assets is the Jewish National and University Library, which houses over five million books. ^[175] The library opened in 1892, over three decades before the university was established, and is one of the world's largest repositories of books on Jewish subjects. Today it is both the central library of the university and the national library of Israel. ^[176] The Hebrew University operates three campuses in Jerusalem, on Mount Scopus, on Giv'at Ram and a medical campus at the Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital. Mount Scopus ( Hebrew הַר הַצּוֹפִים ( Har HaTzofim) Arabic جبل المشارف Ǧabal al-Mašārif, Givat Ram (גבעת רם originally גבעת ריכוז-מפקדים lit Hadassah Medical Center (מרכז רפואי הדסה includes two University hospitals at Ein Kerem and Mount Scopus in Jerusalem,

Al-Quds University was established in 1984,^[177] to serve as a flagship university for the Arab and Palestinian peoples. Al-Quds University ( جامعة القدس) is a Palestinian University in Jerusalem. It describes itself as the "only Arab university in Jerusalem". ^[178] Al-Quds University resides southeast of the city proper on a campus encompassing 190,000 square metres (47 acres). ^[177] Other institutions of higher learning in Jerusalem are the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance^[179] and Bezalel Academy of Art and Design,^[180] whose buildings are located on the campuses of the Hebrew University. The Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance ( Hebrew:האקדמיה למוסיקה ולמחול בירושלים founded in 1958, though its history dates back to the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design is Israel 's national school of art.

The campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem at Givat Ram

The Jerusalem College of Technology, founded in 1969, combines training in engineering and other high-tech industries with a Jewish studies program. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (האוניברסיטה העברית בירושלים الجامعة العبرية في القدس abbreviated HUJI) is Givat Ram (גבעת רם originally גבעת ריכוז-מפקדים lit The Jerusalem College of Technology (JCT ( Hebrew:בית הספר הגבוה לטכנולוגיה בירושלים is an Orthodox Jewish College Engineering is the Discipline and Profession of applying technical and scientific Knowledge and ^[181] It is one of many schools in Jerusalem, from elementary school and up, that combine secular and religious studies. Numerous religious educational institutions and Yeshivot are based in the city, with the Mir yeshiva claiming to be the largest. Yeshiva or yeshivah (jəʃi'və ( Hebrew: ישיבה "sitting (n This article concerns the post-war Mirrer yeshiva in Jerusalem ^[182] There were nearly 8,000 twelfth-grade students in Hebrew-language schools during the 2003–2004 school year. ^[3] However, due to the large portion of students in Haredi Jewish frameworks, only fifty-five percent of twelfth graders took matriculation exams (Bagrut) and only thirty-seven percent were eligible to graduate. Haredi or Chareidi Judaism is the most theologically conservative form of Orthodox Judaism. The Te'udat Bagrut, also written Te'udat Bagroot, (תעודת בגרות lit Unlike public schools, many Haredi schools do not prepare students to take standardized tests. The term public school has two distinct (and virtually opposite meanings depending on the location of usage in the United States, Australia and ^[3] To attract more university students to Jerusalem, the city has begun to offer a special package of financial incentives and housing subsidies to students who rent apartments in downtown Jerusalem. ^[183]

Schools for Arabs in Jerusalem and other parts of Israel have been criticized for offering a lower quality education than those catering to Israeli Jewish students. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding ^[184] While many schools in the heavily Arab East Jerusalem are filled to capacity and there have been complaints of overcrowding, the Jerusalem Municipality is currently building over a dozen new schools in the city's Arab neighborhoods. East Jerusalem refers to the part of Jerusalem captured by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and subsequently by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. Three schools, in the neighborhoods of Ras el-Amud and Umm Lison, will open in 2008. ^[185] In March 2007, the Israeli government approved a 5-year plan to build 8,000 new classrooms in the city, 40 percent in the Arab sector and 28 percent in the Haredi sector. A budget of 4. 6 billion shekels was allocated for this project. ^[186] In 2008, Jewish British philanthropists donated $3 million for the construction of schools in Arab East Jerusalem. ^[187]Arab high school students take the Bagrut matriculation exams, so that much of their curriculum parallels that of other Israeli high schools and includes certain Jewish subjects. The Te'udat Bagrut, also written Te'udat Bagroot, (תעודת בגרות lit ^[184]

See also

• International Day of Quds
• List of places in Jerusalem
• Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day)
• Yishuv haYashan

Sister cities

• New York City, USA (1993)^[188][189]

• Buenos Aires, Argentina

Endnotes

References

Other resources

Panoramic view on the Western Wall and Dome of the Rock

• Cheshin, Amir S. The Western Wall (הכותל המערבי translit: HaKotel HaMa'aravi) sometimes referred to as the Wailing Wall or simply the Kotel (lit The Dome of the Rock ( Arabic: مسجد قبة الصخرة translit ; Bill Hutman and Avi Melamed (1999). Separate and Unequal: the Inside Story of Israeli Rule in East Jerusalem Harvard University Press
• Cline, Eric (2004) Jerusalem Besieged: From Ancient Canaan to Modern Israel. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press ISBN 0-472-11313-5.
• Collins, Larry, and La Pierre, Dominique (1988). O Jerusalem! Simon and Shuster, N. Y. ISBN 0-671-66241-4
• Gold, Dore (2007) The Fight for Jerusalem: Radical Islam, The West, and the Future of the Holy City Regnery Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-1-59698-029-7
• Köchler, Hans (1981) The Legal Aspects of the Palestine Problem with Special Regard to the Question of Jerusalem Vienna: Braumüller ISBN 3-7003-0278-9
• The Holy Cities: Jerusalem produced by Danae Film Production, distributed by HDH Communications; 2006
• Wasserstein, Bernard (2002) Divided Jerusalem: The Struggle for the Holy City New Haven and London: Yale University Press. Hans Köchler (born October 18 1948 in Schwaz, Tyrol, Austria) is Full Professor of Philosophy and Chairman ISBN 0-300-09730-1

External links

• Official website of Jerusalem
• Jerusalemp3, offers free virtual tours in mp3 format from the Jerusalem Municipality
• City of David
• Virtual Tour of the Old City of Jerusalem - Panoramic tour of the Old City's historical sites
• HAMEKASHER, A nostalgic website dedicated to a bus company operated in Jerusalem from the early 30's until 1967

• Jerusalem travel guide from Wikitravel

Government

• The Status of JerusalemPDF (159 KB), United Nations document related to the recent dispute over Jerusalem
• Basic Law: Jerusalem, Capital of Israel, Government of Israel, the Israeli law making Jerusalem the capital of Israel

Culture

• Israel Museum, one of Jerusalem's premier art museums
• Yad Vashem, Israeli memorial to victims of The Holocaust

Education

• Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem's foremost institution of higher learning
• al-Quds University, "the only Arab university in Jerusalem"

Maps

• Modern-day map of Jerusalem, from the Jerusalem Municipality
• Ancient Maps of Jerusalem, from the Jewish National Library at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Media

• The Jerusalem Post, the oldest and largest English-language Israeli newspaper (formerly The Palestine Post)
• Ha'aretz, major source of Israeli news
• Ynetnews, major source of Israeli news
• Arutz Sheva (see also: Arutz Sheva)