Five Favorite Jerusalem Facts
Do you enjoy looking at maps? I do too! Since this great city figures so prominently in the Bible, it's important to be able to identify key Jerusalem landmarks including the Temple mount, the Mount of Olives, and the Garden of Gesthemane. (Find them?)
For Susanne's popular Friday Fave Five meme at Living to Tell the Story, I'd like to share the following information discovered during my personal study time this week. (Pop quiz tomorrow!)
1. At the time the Israelites entered their Promised Land, Jerusalem was held by a local tribe, the Jebusites. Bounded on three sides by valleys, it was a natural stronghold. King David sent his men up through the water tunnel to take the city. David built himself a palace and his son Solomon built the Temple on Mount Moriah. Jerusalem's importance as a site chosen by God for His special purposes dates from His call to Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice in this same location on Mount Moriah (Gen 22).
2. Jerusalem is often called Zion. The name may mean "citadel" or "fortress." It seems initially to have referred to the ridge on which the Jebusite fortress was placed. From this it was transferred to the Temple Mount, hence the references to Zion as God's holy hill (Ps 2:6). Thus Zion is often the holy center of Jerusalem, not Jerusalem itself.
3. After the Jews returned from exile in Babylon, the Temple was rebuilt. This "Second Temple" was enlarged and embellished by Herod the Great during an extended 40-year building project. Attacking from the weakest point in the north, the Romans destroyed Herod's Temple in 70 A.D.
The sole physical remains of the Temple are parts of the retaining wall around the Temple enclosure, most famously the Western Wall, known as the Wailing Wall, where Jews still lament their loss.
4. "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.'" (Rev 21:1-4 NIV)
5. Psalm 122
I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD."Our feet are standing
in your gates, O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
That is where the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD,
to praise the name of the LORD
according to the statute given to Israel.
There the thrones for judgment stand,
the thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
"May those who love you be secure.
May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels."
For the sake of my brothers and friends,
I will say, "Peace be within you."
For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your prosperity.
Images: Historic Jesus & Topographical map of Jerusalem
Up Next—100th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts
What else can you add to my knowledge of Jerusalem?
14 Comments:
Very interesting!
I LOVE learning about Jerusalem! I can't wait to go there someday. A dear friend went this past summer and I am learning so much from her. She is doing a series on her blog about how it is called the "Fifth Gospel" because the land itself teaches and illustrates so much Biblical truth. I loved seeing her pictures of each of the sites. It was neat looking at your map and picturing in my mind all the photos and stories I had heard from her about those sites, or even the danger (or lack of) that she felt. Great post, thank you!
Thank you! I appreciate visuals, and I love learning things that make history more accessible.
Great post! Love learning about the Bible! When I was about 13, my parents took us on a trip to Israel. It was so cool! I can't wait to go the New Jerusalem! :)
Interesting facts!
Two favorite hymns that I rarely hear any more are about Jerusalem. One is "Jerusalem the Golden" (http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/j/t/jtgolden.htm, though I've only heard the first four verses) and "Jerusalem, My Happy Home" (http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/j/j008.html), both about the new, heavenly Jerusalem. The latter had been sung often by the choir in the church we attended when we were first married, and that arrangement had a bass solo part in one of the stanzas. I always loved it, but it was especially poignant to me when reading Uncle Tom's Cabin, when Uncle Tom sang it on the way to his new cruel master's home, looking forward to the day his suffering would end.
Thanks..so enjoyed...now I want to go and just hide and study! I can't...I have teen book club here this afternoon and must clean with my four year old at my feet. Thanks for sharing so I could enjoy before I start my day...just great!
I know what I will be doing when I have an empty nest!!!
I find Israel, Jerusalem and Jewish history fascinating.
Great facts! Last semester I took a class on the land and people of Israel. It was very interesting. Great review! I admire your study.
I love how you did your FFF. A great visual of Jerusalem. Thanks for sharing this with us.
so informative!! thanks for sharing..I learned alot tonite :)
I did already know about #1, 2...we actually studied that in the early summer Bible study I was in....there are no coincidences with God! :)
Really interesting!
Have a great week. I'd love to go!
My FFF friends: Thank you all for visiting. I've sent personal email replies to most of you. Hugs!
Some interesting facts here :) I hadn't realised the significance of Mount Moriah.
Buffy: Yes, "Zion" is actually Mt. Moriah. It's a very, very, very important place to God. (Did I put enough "verys" in there?) Blessings! ღ
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