Jerusalem

Jerusalem, also known as Salem or Zion, is the Jewish holy city and the third holiest city in Islam. After King David conquered the city, it became the capital of the United Israelite Kingdom and later of Judea.

King Solomon built the first Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, which I believe was destroyed when Judea was conquered by the Babylonian Empire. The Second Temple was built in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, and expanded in the time of King Herod. The second temple was destroyed in the Great Jewish Revolt, c. 70 AD.

Jerusalem is also used in a poetic context to refer to the nation of Israel, or to the Jewish people. The end of Revelations speaks of a New Jerusalem to come.

Introduction 

Out of all the places on earth, the Almighty God of creation, Yahweh [Greek: Jehovah] chose [ordained] Jerusalem to be the place of His earthly dwelling and the place in which to make His name known to all the inhabited earth [Moriah (Hebrew: מוריה, Mōriyyā = "ordained/considered by YHWH") [1].

To accomplish this aim, Yahweh planted there, an earthly seed from whose sprouting [offspring] would arise the one true Lord of salvation, Jesus Christ (For the family lineage of Christ, see Matthew 1:1-16 ).

The Temple Mount [aka Mount Moriah] in Jerusalem was the most important place in ancient Jerusalem. For that is where the Temple of God Yahweh once stood. This Temple was first built by King Solomon in the 10th century BC. It was rebuilt by Nehemiah around 438BC following its destruction by Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. This was the site where Abraham was tested by God and where Jacob saw the "stairway to Heaven" in a vision. The Temple Mount is also the place where King David placed the Ark of the Covenant and built an altar for worship.

For Christians, Jesus' Christ's Last Supper, His subsequent trial and execution [33AD], and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit [Pentecost] were the most significant events to have ever taken place in Jerusalem, and these events, for Christians, are what made ancient Jerusalem the holiest city in the world! Here is where God planted His first church. It was administered by His apostles [see Church of the Apostles]. Two of the many atrocities committed against Christians in Jerusalem during the Roman Empire period were the stoning of the apostle Stephen ] and the murder of the apostle James the Less.

For Jews, Jerusalem is the holiest city and the center of worship. [5] For Muslims, it is the third holiest city, being the place from which the Prophet Muhammad is believed to have risen to heaven. On the summit of the Temple Mount stands the Dome of the Rock. It was constructed by Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab during the Arab conquest in 638AD, and stood directly over the Foundation Stone. [6]

Down through the ages, Jerusalem faced many incursions. The most devastating were the destruction of the First Temple in 586BC and the utterdestruction of the Second Temple by Romans in 70 AD.

Other religious sites in Jerusalem are the Western Wall [7] and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. [8][9]

Today, Jerusalem is at the center of the Jewish and Palestinian conflict. Nevertheless, it remains a multi-national city as well as a symbol of holiness and divinity for Jews, Christians, Muslims, and other faiths that have religious roots there.

EARLY HISTORY

'Early Inhabitants of Jerusalem [aka Salem, Jebus]'

The Canaanites

Before the ancient Israelites came to settle in the land of Canaan, it was occupied by the Canaanites - a group of people who had migrated from Mesopotamia. According to the Bible, and some historical sources, the Canaanites were descendants of Ham [one of Noah's three sons]. Many Christians and others hold the view that their migration to Canaan was caused by a great scattering of peoples following the Tower of Babel incident. [10] [See the Table of Nations]. Scholars now give 4000BC as the possible settlement period for Jerusalem.

The Jebusites

The Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem [See Genesis 10]were a Canaanite tribe which scholars have placed somewhere between the biblical Hittites and the Amorites in the Table of Nations. Earlier biblical scholars asserted that the Jebusites were identical to the Hittites. However, Edward Lipinski, professor of Oriental and Slavonic studies at the Catholic University of Leuven, contends that the Jebusites were most likely an Amorite tribe, and has identified them with the group referred to as Yabusi'um. [Source:Wikipedia]

Araunah (aka Ornan), a Jebusite during the time of the United Monarchy [Kingdom], is described in the Books of Samuel as having sold his threshing floor to King David, upon which King David constructed an altar to God. This altar, we are told, became the core of the Temple of Solomon. [Araunah means the "lord" in Hittite, so most scholars, who consider the Jebusites to have been Hittites, have argued that Araunah may have been another king of Jerusalem.]

Melchizedek

A highly important figure in Jerusalem at the time of Abraham was Melchizedek. Very little is known about him, except what is found in the Bible; and that is, he was "was without father or mother, and without a beginning or end of days." The Bible also points out that he was the King of Righteousness, [Zedek] and Priest of the Most High God [Yahweh]. The account at Genesis further brings out that Melchizedek blessed Abraham with bread and wine, and received tithes from him. [Genesis 14:17-20]. Some scholars believe that Melchizedek, being priest and king, was likely to have been associated with a sanctuary, probably dedicated to Zedek; and they suspect that the Temple of Solomon was simply a natural evolution of this sanctuary.

'Israelite Settlement of Jerusalem'

Abraham, Isaac & Jacob

It's important to note that, before the Israelites came to settle in the land of Canaan, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had lived there as alien residents over four hundred years earlier. God had called for Abraham to offer up his son Isaac as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah, the Temple's site (See Genesis 22:2), and Jacob had received a divine vision of a "Gateway to Heaven" on what many believe to be Mount Moriah (See Genesis 28:10-18). 

The Initial Arrival

Before crossing the Jordan into Canaan, the Israelite tribes had been slaves in Egypt. This was since the time of Jacob. After being delivered from bondage by the hand of God, they had sojourned in the desert wilderness for 40 years. Then Joseph, their chosen leader, led them to the land that God had promised to Abraham and his seed.

The Israelites arrived in Canaan after miraculously crossing the Jordan River, near the city of Jericho. After conquering the city of Jericho, they went subduing other cities of Canaan. They carried the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant and twelve stones to Shiloh where they set up the Tabernacle of God for worship. It was here also that Joshua allotted land to the twelve tribes, giving Jerusalem to the tribe of Benjamin (See Joshua 4:19 and Joshua 18:21). 

FIRST TEMPLE PERIOD
'King David's Reign [The United Kingdom]'

When King David began reigning in 970BC, Israel was a United Monarchy, a union of the twelve Israelite tribes. His reign lasted until his death in 930 BC. He reigned in Jerusalem 33 years and 7 years in Hebron. [15]

King David, a Christ figure, was Israel's first divinely chosen Monarch, who ruled justly and righteously. He could rightly be also called a prophet for his prophetic Psalms that spoke of the coming of the Messiah (See Psalms 22).

Jerusalem Made the Capital City

King David's first goal as King was to establish a capital city for government, and he chose Jerusalem. Since the Jebusites still had control of the city, they protested David's attempt because they knew that Jerusalem had the strongest fortress in Canaan. According to the version of the story in the masoretic text, David did manage to conquer the city by a surprise attack, led by Joab. This was through the water supply tunnels (Jerusalem has no natural water supply except for the Gihon spring) and made Joab, son of Zeruiah, commander- in-chief." [16]

King David's Altar to God in Jerusalem

After acquiring Jerusalem, King David had the priests bring the Ark of the covenant from its resting place in Shiloh to Jerusalem's Mount Moriah. Then he purchased the area referred to in the Bible as "Araunah's threshing floor"' and built an altar there for the worship of God [Yahweh]. This account is found in 1 Chronicles 21: 18-26 and reads:

"18 Then the angel of the LORD ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

19 So David went up in obedience to the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the LORD.

20 While Araunah was threshing wheat, he turned and saw the angel; his four sons who were with him hid themselves. 21 Then David approached, and when Araunah looked and saw him, he left the threshing floor and bowed down before David with his face to the ground.

22 David said to him, "Let me have the site of your threshing floor so I can build an altar to the LORD, that the plague on the people may be stopped. Sell it to me at the full price."

23 Araunah said to David, "Take it! Let my lord the king, do whatever pleases him. Look, I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give all this."

24 But King David replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the LORD what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing."

25 So David paid Araunah six hundred shekels [c] of gold for the site. 26 David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. [d] He called on the LORD, and the LORD answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.

The account continues at 1 Chronicles 16:1-2, and states:

"1 They brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before God.

2 After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD.

King David's Palace Residence in Jerusalem (City of David)

On the southern slope of Mount Moriah lies David's Palace [Fortress] dwelling. David took up residence in the fortress and it was called "the City of David". The Bible relates how King David built up the city around it, from the supporting terraces to the surrounding wall, while Joab restored the rest of the city. It tells how King David grew very powerful because God was with him. [1 Chronicles 11:7-9]. The City of David is generally considered to have been the original Jerusalem.

'King Solomon's Reign [970–931BC] [The United Kingdom]'

King Solomon, son of King David, began reigning over the United Kingdom after his father's death in 970BC. Like his father, King Solomon ruled from Jerusalem, the capital city. His reign lasted 40 years. [18] [19]

Jerusalem's First Temple

Solomon's greatest accomplishment was the building of the Temple of God on Mount Moriah, located to the North of the City of David. This site, formerly Araunah's threshing floor [20], was also where King David had built the Altar of God. [21] The Temple was a huge magnificent structure, laden with gold and precious stones, and contained the Ark of the Covenant. It was modeled after the Tabernacle which God had Moses to build in the wilderness (See 1 Kings 6). [23] The Temple was where the Israelites came to pay their their vows to Yahweh and where God's priests carried out the prescribed religious ceremonies according to the Law given to Moses. [24] It was completed in 960BC.

Saint Stephen, in his testimony before the Sanhedrin, mentioned Solomon's construction of the Temple (Acts 7:47).

Solomon's Transgressions

During his reign, King Solomon disobeyed God by marrying foreign wives and worshipping idols [false gods], namely Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. The verse also mentions that. The Bible also informs us that Solomon even built temples to the national deities. In Deuteronomy 17, the Lord commands kings not to multiply horses, wives or gold. [25]

As a result of these transgressions, God made it known to Solomon that he would take the Kingdom from him because of the promise He had made to King David; and for the sake of Jerusalem, God would let his descendants continue to rule over Judah. (1 Chronicles 17: 11-14). 

Division of the United Kingdom'

When King Solomon died around 931BC, his son Rehoboam succeeded him as king. The ten northern tribes did not accept Rehoboam as their king but chose Jeroboam instead. [Jeroboam was not of the Davidic line.] Rehoboam, therefore, ruled over the kingdom of Judah, while Jeroboam ruled over Israel.

The revolt by the 10 tribes took place at Shechem. Although at first only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the house of David, very soon after, the tribe of Benjamin joined Judah. Jerusalem, which lay in Benjamin's territory (See Joshua 18:28), became the capital of the Kingdom of Judah, or Judah. According to 2 Chronicles 15:9, members of the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon "fled" to Judah during the reign of King. 

'Kingdom of Israel'

The Kingdom of Israel, by the way, committed acts of transgression against God; and as a consequence, was driven into exile and captivity in Khorason [region in Persia] in 722BC, by King Shalmaneser V and Sargon II of Assyria. Their capital city, Samaria, was destroyed. For information on Israel's transgressions and subsequent deportation, see 2 Kings 15:29 TNIV, 2 Kings 17:1-10, and the article entitled, "The Ten Lost Tribes of Israel: Looking for The Remnants," by Ariel Segal.]

'Kingdom of Judah'

The Kingdom of Judah included territories of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, an area of about 8,900 km2 (3,436 sq mi). Its capital was Jerusalem, which was in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin (See Joshua 18:28).

Zedekiah was Judah's last King. He was the son of Josiah? And trhe brother of King Ahaz. He ruled over the Kingdom of Judah from around 588-586BC, the year when King Nebuchadnezzar's made his second raid against Jerusalem (2 Kings 23:31, 24:17-18, 23:31, 24:17-18). At that time, the city was captured and the temple burned. King Zedekiah was blinded and taken into exile.

Judah's Captivity/Destruction of the Temple

Before Judah went into captivity for their many transgressions, the Lord sent them many warnings to through His prophet Ezekiel, but His warning went unheeded and Judah continued its rebellious acts.

Judah's Sins

The book of Ezekiel expounds upon the numerous sins that were being committed. The people were guilty for shedding blood and defiling themselves by making idols. The princes of Judah were despising God's holy things and desecrating His Sabbaths. In addition, they were oppressing the aliens and mistreating the fatherless children and the widows.

What must have infuriated God more than anything else was the fact that they were eating [the food of idols] at the mountain shrines. Men were committing lewd acts, dishonoring their fathers' bed, violating women and committing adultery with one's neighbor's wife. People were accepting bribes to shed blood, charging excessive interest [usury], and extorting money from neighbors. Finally, God said that they had forgotten Him, the Sovereign LORD [See Ezekiel 22:1-12].

God's Warnings through the Prophet Exekiel

God used Ezekiel as a sign for what would happen to the Israelites because of their many transgressions. At Ezekiel 12:10-11, Yahweh tells Ezekiel, "(10) Say thou unto them: "Thus saith the Lord GOD: Concerning the prince, even this burden, in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel among whom they are, (11) say: I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them--they shall go into exile, into captivity."

Again at Ezekiel 12: 17-20, we read, "(17) the word of the LORD came to me: (18) "Son of man, tremble as you eat your food, and shudder in fear as you drink your water. (19) Say to the people of the land: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says about those living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: They will eat their food in anxiety and drink their water in despair, for their land will be stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who live there. (20) The inhabited towns will be laid waste and the land will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD.' Exekiel 22:1-12 gives an account of some of the sins committed by Judah. It is revelaed by Ezekiel that God also beckoned the nation to turn back from its ways, saying, "Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices (Ezekiel 14:6)!" (Also See Ezekiel 16:1-43). 

Nebuchadnezzar's Invasion of Judah [586BC]

In 586 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar II conquered Judah, seizing Jerusalem and laying the First Temple to waste. The inhabitants were taken into exile in Babylon [Mesopotamia]. Much of the population of Judah was dispersed throughout the Babylonian Empire. [Also see Daniel.] This exile period lasted until 539 BC when God gave permission for a remnant to return. The First Temple period thus ended as prophesied by Ezekiel.

While in Babylon, on the banks of the Chebar River at a place called Tel-abib (mound of the deluge), Ezekiel continued to prophecy in the form of visions for 22 years. He had been exiled with Jehoiachin and the nobles of the country.

God's Mercy Prophecied

In spite of Israel and Judah's' rebellion, God promised to show mercy to His people by restoring them to their land. This is found in the book of Isiah and reads,

1 The LORD will have compassion on Jacob;
 * once again he will choose Israel
 * and will settle them in their own land.
 * Foreigners will join them
 * and unite with the house of Jacob. [Isaiah 14:1]
 * (Also see Isaiah 14:1-32)

Jeremiah also prophesied about how God would show mercy on His people in the future. Jeremiah 31:16-18 reads, "They will return from the land of the enemy. So there is hope for your future,' declares the LORD. 'Your children will return to their own land. 'I have surely heard Ephraim's moaning: 'You disciplined me like an unruly calf, and I have been disciplined. Restore me, and I will return, because you are the LORD my God. "

SECOND TEMPLE PERIOD
The Second Temple period is marked by the re-building of the Jerusalem Temple by Nehemiah, following the return of the captives from Babylonian exile.

'A Remnant Returns [from Babylon]'

In 537BC, after overthrowing Babylon, Cyrus the Great [Cyrus the Elder], King of the Persian Empire, granted Jews permission to return to their homeland. [More than 40,000 Jews are said to have returned] [See Jehoiakim, Ezra, and Nehemiah]. This event was in keeping with the Biblical prophecies of Isaiah and Ezekiel.

Building of the Second Temple by Nehemiah [538–516BC]

The building of the Second Temple by Nehemiah, began during the reign of Cyrus the Great, around 538 BC, seventy years after the destruction of the first Temple. It was completed by Nehemiah in 516BC.[add ref] The Temple was again, the center of Jewish worship, and Jerusalem remained the capital of Judah. [30]

During this period the Temple was also the center of Jewish worship, which focused on the sacrifices known as the korbanot. Construction of a new temple was begun in 535BC halted for a period until 521BC, and completed in 516BC. As described in the Book of Ezra, rebuilding of the Temple was authorized by Cyrus the Great of Persia and ratified by Darius the Great of Persia.

Return of Ezra and the Priests [459BC]

Ezra, a priestly scribe who was a descendant of Phinehas, son of Aaron [See Ezra 7:1-5], had also been taken captive by Babylonians. He led about 5,000 Israelite exiles to their home city of Jerusalem in 459BC in the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes I Longimanus. Artaxerxes readily granted him his requests and gave him gifts for the house of God.

Ezra and his followers rested on the banks of the Ahava for three days and organized their four-month march across the desert. After observing a day of public fasting and prayer, they left the banks of the River and traveled onwards to Jerusalem.

Upon arriving in Jerusalem, Ezra noticed that many Jews, including those of highstanding as well as priests, had disobeyed Jewish law and had married pagan, non-Hebrew women. Ezra took strenuous measures against such marriages, insisting upon the dismissal of these wives.

Macedonian [Greek] Control of Jerusalem and Judea

It would not be too long before another leader seek to invade and control Jerusalem. Following Alexander the Great's death in 323BC, his conquered territories were divided up amongst his generals. Judea soon became a territory that was controlled by one of these generals.

'Ptolemy V'

Judea became a province of the Ptolemaic dynasty under Ptolemy I in 305BC and remained under its rule until 198BC. The Ptolemaic dynasty was a Greek royal family which ruled the Ptolemaic Empire in Egypt during the Hellenistic period. [31] Ptolemaic rule in Judea ended during the Battle of Panium in 198BC. This battle was fought between Seleucid and Ptolemaic forces as part of the Syrian Wars. The Seleucids were victorious. [32]

'Antiochus III [Seleucid Dynaasty]'

In 198 BC, Ptolemy V lost Jerusalem and Judea to the Seleucids [Greeks] under Antiochus III [222–187 BC), who then became the 6th ruler of the Seleucid Empire [223 BC].

Anti-Jewish Deeds

Antiochus III was a cruel, tyrannical leader, who sought desperately to destroy the Jewish religion by forbidding Jews to worship their own God Yahweh and give obeisance to the false god Zeus instead. He destroyed of books and holy articles that tied the Jews to their religion, desecrated the Temple of God, and killed thousands upon thousands of resistors including priests, women and children.

Antiochus'Campaign to Annihilate Judaism

Antiochus was thorough in his vile attempts to annihilate the Jewish religion. He set up laws that prohibited the observance of the Sabbaths and the sacred festivals. He also outlawed circumcision. The sacred texts were to be surrendered to authorities, and the Jews were compelled to offer sacrifices to the idols that had been erected.

He set up a very aggressive inquisition to investigate all matters concerning the Jewish religion. They punished with death, anyone possessing a Jewish sacred text or performing the rite of circumcision.

Some claim that his ultimate aim was to consolidate his empire and strengthen his hold over the region. Nevertheless, this action was anathema to the Jews and they put up a strong resistance which resulted in the vicious and cruel counter-attack mentioned above.

Defilement of the Jerusalem Temple

Antiochus committed the ultimate atrocity by profaning God's Temple. He did this by dedicating the Temple to Zeus. On Kislev (Nov.-Dec.) 25, 168, the "abomination of desolation" (Dan. xi. 31, xii. 11) was set up on the altar of burnt offering in the Temple, and Antiochus forced the Jews to make obeisance to it (See Abomination of Desolation ). He also brought into the Temple, things that were forbidden by Jewish Law causing the Holy altar to be covered with abominable offerings.

In a state of rage, he entered the Temple precincts, plundered treasury, and carried away valuable utensils, such as the golden candlestick upon the altar, and the showbread table that overlaid throughout with pure gold.

This defilement of the Sanctuary, by the way, ended all attempts by Jason and the other Tobiads to Hellenize the people because of the outrage they all felt at the desecration of their Temple.

Destruction of the City of Jerusalem

Antiochus' officer, Apollonius, was sent throughout the country with an armed troop. He was commissioned to slay and destroy. He murdered, plundered, and burnt through the city's entire length and breadth. The men were butchered, women and children sold into slavery. Thus, two women who were arrested for having circumcised their children were publicly paraded about the city with their babies hanging at their breasts and then thrown down from the top of the city wall. Others, who had assembled in nearby caves to observe the Sabbath in secret, were betrayed, and all burned to death (2 Maccabees 6:1-11). In order to give permanence to the work of desolation, the walls and numerous houses were torn down.

'Revolt of the Maccabees'

The Maccabees were a Jewish national liberation movement that fought for and won independence from Antiochus IV Epiphanes of the Hellenistic Seleucid dynasty, who was succeeded by his infant son Antiochus V Eupator. The Maccabees established Jewish independence in the Hasmonean Kingdom for about one hundred years, from 164 BC to 63 BC. [34]

Inciting Incident

After Antiochus issued his decrees forbidding Jewish religious practices, a rural Jewish priest from Modiin, Mattathias the Hasmonean, refused to worship the Greek gods, thus sparking the revolt against the Seleucid Empire. Mattathias killed a Hellenistic Jew who stepped forward to offer a sacrifice to an idol in his place. He and his five sons then fled to the wilderness of Judea.

Maccabee's Victory

After Mattathias' death about one year later in 166BC, his son Judah Maccabee led an army of Jewish dissidents to victory over the Seleucid dynasty by using guerrilla warfare. The Maccabees destroyed pagan altars in the villages, circumcised children and forced Jews to rebel against the Seleucid rulers.

After their victory, the Maccabees entered Jerusalem in triumph and ritually cleansed the Temple, re-establishing traditional Jewish worship there and installing Jonathan Maccabee as high priest. A large Syrian army had been sent to squash the revolt, but returned to Syria on the death of Antiochus IV. Its commander, Lysias, preoccupied with Syria's internal affairs, agreed to a political compromise that restored religious freedom.[35] The Jewish festival of Hanukkah celebrates Judah Maccabee's victory over the Seleucids and associated events that Jews regard as miraculous.

When Antiochus, realizing that something had to be done toput down the uprising, had Lysian send a large army against the Jews and exterminate them. But the generals that he sent [with large armies against Judah], were defeated one after the other (166-165). [37]

Antiochus' Death

Antiochus died suddenly of a disease in 164BC in Persia while trying to gather new forces to defeat the victorious Maccabees.

In Jewish tradition, Antiochus IV is remembered as a major villain and persecutor in the Jewish traditions associated with Hanukkah, including the books of Maccabees and the "Scroll of Antiochus." Rabbinical sources refer to him as הרשע harasha ("the wicked"). [38]

The Hasmonean Dynasty

The Hasmonean dynasty like the Davidic Dynasty, was a theocratic monarchy whose headquarters were in Jerusalem, the Temple being the center of religious worship.

This Dynasty was set up by Simon Maccabaeus about twenty years following the defeat of the Seleucids [165BC]. It lasted 103 years and was then taken over by the Herodian Dynasty around 37BC.

THE ROMAN PERIOD
Roman Invasion of Jerusalem by Pompey [63BC]

While the Hasmonean Dynasty was still in power, the Romans invaded Jerusalem. In 63BC, the Roman general Pompey, marched proudly into Jerusalem and desecrated the Temple by entering the Holy of Holies. He then imposed a tax and established a fortress [Antonia Fortress] in Jerusalem in order to keep watch on the Jews. Hasmonean ruler Aristobulus was taken to Rome as a prisoner, and Hyrcanus was reappointed High Priest, but without political authority.

Herod Made King of Israel

The installation of Herod the Great as King of Israel ended the Hasmonean dynasty. The Roman Senate installed Herod as puppet King [of the Jews] in 37BC when it made Judea a client [puppet] state, under Roman jurisdiction. [39] [40]

Herod's Expansion of the Jerusalem Temple

Around 19BC, Herod expanded the Temple Mount and the existing Temple. Its size was doubled to about 36 acres (150,000 m2). Herod leveled the area by cutting away rock on the northwest side and raising the sloping ground to the south.

In addition to expansion of the Temple, Herod completed the building of the Antonia Fortress. The Fortress was a military barracks built on the site of earlier Ptolemaic and Hasmonean strongholds, and named after Herod's patron Mark Antony. It stood at the eastern end of the great wall of the city (the second wall), on the northeast, near the Temple and Pool of Bethesda.

The Early Church in Jerusalem [1st Century AD]

The Early Church was established by the Lord Jesus Christ as a place for Christian worship and discipleship; and was administered by Christ's Apostles--all of whom were led by the Holy Spirit. The first appointed leader of the Church was James the Just, brother of the Lord Jesus [See Acts of the Apostles]

Empowered by the Holy Spirit, Christ's disciples were able to baptize, heal, and minister to those who believed in Jesus' teachings [See Gospel]. Christ's blessings are bestowed on believers in the same way today.

The Early Church remained the focal point of the Christian community in Jerusalem until the Bar Kokhba Revolt of 135AD when Christians, along with Jews, were barred from the city. As a result, the Church was neglected. [Unfortunately, there is no historical information on which to draw any definite conclusion.] [41] [42] [43] (Also See "Early Church History" [44])

[45] [46] (Also See "Early Church History" [47]

The Fall of Jerusalem
The fall of Jerusalem in 70AD marked the end of the Temple Period in Jerusalem. This meant an end to the Temple priesthood and sacrifices. After a long siege of the city by the Romans, under Titus' leadership, the city fell [This was called the First Jewish-Roman War.]. Both the city and the Temple were completely destroyed. Ancient historian Josephus reports that "Jerusalem ... was so thoroughly razed to the ground by those that demolished it to its foundations, that nothing was left that could ever persuade visitors that it had once been a place of habitation."

Jews had long resented the harsh and oppressive rule of the Roman leaders and were in a state of constant rebellion. Riots broke out reverywhere. Rome decided to send in an army to conter-attack. [This war was followed by the fall of Masada in 73 AD.]

The destruction of the Temple is still mourned annually as the Jewish fast Tisha B'Av, and the Arch of Titus, depicting and celebrating the sack of Jerusalem and the Temple, still stands in Rome. 

In Christian theology, this particular act in history is viewed as either a complete fulfillment of many prophecies spoken by Christ in the gospel record, or it is viewed as fulfillment of one specific prophecy of Christ regarding the destruction of the Temple. (See Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21.) &lt;/ref&gt;

Bar Kokhba's Revolt (132–135)

The continued desire for independence on the part of Jews led to more revolts against the Romans after the First Jewish War in 70AD. The third and last major rebellion by Jews was the Bar Kokhba Revolt of 132-136AD. [For the second Jewish-Roman revolt see the Kitos War (115–117AD)]

Simon bar Kokhba, the commander of the revolt, was acclaimed as a Messiah, a heroic figure who could restore Israel. The revolt established a Jewish state over parts of Judea for over two years, but a Roman army of two legions with auxiliaries finally crushed it. The Romans then barred Jews from Jerusalem, except to attend Tisha B'Av[is an annual fast day in Judaism, named for the ninth day (Tisha) of the month of Av in the Hebrew calendar. The fast commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, which occurred about 656 years apart, but on the same date. ] Jewish Christians hailed Jesus as the Messiah and did not support Bar Kokhba, but they were barred from Jerusalem along with the rest of the Jews. The war and its aftermath helped differentiate Christianity as a religion distinct from Judaism.



Jerusalem Renamed

Following the First Jewish Was [aka Great Jewish Revolt] of 70AD, the Emperor Hadrian renamed the city of Jerusalem "Aelia Capitolina," making it a Roman city and occupying it with a Roman colony. It was a city without walls and protected by a light garrison of the Tenth Legion.

AphroditeChurch of the Holy SepulchreStruthion Poolvaulting

Finally, Hadrian renamed the entire Judean [Iudaean] Province "Syria Palaestina" after the biblical Philistines in an attempt to de-Judaize the country. Enforcement of the ban on Jews entering Aelia Capitolina continued until the 4th century AD.

Emperor Julian's Attempt to Rebuild the Temple

Roman Emperor Julian [aka "Julian the Apostate (331/332 – 26 June 363)], was the last Emperor of the Constantine Dynasty and the last pagan Roman Emperor.

traditional Roman religious practicesChristianityNeoPlatonicpaganismApostateEdward Gibbon The triumph of the party which he deserted and opposed has fixed a stain of infamy on the name of Julian; and the unsuccessful apostate has been overwhelmed with a torrent of pious invectives, of which the signal was given by the sonorous trumpet of Gregory Nazianzen. In 363, after a reign of only 19 months as absolute ruler of the Roman Empire, Julian died in Persia during a campaign against the Sassanid Empire.

governor of the province

The failure to rebuild the Temple was ascribed to an earthquake or to the Jews' ambivalence about the project. Sabotage was another reason, as was an accidental fire. Christians know this to be the result of divine intervention, for the fall of Jerusalem had had been prophesied by our Lord Jesus Christ and the prophets of our God Yahweh.

THE BYZANTINE PERIOD [395–638]

Around 395AD, the Roman Empire split into a Western and an Eastern part. The Eastern or Byzantine part was a continuation of the Roman Empire and was ruled by Emperors in direct succession to the Roman Emperors. The Empire preserved Greco-Roman traditions, but due to its increasing Hellenistic nature, it became known to some of its contemporaries as the Empire of the Greeks. From the days of Constantine until the 7th century, Jews were banned from Jerusalem.

Following the ascension of Heraclius, the Sassanid advance pushed deep into Asia Minor, also occupying Damascus and Jerusalem and removing the True Cross to Ctesiphon. The counter-offensive of Heraclius took on the character of a holy war, and an acheiropoietos image of Christ was carried as a military standard. Similarly, when Constantinople was saved from an Avar siege in 626, the victory was attributed to the icons of the Virgin which were led in procession by Patriarch Sergius about the walls of the city. The main Sassanid force was destroyed at Nineveh in 627, and in 629 Heraclius restored the True Cross to Jerusalem in a majestic ceremony.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre Built

During the 4th century, the Roman Emperor Constantine I constructed Christian sites in Jerusalem. 

Church of the Holy SepulchreByzantine EmpireConstantineSt. HelenaChurch Church of the NativityBethlehemTemplom 

Persian Invasion of Jerusalem [614AD]