Jerusalem According to Jewish Belief

# Jerusalem According to Jewish Belief Although Jerusalem is not mentioned by name in the narrative of Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim), who is regarded as the forefather of the Israelites, it remained an ordinary city for the Israelites during the time of Prophet Moses (Musa) and for approximately two hundred years thereafter. How, then, did Jerusalem become transformed into the metaphor of a holy city for the Israelites, and why is it important for Jews? Jerusalem, which is considered both the holy city and the qibla of the Jews, initially gained importance in a political context and only later became sanctified. This process of sanctification reached its culmination during the Babylonian Exile. Jerusalem occupies a special place in the literature of both this period and the periods that followed. All these narratives polished and magnified the significance of Jerusalem in the Jewish consciousness. Centuries later, the Zionists appealed to and benefited from this mentality in an effort to unite Jews around the world under their banner. Considering that “Zion” is one of the names of Jerusalem, it becomes evident that the term “Zionism” can also be understood as meaning “Jerusalemism.” ## HOW DID JERUSALEM BECOME HOLY? Within the Jewish sacred scriptures, Jerusalem is not mentioned by name in the Torah, the section attributed to Prophet Moses. The city appears by name only in the later sections known as Nevi’im (Prophets) and Ketuvim (Writings), which contain revelations given to subsequent prophets. Jerusalem is not mentioned by name even in the account of Prophet Abraham, who is regarded as the ancestor of the Israelites. Archaeology has not yet confirmed the events in Abraham’s story that are interpreted as referring to Jerusalem. During the time of Moses and for approximately two hundred years afterward, Jerusalem remained an ordinary city in the eyes of the Israelites. According to Jewish sources, Joshua, the successor of Moses, captured the city but left it in the hands of the indigenous tribe known as the Jebusites. Had Jerusalem been viewed as a privileged and important city, it may be argued that Joshua would not have left it to the local inhabitants. Jerusalem entered the agenda of the Israelites beginning with the time of King David. Until then, it had remained under Jebusite control. The city gained religious significance for the Israelites through David and Solomon, and the first steps toward its sanctification were taken during their era. David captured the city and made it his capital. His choice of Jerusalem as the capital was based on political and strategic considerations, as it allowed him to maintain balance among the Israelite tribes. During the reign of David’s son Solomon, the construction of the Temple was completed, and Jerusalem began to acquire a religious meaning. It thus emerged not only as a political center but also as a religious center. Nevertheless, the Israelites did not immediately regard Jerusalem as holy. This perception gradually took root among the Jewish people over time. During the First Temple Period, which lasted from Solomon’s reign until 586 BCE, Jerusalem was progressively sanctified, and this perception was completed during the Second Temple Period. According to the Hebrew Bible, after the death of Solomon, the Israelites strayed from the true path and worshipped idols and local deities. Consequently, Jerusalem did not become more than a city containing Solomon’s Temple. Moreover, the Temple itself held little special significance for many Israelites during this period. Instead, they worshipped at alternative sanctuaries known as bamot (high places). The sanctification of Jerusalem took place during the reigns of Hezekiah (727–697 BCE) and Josiah (640–609 BCE). They believed that strengthening the state required channeling the people’s religious sentiments toward Jerusalem. Based on the idea that acceptable worship could only be conducted in Solomon’s Temple, they launched a campaign against the bamot. As a result of this struggle, the high places that were seen as alternatives to Solomon’s Temple were quickly eliminated. Thus, a close reading of the biblical text suggests that Jerusalem’s rise to religious prominence among the Israelites was actually the outcome of a worldly political plan aimed at centralization. This issue should therefore be understood within the framework of the relationship between religion and politics in that era. The final stage of sanctification occurred with the Babylonian Exile in 586 BCE. Life in exile reinforced the idea of Jerusalem’s holiness among the Israelites. In other words, Jerusalem became truly privileged and sacred only after it had been lost. Up until that point, Jerusalem had been the capital of the Kingdom of Judah and was primarily significant for its own citizens. During the exile, however, it came to symbolize the homeland and gradually transformed into a spiritual center for all Jews. Jews living in the Diaspora expressed their longing for their homeland through Jerusalem. In this way, the sanctification of Jerusalem reached its peak. This climax is reflected in the Bible through the words of the exiled people sitting by the rivers of Babylon: > “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand lose its skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.” (Psalm 137) ## JERUSALEM AS A HOLY CITY The sections of the Hebrew Bible known as Nevi’im and Ketuvim contain information regarding the stages of Jerusalem’s sanctification and the praises expressed during this process. Particular sensitivity was shown in the literature of the Second Temple Period to establish the holiness of Jerusalem within society. Especially from the middle of the Tannaitic period (1st–2nd centuries CE), when the Temple had been destroyed, Jerusalem became a focal point of attention for Jewish scholars. After the suppression of the Bar Kokhba Revolt in 132 CE, Jews were expelled from Jerusalem. In this environment, religious scholars spoke extensively about the virtues of residing in the city. ## JERUSALEM IN JEWISH SACRED TEXTS The Hebrew Bible contains numerous names and descriptions used to refer to the city of Jerusalem. The most important of these is the name *Yerushalayim* (Jerusalem). In addition, names and designations such as Moriah (II Chronicles 3:1), Jebus (Judges 19:10), Zion, the City of David (II Samuel 5:7, 9; I Chronicles 11:5, 7), Ariel (Isaiah 29:1), the Habitation of Righteousness (Jeremiah 31:23), the Faithful City, the City of Peace, the City of Righteousness (Isaiah 1:26), the City of God (Psalms 46:4), the City of the Lord of Hosts (Psalms 48:8), and the Holy City (Nehemiah 11:18) are also used. The Arabic name of the city, *al-Quds*, is likewise derived from the expression “Holy City” found in Nehemiah 11:18. According to the Hebrew Bible, there is a special bond between Yahweh and Jerusalem. It is stated that God chose this city as His own and that His presence would dwell there forever. The passage, “The Lord dwells in Zion,” expresses this idea. The Bible emphasizes that God will always be present in Jerusalem and has attached His name to the city. The Hebrew Bible also describes Jerusalem as the place where thrones of judgment are established. This indicates that Jerusalem, because of its connection with Yahweh, was perceived as a center from which justice is dispensed. Jeremiah’s declaration reinforces this understanding: > “At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘The Throne of the Lord,’ and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the Lord. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.” (Jeremiah 3:17) Likewise, Jeremiah’s statement: > “Jerusalem will live in safety, and this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord Our Righteousness.’” (Jeremiah 33:16) can be viewed as a metaphor for the city’s association with justice. A similar approach appears in Isaiah, who describes Jerusalem as the City of Righteousness. These expressions demonstrate that Jerusalem, regarded as the eternal dwelling place of the just Yahweh, became in Judaism a symbol of integrity and the earthly center for the distribution of justice and truth. In many passages of the Hebrew Bible, references to Jerusalem actually imply the entirety of the land of Judah. This has been interpreted as evidence that Jerusalem was not merely an ordinary city but a concept embodying centrality. In this context, expressions such as “Daughter of Jerusalem” or “Daughter of Zion” are understood to represent the whole kingdom and the entire Jewish people. However, it should not be forgotten that this centrality and inclusiveness did not always manifest positively. When the sins and wrongdoing of the Israelites are described, the biblical texts often attribute these evils metaphorically to Jerusalem itself. Thus, while Isaiah’s writings elevate Jerusalem to the heavens and endow it with extraordinary qualities, certain passages in Jeremiah contain criticism and reproach directed toward Jerusalem because of idolatry. In this way, a balance is maintained within the scriptural narrative. In texts from the period of exile, themes of longing and expectation regarding Jerusalem come to the forefront. For example, Jeremiah prophesies that Jerusalem will be rebuilt and that voices of thanksgiving and joy will once again be heard there. Similarly, Zechariah states that Yahweh is jealous for Zion, that He will return and dwell in Jerusalem, that Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, that elderly people will sit in its squares, and that its streets will be filled with children playing. When Ezekiel describes his vision of Jerusalem, he portrays the city with extraordinary detail. In his account, Jerusalem is not an ordinary city, nor even merely a royal capital, but a possession uniquely belonging to God. For this reason, every detail is elaborated upon, and intricate descriptions of Jerusalem are provided. The Hebrew Bible also contains eschatological teachings concerning Jerusalem. According to these prophecies, a time will come when Yahweh, sovereign over all things, will reign on Mount Zion in Jerusalem; then the moon will be ashamed and the sun disgraced before His glory. On that day a great trumpet will sound, and those lost in the Assyrian exile together with those scattered in Egypt will come and worship Yahweh on the holy mountain in Jerusalem. Elsewhere, through the words of Isaiah, God consoles Jerusalem: > “O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise, lay your foundations with sapphires, make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones.” Likewise, it is declared that Jerusalem will become holy, that foreigners will never again conquer it, that it will endure from generation to generation, and that the guilty will be punished. The words, > “On that day I will shield those who live in Jerusalem... On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem.” express the promise that Yahweh will ultimately restore Jerusalem to the Jews and keep alive the hopes of the Jewish community. ## JERUSALEM IN RABBINIC SOURCES For the rabbis, Jerusalem represented far more than a place of historical or geographical significance. It became a source of hope and a motivation for perseverance in the face of countless hardships. Just as God and the Torah are said to possess seventy names, Jerusalem too is said to have seventy names. In this context, the symbolic importance of the number seventy within Semitic culture should not be overlooked. The legal rulings concerning Jerusalem generally aim to preserve its purity, cleanliness, and privileged status. Regardless of where they may live, Jews are required to face Jerusalem while praying, for the city is almost synonymous with God Himself. God is not only the builder of Jerusalem (*Bone Yerushalayim*), but also the One who dwells within it (*Shokhen Yerushalayim*). Jewish sages taught that the Land of Israel (*Eretz Yisrael*) is the center of the world, and that Jerusalem is the center of the Land of Israel. According to the rabbis, Jerusalem possesses a unique order and extraordinary qualities. They taught that when God created the world, He divided beauty into ten portions and bestowed nine of them upon Jerusalem. The rabbis also declared that the gate of heaven is Jerusalem, that the entire world was created from Zion, and that the soil from which Adam was fashioned was taken from Jerusalem. The holiness of Jerusalem is safeguarded directly by God Himself; therefore, many worldly pleasures found in surrounding cities are absent from Jerusalem. Rabbinic literature also contains highly exaggerated descriptions, such as claims that no one will be injured in Jerusalem, that no fire will burn anything within the city, and that no earthquake will destroy its houses. It is further stated that those who live in Jerusalem receive divine forgiveness twice each day. In our view, these statements reflect a desire to gather Jews, who had been dispersed to different regions during difficult times, back to Jerusalem. Although the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE and the fall of Jerusalem had a profoundly negative impact on the Jewish people, the rabbis sought to keep hope alive through such interpretations. Within this context, themes such as the future coming of the Messiah, the Jews regaining Jerusalem and establishing a state, and the restoration of Jerusalem to its former glory were frequently emphasized by the rabbis. They even elaborated on these expectations in remarkable detail. Jerusalem’s exalted position also gave rise to the concept of the Heavenly Jerusalem in rabbinic thought. Mystics believed that the earthly world was a reflection of the heavenly realm at the time of creation. Consequently, the rabbis maintained that Jerusalem exists both in heaven and on earth, and that although the earthly Temple had been destroyed, the heavenly Temple continued to exist. Apocalyptic writings further state that at the end of time, the Heavenly Jerusalem and its Temple will descend and be established upon the earth. Jerusalem occupies a central place in Jewish worship and prayer. As the direction of prayer, all Jews are required to face Jerusalem during worship. The city is remembered constantly in daily prayers. The fourteenth blessing of the daily Amidah prayer is devoted entirely to Jerusalem. It begins with the words: > “May Jerusalem, the city of mercy, be rebuilt in our days...” and concludes: > “Blessed are You, O God, Builder of Jerusalem.” The prayer recited on Tisha B’Av mentions “those who mourn for Jerusalem,” and many other prayers emphasize the theme of Jerusalem’s future restoration. ## CONCLUSION The sanctification of Jerusalem within Judaism was not an instantaneous development but rather the result of a long historical process. Initially significant for political and strategic reasons, Jerusalem gradually acquired religious significance through the reigns of David and Solomon. The centralization policies pursued during the reigns of Hezekiah and Josiah further elevated its status, while the Babylonian Exile transformed it into the ultimate symbol of homeland, identity, and spiritual longing. Both the Hebrew Bible and later rabbinic literature depict Jerusalem as the city chosen by God, the center of justice, the focal point of worship, and the place where divine promises will ultimately be fulfilled. Through centuries of exile, suffering, and dispersion, Jerusalem remained at the heart of Jewish religious consciousness, serving as a source of hope and a symbol of eventual redemption. The city’s religious, historical, and symbolic significance shaped not only Jewish theology and liturgy but also later ideological movements such as Zionism, which drew heavily upon the deeply rooted attachment of the Jewish people to Jerusalem. Thus, Jerusalem continues to occupy a unique and central place in Jewish faith, memory, and aspiration. # Bibliography Abramsky, Shmuel, and Jacob Liver. “Jerusalem: In the Bible.” In *Encyclopaedia Judaica*. 2nd ed. Vol. 11, 208–210. Armstrong, Karen. “The Holiness of Jerusalem: Asset or Burden.” *Journal of Palestine Studies* 27, no. 3 (1998): 5–19. 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