David's capital and the city of the temple, the religious and political heart of Israel. Destroyed by Babylon in 586 BCE, rebuilt by Nehemiah, and the scene of Jesus' trial, crucifixion, and resurrection.
Judah (hill country)
Israel
David conquered this small Jebusite hill-town and made it the capital, and Solomon built the temple there, making it the one place where sacrifices were offered. All Jewish life oriented toward Jerusalem and its temple; pilgrims flocked there for the great feasts. The New Testament's climax is set in its streets and on its hill.
Jerusalem sits in the central highlands, about 35 miles from the Mediterranean and 20 miles west of the Dead Sea. It is about 2,500 feet above sea level, a defensible hill-city.
A city that has been the center of longing for three thousand years, a reminder of how much human hope and conflict can gather in one place.