Jerusalem Historical Facts
JERUSALEM. A crossroads for thousands of years,
people once thought Jerusalem was the center of the world. Why
not? Three continents meet nearby and several important bodies
of water are very close. It is considered one of the holiest places
on Earth by three major religions. And it is the most fought over
piece of land in history. Today, the walled section of the city, or
Jerusalem’s Old City, is divided into four quarters. Jews, Muslims,
Christians and Armenians, a Christian denomination, each live in
their own quarter. They share a rich, complex past.
Fascinating Facts
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!
This rocky, isolated spot seems an unlikely place to build a city.
But the first builders saw something in these hills, the most
important being WATER. Jerusalem has a spring of fresh water
that flows year round. Also, Jerusalem lies close to the junction of
Africa, Asia and Europe. The Dead Sea, Red Sea, Mediterranean
Sea and Sea of Galilee (which is actually a freshwater lake) are all
nearby. Many people traveled through this area. That may help
explain why dozens of languages are spoken here today. And that
hilly terrain helped protect Jerusalem against hordes of invaders.
Over the course of its history, Jerusalem has been captured and
recaptured dozens of times, attacked countless more, and almost
completely destroyed at least twice!
DIG IT. Archaeologists are trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle
many thousands of years old in and around Jerusalem. This task is
made more difficult by the fact that the ruins of the many different “Jerusalem's” are deposited one on top of the other. Think of it as a many-layered “city sandwich.” Archaeologists call them occupation layers. Each layer reveals information about the way different peoples lived and worshiped in Jerusalem. Imagine how many layers there might be! There are many archaeological sites in the region for good reason. It was, in fact, near Jerusalem where a shepherd boy stumbled on some pieces of the puzzle in a cave. This accidental discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls (the oldest copy of the Hebrew Bible) is considered one of the most important archaeological finds of all time.
What else might still be hiding in those rocks?
WORLD RELIGIONS
From the Jebusites to King David to the Crusaders to the present, religion is entwined in Jerusalem’s history. The city is home to some of the holiest sites for Jews, Christians and Muslims. Not only that—some of those sites are the exact same place.
Judaism
The Temple Mount: This is a large stone platform that overlooks
Jerusalem’s Old City. At its center is the Foundation Stone,
considered the holiest site in Judaism. Here it is believed that
King David delivered the Ark of the Covenant (containing the Ten
Commandments), and it is the site of many other important Bible
stories.
DO YOU KNOW?
1. Which site, that overlooks Jerusalem’s Old City, do both Jews and Muslims consider sacred?
2. Where is the site that many Christians
believed Jesus died?
3. Why was Jerusalem considered to be
the center of the world?
4. Name two important bodies of
water near Jerusalem.
5. What is one of the most important
archaeological finds to date?
6. Why are there so many archaeological
sites in this region?
7. Name one important natural feature
that led people to build in Jerusalem?
Answer Key:
1. The Temple Mount (to Jews - the holiest site in the worlds), or the Noble Sanctuary (to Muslims - the third site)
2. Church of the Holy Sepulchre
3. placement between Africa, Asia, Europe
4. the Dead Sea, the Red Sea, or the Mediterranean Sea (the Sea of Galilee is actually a lake)
5. the Dead Sea Scrolls
6. thousands of years of occupation, occupation layers
7. water from a year-round spring
Answer Key: 1. The Temple Mount (to Jews), or the Noble Sanctuary (to Muslims)
2. Church of the Holy Sepulchre
3. placement between Africa, Asia, Europe
4. the Dead Sea, the Red Sea, or the Mediterranean Sea (the Sea of Galilee is actually a lake)
5. the Dead Sea Scrolls 6. thousands of years of occupation, occupation
layers
7. water from a year-round spring
WRITE IT DOWN!
Do you keep a diary? We know a lot about ancient people because they wrote things down. Practice writing down important things in your life—on paper.
An archaeologist could discover your diary a thousand years from now!
WRITE IT DOWN!
Do you keep a diary? We know a lot about ancient people because they wrote things down. Practice writing down important things in your life—on paper.
An archaeologist could discover your diary a thousand years from now!
WORD FIND
Can you spot these words?
archaeology
religion
Temple Mount
Dome of the Rock
Jerusalem
seas
continents
