Jerusalem is very important to the Jewish community. Aside from being a place in their native country, there are many reasons why Jerusalem is very important to the Jews. A few examples are; it is a national centre since ancient times, it has been a religious centre since ancient times, it is the capital of the state of Israel among other reasons.
In the ancient times, Jerusalem had once been the national centre, as well as the religious centre. Therefore, it had always been the place of yearning for many Jewish people because it is their homeland. In the Jewish tradition, the place had been the centre of life for 3000 years; since King David. The remains of the Western Walls, which is the last of the remains of the temples that King David had built, were also found here. Jerusalem was where King Solomon built temples that were later on renovated by King Herod. If possible, Jews will come three times to the country to take part in the celebrations.
According to the Torah, after fleeing Egypt the Hebrew people travelled back to the ‘promised land’ - much of which is modern day Israel. Jerusalem was named by King David when he made it the capital. The city is the location of Judaism’s most sacred site. In ancient times a Temple was built (twice!) in Jerusalem as a centre for religious life and Jews were expected to visit Jerusalem three times a year - at Passover, Rosh Hashanah, and Shavuot.
For the Jews the land was Holy even before they occupied it, by reason of God's having promised it to them. First with Abraham and then with Moses, the One God made his Covenant and brought his people to the promised land, Canaan, where Jerusalem was later conquered by King David. The fact that the Temple was built in Jerusalem and that the Ark was installed inside it was just the natural consequences of that Covenant with God.
It shall come to the pass in the later days that the mountain
Of the house of the Lord Shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
And shall be raised about the hills; all the nations shall flow to it...
For out of Zions shall go forth the law,
And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples;
And they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
And their spears into the pruning hooks, neither shall they learn war any more.
Isaiah 2:2,4
The first time that Jerusalem is mentioned is the Bible is the story of Abraham's meeting with Melchizedek, King of Salem. The story is told in the book of Genesis 14:18-29. But the moment in history in which we could built the beginning of the connection between Jerusalem and the Jews is the moment in which Jerusalem was established as such by King David in the year 1000 BC. The story of the conquest of Jerusalem by David is told in the second book of Samuel 5:6-10.
For Judaism Jerusalem is the place when Abraham was tested and where God chose to establish his earthly presence among the forefathers of the Jews.
In the ancient times, Jerusalem had once been the national centre, as well as the religious centre. Therefore, it had always been the place of yearning for many Jewish people because it is their homeland. In the Jewish tradition, the place had been the centre of life for 3000 years; since King David. The remains of the Western Walls, which is the last of the remains of the temples that King David had built, were also found here. Jerusalem was where King Solomon built temples that were later on renovated by King Herod. If possible, Jews will come three times to the country to take part in the celebrations.
According to the Torah, after fleeing Egypt the Hebrew people travelled back to the ‘promised land’ - much of which is modern day Israel. Jerusalem was named by King David when he made it the capital. The city is the location of Judaism’s most sacred site. In ancient times a Temple was built (twice!) in Jerusalem as a centre for religious life and Jews were expected to visit Jerusalem three times a year - at Passover, Rosh Hashanah, and Shavuot.
For the Jews the land was Holy even before they occupied it, by reason of God's having promised it to them. First with Abraham and then with Moses, the One God made his Covenant and brought his people to the promised land, Canaan, where Jerusalem was later conquered by King David. The fact that the Temple was built in Jerusalem and that the Ark was installed inside it was just the natural consequences of that Covenant with God.
It shall come to the pass in the later days that the mountain
Of the house of the Lord Shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
And shall be raised about the hills; all the nations shall flow to it...
For out of Zions shall go forth the law,
And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples;
And they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
And their spears into the pruning hooks, neither shall they learn war any more.
Isaiah 2:2,4
The first time that Jerusalem is mentioned is the Bible is the story of Abraham's meeting with Melchizedek, King of Salem. The story is told in the book of Genesis 14:18-29. But the moment in history in which we could built the beginning of the connection between Jerusalem and the Jews is the moment in which Jerusalem was established as such by King David in the year 1000 BC. The story of the conquest of Jerusalem by David is told in the second book of Samuel 5:6-10.
For Judaism Jerusalem is the place when Abraham was tested and where God chose to establish his earthly presence among the forefathers of the Jews.