Contents
Jerusalem
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Modern Jerusalem
Emblem
Flag
District Jerusalem
Government City
Hebrew יְרוּשָׁלַיִם
(Translit.) Yerushalayim
Arabic commonly القـُدْس (Al-Quds);
officially in Israel أورشليم القدس
(Urshalim-Al-Quds)
Name meaning Hebrew: (see below),
Arabic: "The Holy"
Population 763,600[1]
Israeli Metropolitan Area: 1,029,300 (2009)
Area 125,156 dunams (125.156 km2; 48.323 sq mi)
Mayor Nir Barkat
Coordinates 35°13′E / 31.783°N 35.217°E / 31.783; 35.217Coordinates: 35°13′E / 31.783°N 35.217°E / 31.783; 35.217
Website www.jerusalem.muni.il[i]
Jerusalem (Hebrew: יְרוּשָׁלַיִם 
(audio) (help·info), Yerushaláyim (for the meaning, see below); Arabic: القُدس (audio) (help·info), al-Quds, lit. "The Holy"; Yiddish: ירושלים Yərusholáyəm) [ii] is the capital[iii] of Israel and, if including the area and population of East Jerusalem, its largest city[2] in both population and area,[3] with a population of 763,800 residents over an area of 125.1 km2 (48.3 sq mi).[1][4][iv] Located in the Judean Mountains, between the Mediterranean Sea and the northern edge of the Dead Sea, modern Jerusalem has grown far beyond the boundaries of the Old City.
The city has a history that goes back to the 4th millennium BCE, making it one of the oldest cities in the world.[5] Jerusalem is the holiest city in Judaism and Christianity and has been the spiritual center of the Jewish people since c. 1000 BCE, when David the King of Israel first established it as the capital of the Jewish Nation, and his son Solomon commissioned the building of the First Temple in the city.[6] Jerusalem contains a number of significant Christian sites, and although it is never mentioned explicitly in the Qur'an, Islam regards Jerusalem as its third-holiest city.[7] Despite having an area of only 0.9 square kilometer (0.35 square mile),[8] the Old City is home to sites of key religious importance, among them the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque. The old walled city, a World Heritage site, has been traditionally divided into four quarters, although the names used today—the Armenian, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Quarters—were introduced in the early 19th century.[9] The Old City was nominated for inclusion on the List of World Heritage Sites in danger by Jordan in 1982.[10] In the course of its history, Jerusalem has been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times.[11]
Today, the status of Jerusalem remains one of the core issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem has been repeatedly criticized by the United Nations and related bodies,[12][13] and Palestinians demand East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.[14][15] In the wake of United Nations Security Council Resolution 478 (passed in 1980), most foreign embassies moved out of Jerusalem.[16]
Etymology
Jerusalem
Names
Moriah · Zion · Aelia Capitolina
History · Timeline
10th century BC · 721 BC · 597 BC
587 BC · Second Temple Period · 70
614 · 637 · Middle Ages · 1099
1187 · 1244 · 1917 · 1947 · 1948
Religious significance
Judaism · Christianity · Islam
Temple Mount · Western Wall
Dome of the Rock · al-Aqsa Mosque
Holy Sepulchre Church
Demographics · People
Patriarchs · Chief Rabbis
Grand Muftis · Mayors
Archaeological sites · Places
Neighbourhoods · Mountains
Transportation · Education
Positions on Jerusalem
East Jerusalem
Jerusalem Law · Jerusalem Day
Flag · Emblem
The name "Jerusalem" is a compound of two Semitic roots, "s-l-m" meaning wholeness, peace,[17] harmony or completeness, and "y-r-h" meaning to show, direct, instruct, or teach. Jerusalem means "Abode of Peace," "Teaching of Peace", or "Whole or Complete Instruction".[18] A city called Rušalimum or Urušalimum appears in ancient Egyptian records as one of the first references to Jerusalem.[19] These Egyptian forms are thought to derive from the local name attested in the Amarna letters, e.g.: in EA 287 (where it takes several forms) Urusalim.[20][21] The form Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) first appears in the book of Joshua. This form has the appearance of a portmanteau (blend) of yerusha (heritage) and the original name Shalem and is not a simple phonetic evolution of the form in the Amarna letters. Some believe there is a connection to Shalim, the beneficent deity known from Ugaritic myths as the personification of dusk.[22] Another suggested etymology is Jerū-šālēm, the first part of which possibly means "settlement" or "fortress" (thence "The Abode of Shalim").[23]