Jerusalem: The Eternal Capital City of the Jewish People since Antiquity

May 28, 2014, 01:02PM | Rachel Avraham

In honor of Jerusalem Day, JerusalemOnline political analyst Rachel Avraham explains the vibrant and ancient Jewish attachment to the city of Jerusalem, Israel’s eternal capital city.

“If I forget thee O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. May my tongue cling to my palate, if I do not remember you, if I do not bring up Jerusalem at the beginning of my joy!” In honor of Jerusalem Day, it is critical to note that the Jewish people’s connection to Jerusalem does not just date back to just 1967 or 1948.    To the contrary, the Jewish people have had a deep connection with the city of Jerusalem since antiquity. 

Under the reign of the ancient Jewish King David around 1000 BCE, Jerusalem became the eternal capital city of the Jewish people. According to American archaeologist Eric Cline, “archaeologists excavating at Tel Dan in northern Israel discovered an inscription that commemorates a military campaign in Israel by Hazael of Aram about the year 841 BCE and that mentions the House of David.” Thus, as a result of this excavation at Tel Dan, Tel Aviv University ancient historian Nadav Na’aman has stated that, in his opinion, the facts “strongly support the biblical claims a) that David conquered Jerusalem and made it his capital and b) that he founded the royal dynasty of Jerusalem.”

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