Jerusalem: Encyclopedia - Jerusalem

Jerusalem

Jerusalem (31°46′N 35°14′E; Hebrew: יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ▶ (help·info); Yerushalayim; Arabic: القُدس ▶ (help·info) al-Quds; (alternative Arabic found in Bible translations: أُورْشَلِيم Urshalim); see also names of Jerusalem) is an ancient Middle Eastern city. It is the holiest city of Judaism and is of key importance to Christianity and Islam. The State of Israel has its capital at Jerusalem.

With a population of 704,900 (as of December 31, 2004 [1]), it is a richly heterogeneous city, representing a wide range of national, religious, and socioeconomic groups. The section called the "Old City" is surrounded by walls and consists of four quarters: Jewish, Christian, Armenian, and Muslim.

The status of the city is hotly disputed. The 1949 cease-fire line between Israel and Jordan, also known as the Green Line, cuts through the city. Since the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel has militarily occupied the eastern portion of the city and claims sovereignty over the entire city. According to an Israeli law from January 1950, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. A Basic Law of Israel enacted in 1980 (the Jerusalem Law) reaffirmed Israel's contention that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and the center of Jerusalem District. Since 1950, the city serves as the country's seat of government and its capital.

The UN Security Council Resolution 478 condemned the Jerusalem Law as "a violation of international law" and most countries prefer to keep their embassies in Tel Aviv. According to the United States Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 :(1) Jerusalem should remain an undivided city in which the rights of every ethnic and religious group are protected; (2) Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel; and (3) the United States Embassy in Israel should be established in Jerusalem no later than May 31, 1999.

Jerusalem - Name

See also names of Jerusalem.

The origin of the name of the city is uncertain. It is possible to understand the name (Hebrew Yerushalayim) as either "Heritage of Salem" or "Heritage of Peace" - a contraction of "heritage" (yerusha) and Salem (Shalem literally "whole" or "in harmony") or "peace" (shalom). (See the Biblical commentator the Ramban for explanation.) "Shalem" is the original name used in Genesis 14:18 for the city. Similarly the Amarna Letters call the city Uru Salim in Akkadian, a cognate of the Hebrew Ir Shalem ("city of Salem"). Some consider a connection between the name and Shalim -- the deity personifying dusk known from Ugaritic myths and offering lists. The ending -ayim or -im has the appearance of the Hebrew dual or plural suffix respectively. It has been argued that it is a dual form representing the fact that the city lies on two hills however the treatment of the ending as a suffix makes the rest of the name incomprehensible in Hebrew. A Midrashic interpretation comes from Genesis Rabba, which explains that Abraham came to "Shalem" after rescuing Lot. Upon arrival, he asked the king and high priest Melchizedek to bless him, and Melchizedek did so in the name of the Supreme God (indicating that he, like Abraham, was a monotheist). According to exegetes, God immortalizes this encounter between Melchizedek and Abraham by renaming the city in honor of them: the name "Yeru" (derived from "Yireh", the name Abraham gives to Mount Moriah after unbinding Isaac, and explained in Genesis as meaning that God will be revealed there) is placed in front of "Shalem". The plural ending implies the community of all believers in the One God who testify to the city's holiness.

Jerusalem - History

According to one Jewish tradition, Jerusalem was founded by Shem and Eber, ancestors of Abraham. It has played an important historical rôle at various times over the past several millennia.

Jerusalem - Status as Israel's capital

In 1980, the Israeli Knesset passed the Basic Law: Jerusalem — Capital of Israel to claim Jerusalem as Israel's "eternal and indivisible capital".

All the branches of Israeli government (Presidential, Legislative, Judicial, and Administrative) are seated in Jerusalem. The Knesset building is in Jerusalem.

As of 2004, only two states, Costa Rica and El Salvador, locate their embassies in Jerusalem (since 1984). Bolivia and Paraguay have their embassies in Mevasseret Zion, a suburb of Jerusalem. The Netherlands maintains an office in Jerusalem serving mainly Israeli citizens. Other foreign governments base Consulate General offices in Jerusalem, including Greece, the United Kingdom and the United States. These consular offices primarily serve the Palestinian population of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and their Consul Generals do not submit letters of credentials to the Israeli President or foreign ministry, but instead, deliver them to the administrative governor of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem - Palestinian aspirations

Palestinian groups claim either all of Jerusalem (Al-Quds) or East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

Jerusalem - UN position

The position of the United Nations on the question of Jerusalem is contained in General Assembly resolution 181(11) and subsequent resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council concerning this question.

The UN Security Council, in UN Resolution 478, declared that the 1980 Jerusalem Law declaring Jerusalem as Israel's "eternal and indivisible" capital was "null and void and must be rescinded forthwith" (14-0-1, with United States abstaining). The resolution instructed member states to withdraw their diplomatic representation from the city as a punitive measure.

Before this resolution, thirteen countries maintained their embassies in Jerusalem: Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, the Netherlands, Panama, Uruguay, Venezuela. Following the UN resolution, all thirteen moved their embassies to Tel Aviv. Costa Rica and El Salvador moved theirs back to Jerusalem in 1984.

Jerusalem - United States position

The United States Jerusalem Embassy Act, passed by Congress in 1995, states that "Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel; and the United States Embassy in Israel should be established in Jerusalem no later than May 31, 1999". Since then, the relocation of the embassy from Tel Aviv is being suspended by the President semi-annually, each time stating that "[the] Administration remains committed to beginning the process of moving our embassy to Jerusalem". As a result of the Embassy Act, official U.S. documents and web sites refer to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Section 214 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, 2003 states:

However, U.S. presidents, including President Bush, have argued that Congressional resolutions regarding the status of Jerusalem are merely "advisory", stating that it "impermissibly interferes with the President's constitutional authority". [3] The U.S. Constitution reserves the conduct of foreign policy to the President and resolutions of Congress which make foreign policy are arguably invalid for that reason. The U.S. Congress, however, has the "power of the purse," and could prohibit the expenditure of funds on any embassy located outside Jerusalem. The U.S. Congress has not taken this step.

Jerusalem - United Kingdom position

UK government statement [4]

While the United Kingdom maintains a Consulate-General in Jerusalem, it is not accredited to Israel. It administers the UK's relations with the Palestinian Authority and looks after the interests of British citizens in the occupied territories and Jerusalem. Israelis and British citizens in Israel must communicate with the UK embassy in Tel Aviv.

Jerusalem - Arguments for and against internationalization

The original U.N. proposal that Jerusalem be under international administration is still promoted, especially by Christians whose population in the city is much smaller than the Muslim and Jewish populations. (Internationalization is the solution favored by the Holy See.) However, most negotiations regarding the future status of Jerusalem have been based on partition; for example, one scheme would have Israel keep the Jewish quarter and the Western Wall (the "Wailing Wall"), with the rest of the Old City and the Temple Mount being transferred to a Palestinian state. Some Israelis are opposed to any division of Jerusalem, based on cultural, historic, and religious grounds. Others believe that areas such as the Old City which are sacred to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam should be under international or multilateral control. Palestinians have argued for an open city, though its feasibility would be challenging given the decades of conflict and mutual distrust.

Jerusalem - Religious significance

Jerusalem plays an important role in three major religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as well as in a number of smaller religious groups.

Jerusalem - Geography and demography

Jerusalem - Geography

Jerusalem is situated in 31°46′45″N, 35°13′25″E, upon the southern spur of a plateau the eastern side of which slopes from 2,460 ft. above sea-level north of the Temple area to 2,130 ft. at the southeastern extremity. The western hill is about 2,500 ft. high and slopes southeast from the Judean plateau.

Jerusalem is surrounded upon all sides by valleys, of which those on the north are less pronounced than those on the other three sides. The principal two valleys start northwest of the present city. The first runs eastward with a slight southerly bend (the present Wadi al-Joz), then, deflecting directly south (formerly known as "Kidron Valley," the modern Wadi Sitti Maryam), divides the Mount of Olives from the city. The second runs directly south on the western side of the city, turns eastward at its southeastern extremity, then runs directly east, and joins the first valley near Bir Ayyub ("Job's Well"). It was called in olden times the "Valley of Hinnom," and is the modern Wadi al-Rababi, which is not to be identified with the first-mentioned valley.

A third valley, commencing in the northwest where is now the Damascus Gate, ran south-southeasterly down to the Pool of Siloam, and divided the lower part into two hills (the lower and the upper cities of Josephus). This is probably the later Tyropoeon ("Cheese-makers'") valley. A fourth valley led from the western hill (near the present Jaffa Gate) over to the Temple area: it is represented in modern Jerusalem by David Street. A fifth cut the eastern hill into a northern and a southern part. Later Jerusalem was thus built upon four spurs. Today, neighboring towns are Bethlehem and Beit Jala at the southern city border, and Abu Dis to the East.

Jerusalem - Neighborhoods places and monuments

Jerusalem has a large number of places of religious and historic significance including the Western Wall, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and Church of the Holy Sepulchre, among many others (See Religious Significance above). It is also home to a number of key Israeli government buildings, including the Knesset and Israeli Supreme Court, and Israeli institutions, including Hebrew University.

Jerusalem - Demographics

When it first appears in historical records, Jerusalem was inhabited by a Canaanite tribe. The Bible specifies them as the Jebusites, and says they ruled it until its conquest by King David. After taking control of the city from the Canaanites, Jews formed the majority of the population until Jerusalem's destruction by Rome in the second century. Subsequent demographic changes are uncertain, although the city's population probably attained a Muslim majority by the time of the Crusades. An official 16th century survey confirms that the city was largely Muslim. By 1844, Jews were the largest single ethnic group in the city and formed a majority by the late 19th century.

According to the current official census as of 2003, Jerusalem's population was 693,200, of which 464,500 (67.0%) were Jews and 228,700 (33.0%) were non-Jews (Note that this number is for the expanded municipality of Jerusalem as claimed by Israel).

Jerusalem - Tourism

Jerusalem - Museums

• The Israel Museum
• The Rockefeller Museum.
• The Ticho House.
• The Tower of David Museum
• Yad Vashem
• The Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center
• The Bible Lands Museum

Jerusalem - Jerusalem today

Jerusalem - Mayors and government

See the List of mayors of Jerusalem The current mayor of Jerusalem is Uri Lupolianski, member of the local United Torah Judaism faction and the first Haredi Jew to attain this position in the city's history.

Jerusalem - Economy

Heavy industry is discouraged in Jerusalem, while Tel Aviv remains Israel's financial capital, leaving Jerusalem's economy as mainly service-based. Almost half of Jerusalem's residents work in government, public service, or tourism, although there has been an increasing number of high-technology start-ups in the city, as well.

Jerusalem - Transportation

Jerusalem - Roads

Begin Boulevard is West Jerusalem's inner city expressway. It goes North to South from Atarot to Malcha. Other major boulevards include the Talpiyot-Atarot route, which goes South to North and crosses East Jerusalem and West Jerusalem altogether. Herzl Boulevard passes west of Begin blvd, starts at the enterance of the city (North) and continues South via Mt. Herzl and Yad VaShem memorial. It then blends into additional routes that lead to the Southern quarters. The Golomb-Herzog-Ben-Zvi route is the last major route that links the southern quarters into the city center and major entrance. Jaffa Road is the main street crossing Jerusalem from the western entrance to the city all the way up to Jaffa Gate and East Jerusalem.

Jerusalem - Buses

The Jerusalem Central Bus Station is Jerusalem's intercity bus station for services to destinations in Israel and Israeli settlements in the West Bank. It is served by Egged and Dan buses. City buses are run by Egged which runs close to a hundred bus lines throughout the city and its suburbs.

Palestinian-run buses serve some destinations in the city as well as Palestinian towns in the West Bank. This system is based out of the East Jerusalem Central Bus Station on Sultan Sulaiman Street. Palestinian buses also leave from outside the Damascus Gate.

Jerusalem - Railway

Israel Railways operates train service to Southern Jerusalem with 2 stops: Jerusalem Malcha near the Malcha Mall and the Biblical Zoo. Very few trains stop at the latter stop. The line was out of use for seven years due to deteriorating conditions and was restored on April 9, 2005. Jerusalem Malcha is the new station a new stop replacing the historical Khan Station at Remez Square near the Old City.

In 2009, plans call for a new high speed train line to run from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem which will terminate at a new underground station under construction underneath the area between the Jerusalem Central Bus Station and the ICC (Binyanei HaUmah). There are further plans to extend the line from the Jerusalem Central Bus Station to the current Jerusalem Malcha Train Station, the terminus of the current historic (now upgraded) railroad,.

There are also plans for a local light rail system. The first line is at its height of construction and will begin operating from Northeastern Jerualem to Southwestern Jerusalem in about three years.

Jerusalem - Airports

Atarot Airport is Jerusalem's airport but its use has been discontinued due to security concerns related to its location near the Palestinian city of Ramallah. Ben Gurion International Airport, 40km northwest of the city, serves as the primary international air transport hub for both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Jerusalem - Born in Jerusalem

• Saint Angelus (Catholic saint)
• Fathi Arafat (physician)
• Suha Arafat (public figure)
• Mili Avital (actress)
• Yosef Avni (activist)
• Chaim Joseph David Azulai (author)
• Elisha Ben Abuyah (heretic)
• Saeb Erekat (politician)
• Yuval Gabay (drummer)
• Mordechai Gur (general)
• David Grossman (author)
• Tzahi Hanegbi (politician)
• Amira Hass (journalist)
• Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni (commander)
• Amin al-Husayni (public figure)
• Eliahu Inbal (orchestral conductor)
• Flavius Josephus (historian)
• Yousef Al-Khalidi (politician)
• George Khouri (victim)
• Elias Khouri (lawyer)
• Isaac Luria (scholar)

• Raphael Maklouf (sculptor)
• al-Muqaddasi (geographer)
• Nathan (son of David) (prince)
• Yitzhak Navon (president)
• Sari Nusseibeh (academic)
• Amos Oz (author)
• Natalie Portman (actress)
• ibn Qudamah (Islamic jurist)
• Yitzhak Rabin (prime-minister)
• Reuven Rivlin (politician)
• Edward Said (literary theorist)
• Sirhan Sirhan (murderer)
• Ayelet Waldman (author)
• William of Tyre (archbishop)
• Yigael Yadin (archeologist)
• A. B. Yehoshua (novelist)
• Eli Yishai (politician)
• Munib Younan (bishop)
• Nissim Zeev (politician)
• Rehavam Zeevi (politician)

See also

• Jerusalem syndrome
• Timeline of Jerusalem
• List of Holy Cities
• Melchizedek

Jerusalem - External reference and links

• Ancient Jerusalem (Jebusites) -- The History of the Ancient Near East

• Importance of Jerusalem in Jewish and Israeli history

Jerusalem - Official site

• Official website of the Municipality of Jerusalem
• Jerusalem Cultural Events Calendar

Jerusalem - Photographs

• Pictures of the Mosques in Jerusalem
• Jerusalem archives, historical photographs of Jerusalem focusing mainly on the experience of the Jews.
• Portal of Jerusalem Photos
• Jerusalem Photos by Igor Schestow

Jerusalem - Maps

• Clickable street map of Jerusalem
• University of Maine Historical Map Collection, features European, Arab, and Jewish maps of the city dating back over 600 years. Highlights the role of Jerusalem in the history of map-making.

Jerusalem - Status of the city

• Jerusalem before 1967 and now BBC site showing two maps with a brief commentary on the status of Jerusalem for each.
• Basic Law: Jerusalem, Capital of Israel, Government of Israel, the Israeli law making Jerusalem the capital of Israel.
• Palestinian position on Jerusalem from the Palestinian National Authority
• Jewish Position on Jerusalem

Jerusalem - History

• History Channel site on the history of Jerusalem
• Articles on the history of Jerusalem from the Jewish Virtual Library
• BBC article on Jerusalem
• Shards of evidence The Jerusalem Post, August 11, 2005

Jerusalem - News and media

• The Jerusalem Post, oldest and largest Israeli daily newspaper in English, previously the Palestine Post.
• Jerusalem Media and Communications Centre, group of Palestinian reporters with daily news reports from East Jerusalem
• [5] The MediaLine

Jerusalem - Institutions

• Al Quds Arab University of Jerusalem
• Hebrew University of Jerusalem
• Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial
• Israel Museum

Jerusalem - Books

• Wasserstein, Bernard (2002). Divided Jerusalem: The Struggle for the Holy City. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-09730-1.

• Jerusalem Besieged : From Ancient Canaan to Modern Israel

• Collins, Larry, and La Pierre, Dominique (1988) O Jerusalem!, Simon and Shuster, N.Y. ISBN 0-671-66241-4

Category: Jerusalem

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Jerusalem", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki