The original inhabitants of Jerusalem were Phoenician
Canaanites. Jerusalem was originally a village built on a hill. The name "Urushalim
is first found on Egyptian statues, circa 2500 B.C. "Urushalim", in fact is
a word of Canaanite derivation; the prefix "uru", meaning "founded
by", and the suffix "salem" or "Shalem," Phoenician Canaanite god of dusk.
This evidence is reinforced by archaeology and by tablets found in Elba, Syria,
dating back to 3000 B.C., on which the god Shalem being venerated in a city
called Uruksalem is mentioned. The old name of the city Urushalim figures
also in the Egyptian texts called Texts of Proscription of XII dynasty 'ws'mm
pronounced in Akkadian language Urushalim city of god.
In the 14th Century B.C., King Abdi Hepa, king
of the Phoenician Canaanites, wrote to the Pharaoh Akhnaton and implored him
to rid Jerusalem of new invaders. He described a group of people known as
the "Habirus", as having already conquered Rushada, and advancing on Jerusalem.
In the Bible, the story of Abraham mentions Melchizedek, the King of Salem
(King of Jerusalem) and Priest of the Most High God (El Elion), who offered
bread and wine to Abraham.
In 1000 B.C., King David, conquered Jerusalem, and
established it as his capital. At the time of his conquest, the city was known
as "Jebus" but he renamed it Jerusalem, once again.
Phoenician Canaanite High-Priestly "Apostolic
Succession" of Yahweh's Temple
King David re-invested the Phoenician Canaanite High-Priest of Jerusalem
to continue functioning in that position. Scholars have noticed two high priests
are referred to in the account of Kind David's life: Abiathar and Zadok. Abiathar
is mentioned early in the narratives, even before David is (e.g. 1 Samuel
22:20), but Zadok the Priest appears suddenly, and only after the conquest
of Jerusalem. Zadok was the Canaanite High Priest of Jerusalem, whom David
permitted to continue to serve. Further, Zadok would also have been King of
Jerusalem (city-state like all other Phoenician city-states). It is known
that both functions were played by the same person in these Phoenician city-states.
Zadok is identified with Araunah, the person who sold David the threshing
floor for the purpose of building the altar (2 Samuel 24:18-25). The word Araunah is not a personal name; rather, it is a title meaning "the
Lord." King David conformed to the tradition which Abraham started when
he recognized the validity of the older Phoenician Canaanite High-Priest and
King of Jerusalem, Melchizedek.
In the year 597 B.C. the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem
and Solomon's Temple was destroyed along with the
city.
During the time of Christ, Jerusalem was the center
of Jewish religious life, though under Roman rule, nevertheless, the site
was the place where the original spark of Christianity began and spread across
the world.
In the year 70, Jerusalem fell to the Romans after
a Jewish revolt.
During Byzantine rule, the city prospered and Emperor
Constantine's mother, Helen, built the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher, which
opened in 335 A.D. in the presence of 300 bishops. Other churches were also
built by Helen in Jerusalem, as well as the Church of the Nativity in nearby
Bethlehem and so did the Phoenician Christian and Jewish Christian Converts
community.
From 632-636 AD, Arab Muslims the Eastern Mediterranean.
The conquering Muslims were smaller in number than the original inhabitants.
Muslim occupation did not change the religion of the inhabitants to Islam,
yet many did convert at a later date.
When the Calif Omar entered Jerusalem and received
the keys to the Holy City from the Christian Patriarch, Sophronius, the inhabitants
were allowed to live in relative peace. The Dome of The Rock was built on
Temple Mount by Calif Abdel Malek over the esplanade of The Second Temple
in the year 685.
Phoenician Christians and Jewish Christian Converts
enjoyed a short interval of Islamic tolerance during the early years of Arab
control. However, soon thereafter, Christian, regarded by Muslims as the allies
of the Byzantines, were mistreated and deprived of fundamental human rights.
Christians were looked upon as enemies and their churches were destroyed in
many places, including the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher which was burnt
down.
The Christians, especially the Melkites who lived in
the eastern provinces of the empire, had much to endure. The Muslim Calif
imposed many vexing measures upon the Christians. In 756, he forbade Christians
to build new churches, to display the cross in public, or to speak about religions
with Muslims. In 757, he imposed taxes on monks, even on those who lived as
hermits, and he used Jews to strip sacristies for the treasury. In 759, he
removed all Christians from positions in the treasury. In 766 he had the crosses
on top of the churches brought down, forbade every nocturnal liturgical celebration
and forbade the study of any language other than Arabic.
In 722, he required both Jews and Christians to exhibit
an external sign to distinguish them from other believers. Abu Gafar al-Mansur
also put in prison, for different reasons, the Melkite Patriarch Theodoret,
the Patriarch Georges, and the Nestorian Catholicos James. Al-Mahdi (775-785)
intensified the persecution and had all the churches built since the Arab
conquest destroyed. The Christian tribes of Banu Tanuh, which counted 5000
fighters, were forced to embrace Islam. Angered by the defeats he incurred
at the hands of the Byzantines, al-Mahdi sent troops to Emsa/Homs in Syria,
to have all the Christians abjure their faith.
For further reading about the status
of Eastern Christians under the Arab Islamic rule, follow this link to
the Phoenician Christians page, Advent of Islam and Christians of the East.
Sadly, Jerusalem remains today a hot point of conflict
between the Israelis and Arabs while the Christian minority which still resides
in the Holy Land have very little say with regard to the future of the city.
