Jerusalem

===Bronze and Iron Ages===
{{Further|City of David (archaeological site)|History of ancient Israel and Judah}}
[[File:City_of_David_-_The_Stepped_Stone_Stracture_IMG_5828.JPG|thumb|[[Stepped Stone Structure]] from the [[Bronze Age]] and [[Iron Age]] on the southeastern slope of old Jerusalem]]
The earliest evidence of city fortifications appear in the [[Bronze Age#Near East|Mid to Late Bronze Age]] and could date to around the 18th century BCE.<ref>Nadav Naʼaman, ''Canaan in the 2nd Millennium B.C.E.'', p. 180.</ref> By around 1550–1200 BCE, Jerusalem was the capital of an Egyptian vassal city-state,<ref>Jane M. Cahill, 'Jerusalem at the time of the United Monarchy', in Andrew G. Vaughn, Ann E. Killebrew (eds.) ''Jerusalem in Bible and Archaeology: The First Temple Period'', Society of Biblical Literature, 2003 p. 33.</ref> a modest settlement governing a few outlying villages and pastoral areas, with a small Egyptian garrison and ruled by appointees such as king [[Abdi-Heba]].<ref>[[Israel Finkelstein]], Neil Asher Silberman, ''The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Sacred Texts'', Simon and Schuster 2002 p. 239.</ref> At the time of [[Seti I]] (r. 1290–1279 BCE) and [[Ramesses II]] (r. 1279–1213 BCE), major construction took place as prosperity increased.<ref name=MurphyOConnor>Jerome Murphy-O'Connor, ''Keys to Jerusalem: Collected Essays'', Oxford University Press, 2012 pp. 5–6.</ref> The city's inhabitants at this time were Canaanites, who are believed by scholars to have evolved into the Israelites via the development of a distinct Yahweh-centric monotheistic belief system.<ref>Tubb, 1998. pp. 13–14</ref><ref>Mark Smith in "The Early History of God: Yahweh and Other Deities of Ancient Israel" states "Despite the long regnant model that the Canaanites and Israelites were people of fundamentally different culture, archaeological data now casts doubt on this view. The material culture of the region exhibits numerous common points between Israelites and Canaanites in the Iron I period (c. 1200–1000&nbsp;BCE). The record would suggest that the Israelite culture largely overlapped with and derived from Canaanite culture... In short, Israelite culture was largely Canaanite in nature. Given the information available, one cannot maintain a radical cultural separation between Canaanites and Israelites for the Iron I period." (pp. 6–7). Smith, Mark (2002) "The Early History of God: Yahweh and Other Deities of Ancient Israel" (Eerdman's)</ref><ref name=Rendsberg3/>

[[File:Shiloach.jpg|thumb|The [[Siloam Inscription]], written in [[Biblical Hebrew]], commemorates the construction of the [[Siloam tunnel]] (c. 700 BCE)]]
Archaeological remains from the ancient [[Israelite]] period include the [[Siloam Tunnel]], an aqueduct built by [[Kingdom of Judah|Judahite]] king [[Hezekiah]] and once containing an ancient Hebrew inscription, known as the [[Siloam Inscription]];<ref>Robb Andrew Young, Hezekiah in History and Tradition, p. 49.</ref> the so-called [[Broad Wall (Jerusalem)|Broad Wall]], a defensive fortification built in the 8th century BCE, also by Hezekiah;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gojerusalem.com/discover/item_11470/The-Broad-Wall |title=The Broad Wall – Jerusalem Attractions, Israel |publisher=GoJerusalem.com |date=3 December 2012 |access-date=7 December 2012 |archive-date=10 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131210034609/http://www.gojerusalem.com/discover/item_11470/The-Broad-Wall |url-status=live}}</ref> the [[Silwan necropolis]] (9th–7th c. BCE) with the [[Monolith of Silwan]] and the [[Silwan necropolis#Tomb of the Royal Steward|Tomb of the Royal Steward]], which were decorated with monumental [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] inscriptions;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tau.ac.il/humanities/archaeology/projects/proj_past_silwan.html |title=Department of Archaeology – Silwan, Jerusalem: The Survey of the Iron Age Necropolis |publisher=TAU.ac.il |access-date=7 December 2012 |archive-date=29 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090529130818/http://www.tau.ac.il/humanities/archaeology/projects/proj_past_silwan.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and the so-called [[Israelite Tower]], remnants of ancient fortifications, built from large, sturdy rocks with carved cornerstones.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jewish-quarter.org.il/atar-migd.asp |title=The Israelite Tower |publisher=The Jewish Quarter |access-date=7 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005032727/http://www.jewish-quarter.org.il/atar-migd.asp |archive-date=5 October 2012}}</ref> A huge water reservoir dating from this period was discovered in 2012 near [[Robinson's Arch]], indicating the existence of a densely built-up quarter across the area west of the Temple Mount during the [[Kingdom of Judah]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/cistern-dated-to-first-temple-period-discovered-in-jerusalem/ |title=Cistern dated to First Temple period found in Jerusalem |author=Matti Friedman |newspaper=The Times of Israel |date=6 September 2012 |access-date=10 May 2016 |archive-date=10 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610034445/http://www.timesofisrael.com/cistern-dated-to-first-temple-period-discovered-in-jerusalem/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

When the [[Assyria]]ns [[Kingdom of Israel (Samaria)#Destruction of the Kingdom, 732–720 BCE|conquered the Kingdom of Israel]] in 722 BCE, Jerusalem was strengthened by a great influx of refugees from the northern kingdom. When Hezekiah ruled, Jerusalem had no fewer than 25,000 inhabitants and covered 25 acres (10 hectares).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rocca |first=Samuel |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/368020822 |title=The fortifications of ancient Israel and Judah, 1200–586 BC |date=2010 |publisher=Osprey |others=Adam Hook |isbn=978-1-84603-508-1 |location=Oxford |pages=30 |oclc=368020822}}</ref>

In 587–586 BCE, Nebuchadnezzar II of the Neo-Babylonian Empire conquered Jerusalem after a prolonged siege, and then systematically destroyed the city, including [[Solomon's Temple]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last1=Finkelstein |first1=Israel |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/44509358 |title=The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts |last2=Silberman |first2=Neil Asher |publisher=Free Press |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-684-86912-4 |location=New York |pages=307 |oclc=44509358 |quote=Intensive excavations throughout Jerusalem have shown that the city was indeed systematically destroyed by the Babylonians. The conflagration seems to have been general. When activity on the ridge of the City of David resumed in the Persian period, the-new suburbs on the western hill that had flourished since at least the time of Hezekiah were not reoccupied. |access-date=11 August 2022 |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326034659/https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/44509358 |url-status=live}}</ref> The Kingdom of Judah was abolished and many were [[Babylonian captivity|exiled to Babylon]]. These events mark the end of the First Temple period.<ref name=BU22>{{cite web |url=http://www.bu.edu/mzank/Jerusalem/p/period2-2-1.htm |publisher=Boston University |last=Zank |first=Michael |title=Capital of Judah I (930–722) |access-date=22 January 2007 |archive-date=28 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528051606/http://www.bu.edu/mzank/Jerusalem/p/period2-2-1.htm |url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Biblical account ====
This period, when Canaan formed part of the Egyptian empire, corresponds in biblical accounts to [[Joshua]]'s invasion,<ref>K. L. Noll, ''Canaan and Israel in Antiquity: An Introduction'', Continuum Publishing, 2002 p. 78.</ref> but almost all scholars agree that the Book of Joshua holds little historical value for early Israel.<ref>Ann Killebrew, ''Biblical Peoples and Ethnicity: An Archaeological Study of Egyptians, Canaanites, and Early Israel, 1300–1100 B.C.E,'', Society of Biblical Literature, 2005, p. 152</ref>
[[File:Solomons_Temple_10Century.JPG|thumb|Modern-day reconstruction of Jerusalem during the reign of [[Solomon]] (10th century BCE). [[Solomon's Temple]] appears on top.]]
In the Bible, Jerusalem is defined as lying within territory allocated to the [[tribe of Benjamin]]<ref>{{bibleverse||Joshua|18:28|NIV}}</ref> though still inhabited by [[Jebusite]]s. [[David]] is said to have conquered these in the [[siege of Jebus]], and transferred his capital from [[Hebron]] to Jerusalem which then became the capital of a [[Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy)|United Kingdom of Israel]],<ref>Nadav Na'aman ''Canaan in the 2nd Millennium B.C.E.'', p. 183.</ref> and one of its several religious centres.<ref>Israel Finkelstein, Neil Asher Silberman, ''The Bible Unearthed'', p. 238.</ref> The choice was perhaps dictated by the fact that Jerusalem did not form part of Israel's tribal system, and was thus suited to serve as the centre of its confederation.<ref name="MurphyOConnor" /> Opinion is divided over whether the so-called [[Large Stone Structure]] and the nearby [[Stepped Stone Structure]] may be identified with King David's palace, or dates to a later period.<ref name="nytimes">{{Cite news |title=King David's Palace Is Found, Archaeologist Says |last=Erlanger |first=Steven |date=5 August 2005 |access-date=24 May 2007 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/05/international/middleeast/05jerusalem.html |work=The New York Times |archive-date=12 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130112203013/http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/05/international/middleeast/05jerusalem.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Finkelstein & Mazar (2007), pp. [https://books.google.com/books?id=jpbngoKHg8gC&&pg=PA113 113, 125–28, 165, 174] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221130084628/https://books.google.com/books?id=jpbngoKHg8gC&&pg=PA113 |date=30 November 2022 }}. Accessed 30 November 2022.</ref>

According to the Bible, King David reigned for 40 years<ref>1 Samuel 31:1–13:2 Samuel 5:4–5; Finkelstein, Silberman, op.cit. p. 20.</ref> and was succeeded by his son [[Solomon]],<ref name="wwbible">{{Cite book |title=The Complete Book of When and Where: in the Bible and Throughout History |last=Michael |first=E. |author2=Sharon O. Rusten |author3=Philip Comfort |author4=Walter A. Elwell |publisher=Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. |isbn=978-0-8423-5508-7 |year=2005 |pages=20–21, 67}}</ref> who built the [[Temple in Jerusalem|Holy Temple]] on [[Moriah|Mount Moriah]]. Solomon's Temple (later known as the ''First Temple''), went on to play a pivotal role in Jewish religion as the repository of the [[Ark of the Covenant]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Merling, David |title=Where is the Ark of the Covenant? |publisher=Andrews University |date=26 August 1993 |url=http://www.andrews.edu/ARCHAEOLOGY/archive/merling/newpage3.htm |access-date=22 January 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060917132316/http://www.andrews.edu/ARCHAEOLOGY/archive/merling/newpage3.htm |archive-date=17 September 2006}}</ref> On Solomon's death, ten of the northern [[tribes of Israel]] broke with the United Monarchy to form their own nation, with its kings, prophets, priests, traditions relating to religion, capitals and temples in northern Israel. The southern tribes, together with the [[Kohen|Aaronid priesthood]], remained in Jerusalem, with the city becoming the capital of the [[Kingdom of Judah]].<ref>Richard A. Freund, {{Google books |id=3EWWup0o-o4C |page=9 |title= Digging Through the Bible: Modern Archaeology and the Ancient Bible}}, Rowman & Littlefield, 2009, p. 9.</ref><ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web |url=http://www.bu.edu/mzank/Jerusalem/p/period2-2.htm |publisher=Boston University |title=Capital of Judah (930–586) |last=Zank |first=Michael |access-date=22 January 2007 |archive-date=15 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150715082013/http://www.bu.edu/mzank/Jerusalem/p/period2-2.htm |url-status=live}}</ref>