Jerusalem

==Geography==
{{wide image|Panorámica de Jerusalén desde el Monte de los Olivos.jpg|1000px|align-cap=center|A panorama of the [[Temple Mount]] (Haram al-Sharif or Al-Aqsa compound), including [[Al-Aqsa Mosque]], and [[Dome of the Rock]], from the [[Mount of Olives]]}}

Jerusalem is situated on the southern spur of a [[plateau]] in the [[Judaean Mountains]], which include the [[Mount of Olives]] (East) and [[Mount Scopus]] (North East). The elevation of the Old City is approximately {{cvt|760|m|ft|sigfig=3}}.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Drought Management Planning in Water Supply Systems |last=Cabrera |first=Enrique |author2=Jorge García-Serra |year=1998 |isbn=978-0-7923-5294-5 |publisher=Springer |page=[https://archive.org/details/droughtmanagemen0000unse/page/304 304] |quote=The Old City of Jerusalem (760 m) in the central hills |url=https://archive.org/details/droughtmanagemen0000unse/page/304}}</ref> The whole of Jerusalem is surrounded by valleys and dry [[Wadi|riverbeds]] (''[[wadi]]s''). The [[Kidron Valley|Kidron]], [[Gehenna|Hinnom]], and [[Tyropoeon Valley|Tyropoeon]] Valleys intersect in an area just south of the Old City of Jerusalem.<ref name=bergsohn>{{cite web |url=http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/nes263/spring06/scb48/Final%20Website/Geography%20Page.html |last=Bergsohn |first=Sam |date=15 May 2006 |access-date=9 February 2007 |title=Geography |publisher=Cornell University |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070714134629/http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/nes263/spring06/scb48/Final%20Website/Geography%20Page.html |archive-date=14 July 2007}}</ref> The [[Kidron Valley]] runs to the east of the Old City and separates the [[Mount of Olives]] from the city proper. Along the southern side of old Jerusalem is the [[Gehenna|Valley of Hinnom]], a steep ravine associated in biblical [[eschatology]] with the concept of [[Gehenna]] or [[Hell]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=Four Views on Hell |last=Walvoord |first=John |publisher=Zondervan |year=1996 |author2=Zachary J. Hayes |author3=Clark H. Pinnock |author4=William Crockett |author5=Stanley N. Gundry |isbn=978-0-310-21268-3 |page=58 |chapter=The Metaphorical View}}</ref> 

The [[Tyropoeon Valley]] commenced in the northwest near the [[Damascus Gate]], ran south-southeasterly through the centre of the Old City down to the [[Pool of Siloam]], and divided the lower part into two hills, the Temple Mount to the east, and the rest of the city to the west, the lower and the upper cities described by [[Josephus]]. Today, this valley is hidden by debris that has accumulated over the centuries.<ref name=bergsohn/> In biblical times, Jerusalem was surrounded by forests of almond, olive and pine trees. Over centuries of warfare and neglect, these forests were destroyed. Farmers in the Jerusalem region built stone terraces along the slopes to hold back the soil, a feature still very much in evidence in the Jerusalem landscape.{{Citation needed|date=October 2010}}

Water supply has always been a major problem in Jerusalem, as attested to by the intricate network of ancient [[aqueduct (watercourse)|aqueducts]], tunnels, pools and cisterns found in the city.<ref>{{cite journal |jstor=3137039 |title=The Water Supply of Jerusalem, Ancient and Modern |first=E. W. G. |last=Masterman |journal=The Biblical World |volume=19 |issue=2 |date=February 1902 |pages=87–112 |publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] |doi=10.1086/472951 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

Jerusalem is {{cvt|60|km|mi|0|sp=us}}<ref>{{Cite book |title=Taking Space Seriously: Law, Space and Society in Contemporary Israel |last=Rosen-Zvi |first=Issachar |isbn=978-0-7546-2351-9 |date=2004 |publisher=Ashgate Publishing |page=37 |quote=Thus, for instance, the distance between the four large metropolitan regions are—39 miles}}</ref> east of [[Tel Aviv]] and the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. On the opposite side of the city, approximately {{cvt|35|km|mi|0|sp=us}}<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/5750610 |publisher=NBC News |agency=Assiciated Press |date=18 August 2004 |title=Debate flares anew over Dead Sea Scrolls |access-date=9 February 2007 |last=Federman |first=Josef}}</ref> away, is the [[Dead Sea]], the [[Extremes on Earth|lowest body of water]] on Earth. Neighbouring cities and towns include [[Bethlehem]] and [[Beit Jala]] to the south, [[Abu Dis]] and [[Ma'ale Adumim]] to the east, [[Mevaseret Zion]] to the west, and Ramallah and [[Giv'at Ze'ev]] to the north.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://faculty.biu.ac.il/~maeira/About%20us/Introduction/Introduction.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050405000137/http://faculty.biu.ac.il/~maeira/About%20us/Introduction/Introduction.html |archive-date=5 April 2005 |work=The Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Expedition |publisher=Bar Ilan University |access-date=24 April 2007 |title=Introduction}}{{cbignore}} (Image located here [http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20080731210023/http://faculty.biu.ac.il/~maeira/About%20us/Introduction/Map_Jerusalem_K_Menahem_small.jpg Archived copy] at the [[Library of Congress]] (31 July 2008).)</ref><ref name=map>{{cite web |url=http://www.eyeonisrael.com/Israel-touring-map.html |publisher=Eye on Israel |access-date=25 April 2007 |title=Map of Israel |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070427145816/http://www.eyeonisrael.com/Israel-touring-map.html |archive-date=27 April 2007 |url-status=dead}} (See map 9 for Jerusalem)</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title='One more Obstacle to Peace' – A new Israeli Neighborhood on the lands of Jerusalem city |url=http://www.poica.org/editor/case_studies/view.php?recordID=1025 |publisher=The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem |date=10 March 2007 |access-date=24 April 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080131211621/http://www.poica.org/editor/case_studies/view.php?recordID=1025 |archive-date=31 January 2008}})</ref>

[[Mount Herzl]], at the western side of the city near the [[Jerusalem Forest]], serves as the national cemetery of Israel.

<gallery widths="200" heights="135">
File:Jerusalem, Israel.JPG|Astronauts' view of Jerusalem
File:Israel-2013-Aerial-Mount of Olives.jpg|Sunset aerial photograph of the [[Mount of Olives]]
</gallery>

===Climate===
[[File:העיר העתיקה בירושלים בלבן.jpg|thumb|Snow visible on roofs in the Old City of Jerusalem]]
The city is characterized by a [[hot-summer Mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Csa''), with hot, dry summers, and mild, wet winters. Snow flurries usually occur once or twice a winter, although the city experiences heavy [[snowfall]] every three to four years, on average, with short-lived accumulation.

January is the coldest month of the year, with an average temperature of {{cvt|9.1|°C|1}}; July and August are the hottest months, with an average temperature of {{cvt|24.2|°C|1}}, and the summer months are usually rainless. The average annual precipitation is around {{cvt|537|mm|in|0}}, with rain occurring almost entirely between October and May.<ref name=weather>{{cite web |title=Mean Daily Sunshine on each month for Jerusalem, Israel |publisher=The Weather Channel |url=http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/ISXX0010?from=month_bottomnav_business |access-date=7 February 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071114085738/http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/ISXX0010?from=month_bottomnav_business |archive-date=14 November 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Snowfall is rare, and large snowfalls are even more rare.<ref name=snow2013-1>{{cite news |title=Roads to Jerusalem closed as huge storm batters Israel |first=Yaakov |last=Lappin |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=13 December 2013 |url=http://www.jpost.com/National-News/Police-IDF-called-in-to-help-motorists-stranded-in-snow-in-Jerusalem-BG-Airport-shut-temporarily-334920}}</ref><ref name=snow2013-2>{{cite news |title=Biblical snowstorm: Rare flakes in Cairo, Jerusalem paralyzed by over a foot |first=Jason |last=Samenow |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=13 December 2013 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2013/12/13/rare-snow-in-cairo-jerusalem-paralyzed-in-historic-snow/}}</ref> Jerusalem received over {{cvt|30|cm|in}} of snow on 13 December 2013, which nearly paralyzed the city.<ref name=snow2013-1/><ref name=snow2013-2/> A day in Jerusalem has on average, 9.3 sunshine hours. With summers averaging similar temperatures as the coastline, the maritime influence from the [[Mediterranean Sea]] is strong, in particular given that Jerusalem is located on a similar latitude as scorching hot deserts not far to its east.

The highest recorded temperature in Jerusalem was {{cvt|44.4|°C|1}} on 28 and 30 August 1881, and the lowest temperature recorded was {{cvt|−6.7|°C|1}} on 25 January 1907.

Most of the air pollution in Jerusalem comes from vehicular traffic.<ref name=friction>{{Cite book |title=Jerusalem: Points of Friction-And Beyond |last=Ma'oz |first=Moshe |publisher=Brill Academic Publishers |year=2000 |author2=Sari Nusseibeh |isbn=978-90-411-8843-4 |pages=44–46}}</ref> Many main streets in Jerusalem were not built to accommodate such a large volume of traffic, leading to traffic congestion and more [[carbon monoxide]] released into the air. Industrial pollution inside the city is sparse, but emissions from factories on the [[Israeli coastal plain|Israeli Mediterranean coast]] can travel eastward and settle over the city.<ref name=friction/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1189411414621&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull |title=Worst ozone pollution in Beit Shemesh, Gush Etzion |author=Rory Kess |newspaper=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |date=16 September 2007 |access-date=23 October 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110624112024/http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1189411414621&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull |archive-date=24 June 2011}}</ref>

{{Weather box|location=Jerusalem (1991–2020 normals)
|metric first= yes
|single line=Y
|Jan record high C = 24.4
|Feb record high C = 27.5
|Mar record high C = 32.7
|Apr record high C = 35.6
|May record high C = 38.6
|Jun record high C = 38.4
|Jul record high C = 40.6
|Aug record high C = 44.4
|Sep record high C = 42.7
|Oct record high C = 36.5
|Nov record high C = 30.5
|Dec record high C = 28.5
|year record high C = 44.4
|Jan high C = 12.7
|Feb high C = 14.0
|Mar high C = 17.4
|Apr high C = 22.0
|May high C = 26.2
|Jun high C = 28.6
|Jul high C = 30.0
|Aug high C = 30.3
|Sep high C = 28.9
|Oct high C = 25.9
|Nov high C = 19.9
|Dec high C = 14.9
|year high C = 
|Jan mean C = 9.8
|Feb mean C = 10.7
|Mar mean C = 13.4
|Apr mean C = 17.3
|May mean C = 21.2
|Jun mean C = 23.5
|Jul mean C = 25.0
|Aug mean C = 25.3
|Sep mean C = 24.0
|Oct mean C = 21.6
|Nov mean C = 16.4
|Dec mean C = 11.9
|year mean C = 
|Jan low C = 6.7
|Feb low C = 7.3
|Mar low C = 9.5
|Apr low C = 12.5
|May low C = 16.2
|Jun low C = 18.3
|Jul low C = 20.0
|Aug low C = 20.2
|Sep low C = 19.1
|Oct low C = 17.3
|Nov low C = 12.9
|Dec low C = 8.8
|year low C = 
|Jan record low C = -6.7
|Feb record low C = -2.5
|Mar record low C = -0.3
|Apr record low C = 0.8
|May record low C = 7.6
|Jun record low C = 11.0
|Jul record low C = 14.6
|Aug record low C = 15.5
|Sep record low C = 13.2
|Oct record low C = 9.8
|Nov record low C = 1.8
|Dec record low C = -0.4
|year record low C = -6.7
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain mm = 136.8
|Feb rain mm = 117.9
|Mar rain mm = 67.2
|Apr rain mm = 21.8
|May rain mm = 7.1
|Jun rain mm = 0.3
|Jul rain mm = 0.0
|Aug rain mm = 0.0
|Sep rain mm = 0.7
|Oct rain mm = 10.3
|Nov rain mm = 51.1
|Dec rain mm = 112.3
|year rain mm = 
|unit rain days = 1 mm
|Jan rain days = 9.2
|Feb rain days = 8.5
|Mar rain days = 6.2
|Apr rain days = 2.4
|May rain days = 0.8
|Jun rain days = 0.0
|Jul rain days = 0.0
|Aug rain days = 0.0
|Sep rain days = 0.2
|Oct rain days = 1.9
|Nov rain days = 4.7
|Dec rain days = 7.7
|year rain days = 
|Jan humidity = 61
|Feb humidity = 59
|Mar humidity = 52
|Apr humidity = 39
|May humidity = 35
|Jun humidity = 37
|Jul humidity = 40
|Aug humidity = 40
|Sep humidity = 40
|Oct humidity = 42
|Nov humidity = 48
|Dec humidity = 56
|Jan sun = 192.9
|Feb sun = 243.6
|Mar sun = 226.3
|Apr sun = 266.6
|May sun = 331.7
|Jun sun = 381.0
|Jul sun = 384.4
|Aug sun = 365.8
|Sep sun = 309.0
|Oct sun = 275.9
|Nov sun = 228.0
|Dec sun = 192.2
|year sun = 3397.4
|source 1=[[Israel Meteorological Service]] (records until 1990)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/LongTermInfo |title=Long Term Climate Information for Israel |date=August 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100914010915/http://www.ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/LongTermInfo |archive-date=14 September 2010}}{{in lang|he}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/TopClimetIsrael/ |title=Record Data in Israel |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100124024203/http://www.ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/TopClimetIsrael |archive-date=24 January 2010}}{{in lang|he}}</ref>
|source 2 = NOAA (normal values & records, 1991–2020)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Israel/CSV/JERUSALEM_40183.csv |title=WMO Climate Normals for Jerusalem 1991–2020 |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |access-date=25 October 2023}}</ref> (sun, 1961–1990)<ref name = NOAA>
{{cite web |url=ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_VI/IS/40184.TXT |title=Jerusalem Climate Normals 1961–1990 |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |access-date=26 April 2017}}</ref>
|date=August 2016}}