King David’s Royal City
Rugby Tours To Jerusalem
Video Credit – Ministry of Tourism
There is no town as Biblical as Jerusalem, but it was neither built nor named by the Israelites.
Remnants of a Canaanite town called Salem date back to the early bronze age. First Biblical mention of this place is in Genesis 14:18, where Abraham and Melchizedek meet.
The name Jerusalem occurs first in Joshua 10:1 and the city of Jerusalem was conquered, sacked and apparently abandoned by Israel, Judges 1:8.
Still, it remained occupied by Jebusites and it was originally located in the territory of not Judah but Benjamin, Judges 1:21.
Four hundred years later David conquered Jerusalem from the Jebusites, annexed it and made it his capital.
By the time the Hebrews had a say in it, the name Jerusalem had been long established.
Most likely, the original name, that sounded something like Urusalimum or Ursalimmu, meant Foundation of Salem.
During its long history, Jerusalem has been destroyed at least twice, besieged 23 times, captured recaptured 44 times and attacked 52 times.
The part of Jerusalem called the City of David shows first signs of settlement in the 4th millennium BCE, in the shape of encampments of nomadic shepherds.