Jerusalem ✡ Biblical History – Most frequently mentioned City in Scripture ✡ ✡ By Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum.

a. First mentioned in relationship to Melchizedek – Genesis 14:18-20

b. Leader of the Anti-Gibeonite League – Joshua 10:1-5

c. King was killed by Joshua- Joshua 10:23; 12:10

d. Border between Judah and Benjamin – Joshua 15:8

e. Smitten and burned by Judah – Judges 1:8

f. Given to the Tribe of Benjamin -Joshua 18:28; I Chronicles 8:23, 3

g. Retained by the Jebusites – Joshua 15:63;Judges 1:21

h. The Levite and his concubine refused to stay here because it was Jebusite – Judges 19:10-13

i. Goliath’s head brought to Jerusalem – I Samuel 17:54

j. Made the capital of Israel by David -II Samuel 5:6-10; I Kings 2:11,I Chronicles 3:4; 11:4-9;28:1; 29:27

k. Inhabited by various tribes – I Chronicles 9:3,34

l. Several of the sons of David were born here – II Samuel 5:13-16; I Chronicles 3:5-8; 14:3-7

m. Ninth and last resting place of the Ark of the Covenant – II Samuel 6:1-19; I Chronicles 15:1-28; 23:25;

II Chronicles 1:4

n. The shields of Hadadezer brought to Jerusalem – II Samuel 8:7; I Chronicles 18:7

o. Became the home of Mephibosheth – II Samuel 9:13

p. Joab returned to Jerusalem after fighting Ammon – II Samuel 10:14; I Chronicles 19:15

q.The Bathsheba and Uriah incident occurred here – II Samuel 11:1-12:25

r. David returned to Jerusalem after fighting Ammon – II Samuel 12:26-31; I Chronicles 20:1-3

s. The Absalom revolt included Jerusalem – II Samuel 14:23-20:3

t. Joab returned to Jerusalem after the defeat of Sheba – II Samuel 20:7, 22

u. The numbering of Israel by David involved Jerusalem – II Samuel 24:8, 16; I Chronicles 21, 15-16

v. Became the forced home of Shimei, a son of Saul – I Kings 2:36-46

w. Solomon built a wall around Jerusalem – I Kings 3:1; 9:15

x. Solomon sacrificed before the Ark in Jerusalem after his prayer for wisdom was answered – I Kings 3:15;

II Chronicles 1:13

y. Solomon built the Temple and brought the Ark into the Temple in Jerusalem – I Kings 8:1-11;

I Chronicles 6:10,32;II Chronicles 2:1-7:22 (2:7, 16; 3:1; 5:2; 6:6)

z. Solomon built his own house in Jerusalem – I Kings 9:19; II Chronicles 8:6

aa. The Queen of Sheba came to Jerusalem – I Kings 10:1-10; II Chronicles 9:1-12

ab. Solomon made Jerusalem a strong, wealthy city – I Kings 10:26-27; II Chronicles 1:14-17; 9:22-28, 30

ac. Solomon’s fall involved Jerusalem – I Kings 11:1-42 (7, 13, 29, 32, 36, 42)

ad. All the kings of Judah reigned from Jerusalem

  • (1) Reoboam – I Kings 12:18, 21; 14:21; II Chronicles 10:18-12:16 (10:18;11:1,5,14,16;12:2,4,5,7,9,13)
  • (2) Abijam (Abijam) – I Kings 15:1-8; II Chronicles 13:1-22 (2)
  • (3) Asa – I Kings 15:9-24; II Chronicles 14:1-16:14 (14:15;15:10)
  • (4) Jehoshaphat – I Kings 22:41-50; II Chronicles 17:1-21:1 (17:13;19:1,4,8;20:5,15,17,18,20,27,28,31)
  • (5) Jehoram – II Kings 8:16-24; II Chronicles 21:1-20 (5,11,13,20)
  • (6) Ahaziah – II Kings 8:25-29; 9:27-28;II Chronicles 22:1-9 (1-2)
  • (7) Athaliah – II Kings 8:25-29; 9:27-28; II Chronicles 22:10-23:21 (23:2)
  • (8) Jehoash (Joash) – II Kings 11:21-12:21; II Chronicles 24:1-27 (1,6,9,18,23)
  • (9) Amaziah – II Kings 14:1-22; II Chronicles 25:1-28 (1,23,27)
  • (10) Azariah ( Uzziah) IIKings 15:1-7; II Chronicles 26:1-23 (3,9,15)
  • (11) Jotham – II Kings 15:32-38; II Chronicles 27:1-9 (1,8)
  • (12) Ahaz – II Kings 16:1-20; II Chronicles 28:1-27 (1,10,24,27)
  • (13) Hezekiah – II Kings 18:20:21(18:2,17,22,35;19:10,21,31); II Chronicles 29:1-32:33 (29:1,5; 30:1,2,3,5,11,13,14,21,25; 31:4; 32:2,9,10,12,18,19,22,23,25,26,33)
  • (14) Manasseh – II Kings 21:1-18 (1,4,7,12,13,16) II Chronicles 33:1-20 (1,4,7,9,13,15)
  • (15) Amon – II Kings 21:19-26; II Chronicles33:21-25 (21)
  • (16) Josiah – II Kings 22:1-23:30 (22:1,14; 23:1,2,4,5,6,9,13,20,23,24,27,30); II Chronicles 34:1-35:27 (34:1,3,5,7,9,22,29,39,32; 35:1,18,24)
  • (17) Jehoahaz – II Kings 23:31-33; II Chronicles 36:1-4
  • (18) Jehoiakim – II Kings 23:34-24:6; II Chronicles 36:5-8
  • (19) Jehoiachin (Jechoniah, Coniah) – II kings 24 ;8-17; II Chronocles 36:9-10
  • (20) Zedekiah – II Kings 24:18-25:7; II Chronicles 36:11-13

ae. Jeroboam built rival worship centres to Jerusalem -I Kings12:26-30

af. Taken by Shishak in the days of Rheboam – I Kings 14:25; II Chronicles 12:1-9

ag. Threatened by the Syrians – II Kings 12:14-18

ah. The north wall was broken by Jehoash the king of Israel after defeating Amaziah the king of Judah and then plundered – II Kings 14:13-14; II Chronicles 25:23-24

ai. Besieged by Israel and Syria in the days of Ahaz – II Kings 16:5; Isaiah 7:1-2

aj. Threatened by Sennacherib in the days of Hezekiah – II Kings 18:13-19:37

ak. Manasseh corrupted the city assuring divine judgement – II Kings 21:10-16; 23:26-27

al. Destroyed by Babylon in 586 – II Kings 24:1-25:17; II Chronicles 36:5-21; Jeremiah 52:1-30

am. Cyrus issued a decree allowing for the rebuilding of Jerusalem -II Chronicles 36:22-23

an. in the return, three key men played a role for Jerusalem

  • (1) Zerubbable – Rebuilt the Temple – Ezra 1-6
  • (2) Ezra – Rebuilt the spiritual values – Ezra 7-10
  • (3) Nehemiah – Rebuilt the city wall – Nehemiah 1-13

ao. Origin of Mordechai’s family – Esther 2:6

ap. Major theme of the prophets and poets of Israel and mentioned over 6,000 times

  • (1) Poetic Books – Psalm 51:18; 68:29; 79:1,3; 102:2 116:19;122:2,3,6; 125:2;128:5; 135:21; 137:5,6,7; 147:2,12; Ecclesiastes 1:1,12,16; 2:7,9; Song of Solomon 1:5; 2:7; 3:5,10; 5:8,16; 6:4; 8:1; Lamentations 1:7,8,17; 2:10,13,15; 4:12
  • (2) The Prophets – the only Old Testament prophets that do not mention Jerusalem are Hosea, Jonah, Nahum,Habakkuk, and Haggai

aq. It is a major area of ministry by Christ in all four gospel

as. In the New Testament Epistles it is mentioned in Romans 15:19,25 26; I Corinthians 16:3; Galatians 1:17,18; 2:1; 4:25,26; Hebrews 12:22

at. In the Revelation – 3:12; 21:2,10

au. Rabbis: Ten measures of beauty descended from Heaven; nine were taken by Jerusalem, and one by the rest of the world (B. Kiddushin 98b)

Names of the City

  • a. Salem – Genesis 14:18
  • b. Jebus – Judges 19:10
  • c. Jerusalem – Joshua 10:1
  • d. The City of God – Psalm 46:4
  • e. Zion – Isaiah 60:14
  • f. Holy City – Isaiah 52:1
  • g. Hephzibah – Isaiah 62:4
  • h. Ariel – Isaiah 29:17
  • i. Aelia Capitolina (Hadrian in A.D. 135)
  • J. Al-Kuds (Arab)