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Jerusalem Fact File

The city of Jerusalem, seen from the Mount of Olives Jerusalem is located on a high ridge, consisting of 3 hills. Along the east of the city is the Kidron Valley (in which runs the Brook Kidron, including the Pool of Gihon), and to the south is the Valley Of Hinnom. The Mount Of Olives, where Jesus Christ was arrested on the night of the Passover in the first century AD, and where He will return, is just to the east, across the Kidron Valley. He walked many times through there on His way to Bethany to visit Martha and Mary and Lazarus.

Jerusalem

Archaeological studies indicate that the city is very ancient, having been established perhaps more than 2,000 years before it was captured from the Jebusites by King David about 1,000 B.C.

Jerusalem had earlier been named Salem (Genesis 14:18) and Jebus (1 Chronicles 11:4). Salem is a Hebrew word meaning peace).

The city is mentioned over 600 times in the Old Testament, somewhat less in the New Testament (see New Testament Fact File). The first mention of the name Jerusalem is found in Joshua chapter 10.

The first Temple was constructed by King Solomon over a period of about 12 years, with completion around 950 B.C. This Temple was later destroyed by the Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar in about 587 B.C. The Herodian Temple, as constructed by Herod the Great, existed at the time of Jesus Christ, and was a continuation of earlier reconstruction work done by Jews who had been allowed to return by the Persians after the Babylonian Captivity. The second Temple was destroyed by the Roman Legions under Titus in 70 A.D. Bible prophecy clearly indicates that one more Temple is going to be constructed in Jerusalem, according to Ezekiel 40.

The city is 777 metres above sea level. Its latitude is 32 degrees north and its longitude is 35 degrees east.

From Jerusalem:

The Dead Sea is 23 kilometres east.
The Jordan River is 31 km east.
The Mediterranean Sea is 55 km west.
Bethlehem is 8 km south.
Nazareth is 102 km north.
Samaria is 49 km north.
Hebron is 31 km south.
Egypt is 485 km southwest.
Assyria and Babylon were 1,170 km east.
Persia was 1,700 km east.
Greece is 1,340 km northwest.
Rome is 2,510 km northwest.

Jerusalem will one day be the capital of the Earth, see Isaiah 2:2-4.

The Mount of Olives, Jerusalem