The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered between 1947 and 1956. They were hidden in eleven caves near Qumran on the shores of the Dead Sea. The scholars have identified  almost 870 separate scrolls. Majority are written in Hebrew and some in Aramaic. The scrolls contain previously unknown stories of Noah  Enoch and Abraham as well as not found in the Bible prophecies by Ezekiel, Jeremiah and Daniel. It is speculated that the scrolls most likely were written by Essenes, the Messianic Jewish sect, between 200 B.C. and 68 C.E.


  "The House of David" inscribed on a victory stele Tel Dan, Israel,

9th century B.C.

The Israel Museum, Jerusalem


 The glass plates from Herod's palace in Jewish Quarter

Picture by Avi Deror


Mikvot - During the 1970s archeological excavations numerous mikvot  (ritual purification baths) were uncovered in Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter. Mikvot was an important part of live for Jews in the 1st century A.D.  The column in the middle separates the entrance and the exit for the bathers.


Jerusalem Symbol

The emblem of Jerusalem incorporates a lion, symbolizing one of Jerusalem's names, Ariel - Lion of God, and olive branches, symbolizing peace.



 

 

 

 

 

 

         
 
1400BCE      
 

Jerusalem is mentioned as Urusalim in the Amarna letters (tablets) discovered at a place called Tell el-Amarna, Egypt. The letter from Abdi-Heba, king of the city, is warning an Egyptian pharaoh about the potential invasion by Habiru. Ancient Israelites were believed to belong to nomadic Habiru tribes

   
1300BCE      
 

A new ethnic group called the Jebusites appears  in Jerusalem and names it Jebus

   
1000BCE     Solomon's Temple  
 

King David captures Jerusalem and establishes it as the Capital of United Kingdom of Israel. He brings in the Ark of the Covenant, thus greatly enhancing religious and political eminence of the city

     
950BCE    

 

 
 

King Solomon builds a Temple, which becomes the principal center for religious and spiritual life of Israel. It is situated at the place were Abraham is believed was prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac

     
924BCE    

 
 

Israelite Kingdom is divided into Israel and Judah. Jerusalem becomes the capital of Judah

   
721BCE    
 

Assyrians conquer northern kingdom of Israel. King Sargon II exiles 10 of the 12 Israelite tribes and brings in the foreigners to take their place

 
596BCE    

Sargon II

 
 

Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, seized Jerusalem deposing king Jehoiakin and imprisoning him in Babylon

     
586BCE        
 

Nebuchadnezzar II conquers Judah, destroys the Temple and exiles Jews to Babylon

     
539BCE    

 
 

Persian king, Cyrus the Great, conquers the Babylonian Empire and allows Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuilt the Temple. Around 43.000 Jews go back to the Promised Land. He also returns to the Jews the Holy Vessels stolen by Nebuchadnezzar

 
515BCE    
 

Zerubbabel, the bodyguard of Persian king Darius I, travels to Jerusalem with thousands of Jews. The newly arrived reinvigorate the work on the Second Temple which is completed after 23 years     

 
445BCE    

Darius I

 
 

Neheimaiah, the Babylonian Jew, hears the sad story about Jerusalem from the two  travelers. They tell him how once mighty city walls are torn down and how the neighboring tribes pillage the city and kill the inhabitants. Neheimaiah with the blessing of the king Xerxes I travels to Jerusalem with many of his countrymen and rebuilds the city walls

     
438BCE        
 

Ezra the Scribe, the scholar and the leader of the Judean community in Babylon, travels to Jerusalem and initiates the religious reforms and public readings of Torah which becomes the official law of the land

 

 
333BCE    

Hebrew Scrolls

 
 

Alexander the Great defeats Darius III king of Persia, conquers Jerusalem

     
323BCE        
 

Alexander the Great dies in Babylon. His generals fight for succession. Ptolemy takes control of Egypt and Judea and Seleucus ends up with Syria and Asia Minor

 
320BCE        
 

Ptolemy the I captures Jerusalem, but the battle over Jerusalem between the Ptolemies and Seleucids lasts for 125 years 

 

 
198BCE    
 

Antiochus the III, the Seleucid, defeats the Ptolemies and adds Judea with Jerusalem to his empire. He begins the efforts to force Jews abandon monotheism in favor of the Greek paganism

 
176BCE     Alexander the Great  
 

Antiochus the IV Epiphanes continues his father's polices and begins the religious persecution. He outlaws the Sabbath and the circumcision and desecrates the Temple by erecting the altar to Zeus and allowing the sacrifices of pigs

     
167BCE        
 

Jewish priest called Mattathias kills one of the enforcing officers and with his five sons leads the revolt against Antiochus

     
164BCE    

 
 

Son of Mattathias, Judah Maccabee, liberates Jerusalem from Seleucid rule and restores the Temple. This event is commemorated by the holiday called Chanukah. After 500 years Jews again rule Judea and Jerusalem. Their rule will last for 80 years and will become to be known as Hasmonian Period

 
63BCE    

Chanukah Menorah

 
 

Roman general Pompey captures Jerusalem and appoints Hyrcanus II as a High Priest. He enters Holy of Holies but is disappointed to find it empty

     
40BCE        
 

Hasmonian king Antigonus with the help Parthians (Persians) temporarily takes Jerusalem back from Romans

     
37BCE        
 

Herod the Great is appointed by Romans as a client king and with the help of Roman general Mark Anthony retakes Jerusalem and names it capital of Judea. He marries Mariamme the Hasmonian and thus becomes the legitimate heir to the throne

 

 
26BCE    
 

Herod embarks on a massive building campaign to enlarge and improve the Temple Mount. He builds it in Greco-Roman style in order to please his Roman overlords. He spares no funds and the end result is a magnificent complex of buildings that became known far beyond the walls of Jerusalem.

 
     

Herod's Temple

 
         
         
         
         
26CE        
 

Pontius Pilate is appointed as a procurator of Judea overseeing the political activities of the state

 

Copyright Mao. iStockphoto.com

 
31CE    
 

Pilate orders the crucifixion of  Jesus. This event gives birth to Christianity

 
66CE    

 Crucifixion

 
 

Tension grows amongst the population due to the widespread corruption and abuses by Roman appointed administrators. Emergence of the Zealot movement. These events lead to the First Jewish Revolt that grew into full scale war

     
70CE    

 

 
 

Roman general Titus takes Jerusalem after a two year  siege. Roman soldiers run through the city burning houses and killing anyone in sight. Temple is burnt and it's treasury and sacred vessels are stolen and taken to Rome

 
73CE    

 
 

Fall of fortress Masada, where the remnants of the Jewish insurgency held up for three years. When Romans enter the fortress they find all defenders dead. They committed mass suicide preferring death to Roman justice

   
132CE      Masada  
 

Second Jewish Revolt led by Simon Bar Kochba whom an influential Rabbi Akiva proclaimed to be a Messiah. The suspicion on the part of many Jews that new Roman emperor Hadrian has plans to built a temple to Jupiter in the hart of Jerusalem is named one of the many reasons for revolt

 
135CE    

 

 
 

Majority of Bar Kochba followers are ether killed or dispersed. Emperor Hadrian orders a complete destruction of Jerusalem. Jews are banished and are not allowed to visit the Holy City under the threat of death. Hadrian is rebuilding Jerusalem and renames it Aelia Capitolina

     
336CE    

Photo by Moshe Milner. Property of National Photo Collection of Israel

 
 

Emperor Constantine completes the building of the church of Holy Sepulcher to underline the Roman empire's adoption of Christianity

 
363CE    
 

Roman Emperor Julian, nicknamed Apostate, allows Jews to return to Jerusalem and attempts to rebuild the Temple but an earthquake puts an end to the reconstruction 

 
614CE    

Church of Holy

 
 

Persians take Jerusalem from Byzantium and briefly hand over the city to the  Jews, but later restore it back to the Christians

  Sepulcher  
620CE    

 

 
 

Byzantine emperor Heraclius recaptures Jerusalem from Persians but the war exhausts both empires and opens up the door to Muslim conquest

 
638CE    

 

 
 

Forces of Islam explode out of Arabia and under the leadership of the second caliph Omar Ibn Al-Khattab conquer Jerusalem. Muslim rulers allow religious freedom and guarantee the respect of the holy sites. 200 Jewish families kicked out by Byzantines are allowed to return

     
692CE    

 
 

Dome of Rock is built by Caliph Abdel-Malik on the top of the ruins of the Jewish Temple. Its regarded by the Muslims as the departure point of Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey. Jews and Christians believe it's the site of Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac. It is also the most likely time when the Golden Gate, the main entrance to the Temple Mount, was sealed off in order to prevent the fulfillment of the Zachariah's prophecy about the arrival of the Jewish Messiah that would prompt the reconstruction of Solomon's Temple and bring redemption to the Jews.

 
      Dome of Rock  
         
         
         
         
1070CE        
 

Seljuk Turks take Jerusalem away from Fatimids. Few years later when the rebellion broke out against them, the Seljuk general Atsiz stormed Jerusalem and allowed its inhabitants to be massacred 

     
1099CE    

Copyright Mary Lane. iStockphoto.com

 
 

Answering the call of the Pope Urban II to liberate the Holy Land, the army of Christian pilgrims and the knights conquers Jerusalem. 30000 Muslims and Jews are slaughtered within three days of carnage. The local Christian population is expelled. Kingdom of Jerusalem is established with Holy City as it's capital

 
1187CE    

Crusader Castle

 
 

Saladin captures Jerusalem from Crusaders after he won the battle of Hattin. Not one Christian is killed.  Allows Crusaders  to leave by paying a nominal ransom. Jews are permitted to resettle in Jerusalem

     
1189CE        
 

Pope Gregory the VII orders another  crusade to recapture Jerusalem. Richard the Lionhart and king Phillip II of France lead the 3rd crusade, but Saladin is able to defend the city. Richard comes near enough to see Jerusalem but has to turn back without ever entering it

     
1229CE    

Copyright Alan Goulet. iStockphoto.com

 
 

Under the the threat of excommunication by the Catholic Church, Frederic II the Holy Roman Emperor of Europe is forced to lead the sixth crusade to liberate the Holy City. He signs the treaty with Egyptian sultan Al-Kamil. Muslims retain Temple Mount but Christians gained full access to their religious shrines

 
1244CE    

Crusader cross

 
 

Jerusalem is sacked by Khwarazmian Turks who were summoned to Palestine by Ayyubid Sultan of Egypt. They kill Christians and violate the shrines including the church of Holy Sepulcher 

     
1250CE        
 

Turan Shah, an Ayyubid Sultan of Egypt, is murdered and replaced by his Mamluk slave-general Aibek, who founded the Mamluk dynasty. Mamluks show no great interest in Jerusalem. They do not even attempt restoring the walls of the City destroyed by Ayyubids in 1219CE

     
1267CE        
 

Rabbi Moses ben Nachman a well known Kabbalist, also known as Nachmonidies, comes to Jerusalem after being exiled from Christian Spain. He finds only two Jewish families in the entire city. He turns an old house into the synagogue that becomes a center of the Jewish life in the Mamluk Jerusalem

 

 
1310CE    

Hurva Synagogue

 
 

Under the Mamluk rule Jerusalem is made a subject to Damascus. Citadel is restored. Jerusalem is considered a place of exile for the Mamluk officials who have fallen out of favor. Jews are moved to the area known today as a Jewish Quarter. Jews and Christians are subjected to the heavy taxation. Access to Temple Mount is forbidden to both religions

     
1492CE        
 

Spanish Army defeats the Muslim forces in Granada and on July 30th 200,000 Jews are expelled from Spain under orders of king Ferdinand and queen Isabella. Thousands are forced to convert into Christianity under the plan devised by Spanish Inquisition. Tens of thousands die while trying to reach the safety in other countries. Some of the refugees make it to Jerusalem

 

Copyright Joao Saraiva. iStockphoto.com

 
1517CE     Al-Hambra Mosque  
 

Selim the Cruel captures Jerusalem after an Ottoman army defeats the Mamluks at Marj-Dabik in northern Syria. Thus begins an Ottoman period in Jerusalem history that would last for four hundred years

     
1537CE    

 
 

Ottoman ruler, Suleiman the Magnificent, embarks on the major reconstruction of Jerusalem. He begins the rebuilding of city walls including the 7 gates and the Tower of David. Ottoman rule spreads the sense of security that results in increased Christian and Jewish pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Economic growth of Jerusalem follows

 
1556CE    

Suleiman I

 
 

Sultan Selim II comes to power. Ottoman authorities institute the practice of allowing the private person to purchase the right to collect taxes. This leads to abuse of power, extortions and widespread corruption. By 1625 Jerusalem is brought down to complete economic collapse

     
1629CE        
 

Ottoman Empire is severely weakened and European powers play an ever increasing role in Jerusalem affairs. Conflicts erupt over the control of the church of Holy Sepulcher and other Holy Places between the French and Venetians against the competing Greek Orthodoxy

     
1831CE    

Copyright Hayley Easton. iStockphoto.com

 
 

Jerusalem is conquered by the Egyptians, the former subjects of Ottoman Empire. Ibrahim Pasha, son of Mohammed Ali, introduces new laws that prohibit the discriminations against non-Muslims. Four Sephardic Synagogues in the Jewish Quarter are renovated. Jews are allowed to pray at the Western Wall

 
1834CE    

Mosque of M. Ali

 
 

Fearing that the equal rights for all citizens of Jerusalem will infringe on their privileges, the Muslim population is rising up in rebellion. Ibrahim Pasha needs the force of his entire army to crush the uprising

  Cairo, Egypt  
1840CE        
 

Ottoman Empire takes Jerusalem back, but is forced to adhere to the rules implemented by Egyptians as European powers demand the concessions and get them

     
1856CE       
 

The Crimean War breaks out as a result of a quarrel between the Russian Orthodox monks and the French Catholics over who had precedence over the Holy Places in Jerusalem and Nazareth.  England and France defeat Russians at the battle of Sevastopol. As a result they win more concessions from their allies, the Ottoman rulers of Jerusalem

   
1873CE     Jewish  Quarter  
 

Jerusalem becomes an independent province and reports directly to Istanbul. Non-Muslim residents are allowed to purchase the property. Jews now make up sixty per cent of the population and Jewish Quarter expends

     
1882CE        
 

British conquer Egypt and establish themselves as a political power in the region. Assassination of Russian tsar  Alexander II is followed by vicious attacks (pogroms) against the Jewish population of Russia. Many Russian Jews emigrate to Palestine. Some settle in Jerusalem

     
1899CE    

Property of National Photo Collection of Israel

 
 

First Zionist congress held in Basel, Switzerland in the  aftermath of the Dreyfus affair in France. Theodore Herzl and some other Jewish leaders come to realization of impending catastrophe for Jews of Europe and are looking for a place to resettle. Eventually Palestine, the historical homeland, is chosen as such a place

 
     

Theodore Herzl