From 1260[190] to 1517, Jerusalem was ruled by the Mamluks. In the wider region, until about 1300, there were many clashes between the Mamluks on one side and the Crusaders and Mongols on the other. Within a few decades, Jerusalem went from Byzantine rule to Persian rule and then to Romano-Byzantine rule. After the advance of the Sassanids Khosrau II through Syria in the early 7th century, his generals Shahrbaraz and Shahin attacked Jerusalem (Persian: Dej Hudkh), supported by the Jews of Palaestina Prima, who had risen up against the Byzantines. [157] In 37 BC, Herod the Great conquered Jerusalem after a forty-day siege, ending Hasmonean rule. Herod ruled the province of Judea as a client king of the Romans, rebuilt the Second Temple, modernized the surrounding complex, and expanded the currency to include many denominations. Pliny the Elder, writing about Herod`s achievements, called Jerusalem „by far the most famous of the Eastern cities, and not only the cities of Judea.” The Talmud comments: „He who has not seen Herod`s temple has never seen a beautiful building in his life.” And Tacitus wrote: „Jerusalem is the capital of the Jews. Inside, there was a temple that possessed enormous wealth. [24] Later, according to the biblical account, King Solomon built a larger temple, Solomon`s Temple, on a site that the Book of Chronicles likens to the altar of David. The temple became an important cultural center in the region; Eventually, especially after religious reforms such as those of Hezekiah and Josiah, the Temple in Jerusalem became the main place of worship, at the expense of other once powerful ritual centers such as Silo and Bethel.
According to K. L. Noll, in Canaan and Israel in Antiquity: A Textbook on History and Religion, the biblical account of the centralization of worship in Jerusalem is fiction, although in Josiah`s day, the area he ruled was so small that the Temple in Jerusalem became de facto the only remaining sanctuary. [17] Solomon is also described as having created several other important works of construction in Jerusalem, including the construction of his palace and the construction of the Millo (whose identity is somewhat disputed). Archaeologists are divided on whether the biblical account is supported by evidence from excavations. [18] Eilat Mazar claims that his excavations have unearthed remains of large stone buildings from the good era, while Israel Finkelstein disputes both the interpretation and dating of the finds. [19] [20] December 6, 2017: „. I decided it was time to officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel`s capital. While previous presidents made it an important campaign promise, they did not keep it.
Today, I deliver. I have judged this course of action to be in the best interests of the United States of America and the pursuit of peace between Israel and the Palestinians. This is a long-awaited step in moving the peace process forward. And work towards a lasting agreement. Israel is a sovereign nation that has the right, like any other sovereign nation, to determine its own capital. Recognizing this is a necessary condition for achieving peace. Jerusalem is today and must remain so, a place where Jews pray at the Western Wall, where Christians walk on the Way of the Cross, and where Muslims pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. This decision is in no way intended to depart from our firm commitment to facilitate a lasting peace agreement. We want an agreement that is very good for Israelis and Palestinians.
We take no position on final status issues, including the specific limits of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem or the resolution of disputed borders.