Highlights in the History of

Jerusalem and the Temple Mount

Dates:

Jewish /

Common

Era

Key People

City of Jerusalem

Temple Mount

c. 1760/
c. 2000
BCE

Abraham

Abraham visits Melchizedek,
King of Salem and Priest of
El Elyon ("God Most High")
(Genesis 14:18-20, Hebrews
6:20-7:22)

c. 1760/
c. 2000
BCE

Abraham
Isaac
Jacob/Israel
Joseph

Abraham journeys three days
from Beershiva or Garet to
Mt. Moriah in Jerusalem to
offer his son Isaac as a
sacrifice in obedience to
God's command. God
provides a substitute.
(Genesis 22, Hebrews 11:8-
19)

Mt. Moriah is the site of the
Temple Mount.

c. 2360/
c. 1400
BCE

Joshua

After setting up the Ark at
Shiloh near Shechem
(Nablus), Joshua launches
foray into Jerusalem. (Joshua
10:23, 15:63)

c. 2760/
c. 1000
BCE

David

David conquers Jebosite
stronghold of Zion, builds
city f David south of Temple
Mount, reigns 33 years in
Jerusalem after 7-year reign at
Hebron. (2 Samuel 5:1-15)

David returns Ark to
Jerusalem and places it in
Tabernacle of Moses
erected there. (2 Samuel
6:1-18, 1 Chronicles 15:1-
16:43). David plans First
Temple, but not permitted
to build it. (2 Samuel 7:1-
17)

David purchases Threshing
Floor of Araunah, site of
First Temple and erects

altar of sacrifice on Mt.
Moriah. (2 Samuel 24:1-25
1 Chronicles 21:1-22:5)

c. 2810/
c. 950
BCE

Solomon

Solomon builds Royal Palace
and enlarges city, 13-year
period. (I Kings 7:1-12)

Solomon, with help of
Hiram of Tyre and 183,600
workers, builds the First
Temple and Royal Palace
using local limestone, cedar
from Lebanon and great
amounts of gold and silver.
(Temple built in seven
years.) (1 Kings 5-9, 2
Chronicles 2)

c. 2850/
c. 910
BCE

Rehoboam
Elijah
Elisha
Obadiah
Jonah

Kingdom divided, 10 northern
tribes, 2 southern tribes.

Pharaoh Shishak of Egypt
plunders temple carrying
off much gold and silver. (1
Kings 14:25-28, 2
Chronicles 12:1-11)

c. 2925/
c. 835
BCE

Joash
Amos
Hosea

Joash, King of Judah

Joash repairs temple,
establishes maintenance
fund, and brings period of
revival and reforms to
southern kingdom. (2 Kings
12:5ff).

c. 3040/
c. 720
BCE

Ahaz
Micah

Ahaz, King of Judah

Dismantles Solomon's
bronze vessels and places
private Syrian altar in the
temple. (2 Kings 16:1-20, 2
Chronicles 28ff)

c. 3044/
c. 716
BCE

Hezekiah
Isaiah

Hezekiah, King in Jerusalem,
with help of God and the
prophet Isaiah resists
Assyrian attempt to capture
Jerusalem. (2 Chronicles 32).
Wells and springs stopped up.

Restore. Temple and brings
period of national reform
and revival (2 Chronicles
29-31). Later strips gold to
pay tribute to Sennacherib.
(2 Kings 18-16)

c. 3120/
c. 640
BCE

Josiah
Nahum
Zephaniah
Habakkuk

Josiah repairs the Temple
and brings about national
religious reforms. (2
Chronicles 34-35).

c. 3174/

Jehoichin

Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Temple destroyed and

Sunday,
9th of Av,
587 BCE

Zedekiah
Gedaliah
Jeremiah

Jerusalem, burning the city,
murdering inhabitants, and
carrying a remnant into
captivity. (2 Kings 24-25, 2
Chronicles 36, Josephus)

sacred vessels carried off to
Babylon. These vessels
desecrated in Babylon by
Belshazzar. (Daniel 5)

c. 3187/
c. 573
BCE

Ezekiel
Daniel

Jeremiah prophesies a 70-year
captivity in Babylon.
(Jeremiah 29:1-14)

Ezekiel receives a vision
from God describing in
detail the great Temple to
be built during the reign of
the Messiah in an age which
is yet to come. (Ezekiel 40-
48)

c. 3219/
c. 541
BCE

Zerubbabel
Ezra
Nehemiah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
(Esther)

First Jews return from
Babylon in small numbers to
rebuild the city and its walls.
70 years of exile terminated.
(Daniel 9, Haggai 2:18-19)

Second Temple built
despite fierce opposition
and delays, beginning with
erection of an altar of
sacrifice on Mt. Moriah.
Temple completed after 15-
year delay in 515 BCE.

c. 3428/
c. 332
BCE

Alexander
the Great
(Daniel 8:21-
23, 11:2-4)

Priests from Jerusalem meet
invading army of Alexander
and dissuade him from
destroying Jerusalem by
showing him Scriptures that
predict his rise to power.
After the death of Alexander
a series of wars between Syria
and Egypt subject the Holy
Land to multiple distresses.
(Daniel 9:24-27, 11:1-35;
Zechariah 9:1-10; Josephus)

c. 3585-
3597/
c. 175-163
BCE

Antiochus
Ephiphanes
IV

The "little horn" of Daniel
8:9, a cruel Syrian (Selicid)
king plunders Jerusalem,
murdering many Jews.
(Daniel 11:21-35)

Antiochus desecrates the
temple, offers a sow upon
the altar and carries off
temple treasuries. Worship
and sacrifices haIted, 15
December 167 BCE.

c. 3570/
170 BCE

Maccabees

Godly Jews under Mattathias
begin revolt culminating in
repossession of Jerusalem. (1
Maccabees)

Temple purified and
worship and sacrifices
restored in 165 BCE.

c. 3615/
c. 141
BCE

The Roman Akva Fortress is
conquered by the Maccabees,
thus freeing the Temple from
alien supervision.

c. 3697/
c. 63 BCE

Pompey

Roman conquest of the Holy
Land. (Daniel 2:40-43)

Pompey brazenly enters
Holy of Holies,
disappointed to find it
empty.

c. 3720/
c. 40 BCE

Herod the
Great (d. 4
BCE)

Cruel, despotic Roman ruler,
an. Idumean, (who murdered
the infants in Bethlehem).
Building projects at Jericho,
Hebron, and Caesarea to
placate the Jews.

Temple Mount vastly
enlarged and leveled.
Second Temple rebuilt and
enlarged, 10,000 workers,
100 priests, 1000 wagons.
Temple and courts rebuilt
until 63 BCE. City and
walls under construction 46
years.

c. 3837/
c. 3 BCE
to
c. 3822/
62 CE

Early Christian Era Highlights Located Below in Separate Section

c. 3831/
9th of
Av,70 CE

Roman General Titus
besieges Jerusalem destroying
city and murdering
inhabitants, terrible suffering
and destruction. (Josephus)

Temple set afire, soldiers
tear every stone apart to get
melted gold. Menorah and
vessels carried to Rome.
Treasury robbed.

3896/
c. 136 CE

Hadrian Undertakes

rebuilding

of

Jerusalem as "Aelia
Capitolina" provoking
unsuccessful Bar Kochba
revolt in 135 by devout Jews.

Hadrian erects Temple of
Jupiter on Temple Mount
and statue of himself facing
east in front. Jewish attempt
to build Third Temple fails.

c. 4093/
c. 333 CE

"Traveller of Bordeaux"
visits Jerusalem and relates
Jews praying on Temple
Mount.

c. 4090-
4400/
c. 330-640
CE

Constantine

Byzantine Period. Christianity
made official religion of
Roman Empire. Church of the
Holy Sepulchre built. Persian

Temple Mount neglected,
becomes refuse heap.
Herodius proposes building
near temple.

conquest in 614 CE. 37,000
Christians exiled to Persia,
Jews later banished from
Jerusalem also. Byzantine
Emperor Herodius recaptures
Jerusalem, 629 CE.

c. 4122/
c. 362 CE

Julian

Authorizes Jews to rebuild
Temple. Work stopped by
fire or earthquake.

c. 4160/
c. 400 CE

Heronymus describes Jews
mourning onTemple
Mount.

c. 4398/
c. 638 CE

Moslem conquest.

c. 4445-
4465/
c. 685-705
CE

Abd el-
Malik

Extension of the city and
rebuilding of walls and roads.

Islamic tradition alleges that
Caliph Omar clears rubbish
from temple Mount and
prays there in 638 CE. Old
wooden El Aksa Mosque
constructed, 700 CE, and
Dome of the Rock by Abd
el-Malik, 684-690 CE.

c. 420-
4510/
c. 660-750
CE

Umyyads
Abbasids

Power struggles, revolts and
persecutions of Jews and
Christians causes Jerusalem
to deteriorate.

c. 4496/
c. 746 CE

Earthquake destroys El
Aksa Mosque.

c. 4628/
c. 868 CE

Ahmed ibn
Tulun

Palestine annexed to Egypt.

831 CE Caliph al-Mamun
orders restoration work on
the Dome of the Rock.

c. 4700/
c. 940 CE

Fatimid Caliphs role from
Egypt, 969 CE, El-Hakem
orders destruction of churches
and synagogues, 1010 CE.

Karaite scribe Salomon ben
Yerucham writes of
synagogues within Temple
Mount courtyard.

c. 4776/
c. 1016
CE

Earthquake causes
structural damage on
Temple Mount.

c. 4790/c.
1030 CE

Rabbi Shlomo ben Yehuda
describes Jewish custom of
encircling Temple Mount.

c. 4859-
4947/
c. 1099-
1187 CE

Crusaders

Violent conquest of Holy
Land in the name of
Christianity. Many Jews and
Moslems murdered. Jews sold
into slavery and banished
from Jerusalem.

Dome of the Rock
reconsecrated as "Temple
Domini" and El Aksa as
"Temple Salomonis."

c. 4793/
1033 CE

Earthquake damages El
Aksa Mosque.

c. 4860/
1100 CE

Rabbi Avraham bar Chaya
writes of synagogues on
Temple Mount.

c. 4926/
1165 CE

Maimonides visits
Jerusalem and prays on
Temple Mount.

c. 4947/
1187 CE

Saladin

Jerusalem recaptured for
Islam. Crusaders defeated.

Dome of the Rock and El
Aksa restored to Islam.
Icons removed. 1190, walls
overlaid with marble
inscriptions added in
Arabic.

c. 4989/
c. 1229
CE

Frederick II

Al-Malik Al-Kamil of Egypt
cedes Jerusalem to Frederick
II.

c. 5004-
5277/
c. 1244-
1517 CE

Rule by Tartars, Mongols,
Ayybids and Mamelukes.

Moslem control of the holy
places 1270-1290 CE.
Moslem restoration work
on Dome. Brass doors
added in 1467. Persian tiles
added by Suleiman. Lead
sheathing to Dome, 1735
CE. Mosaic removed 1835,
1874 CE.

c. 5277/
c. 1517
CE

Ottoman
Period

Turkish rule

5206/c.

Earthquake causes serious

1546 CE

damage in Jerusalem.

c. 5592-
5600/
c. 1832-
1840 CE

Turkish conquest by Sellim I.
Suleiman the Magnificent
builds walls and improves the
city and aqueducts. Jews
tolerated, but heavily taxed
and property confiscated.
Egyptian governorship under
Mohamed Ali and Ibrahim
Pasha. (1831 CE)

5615/
1855 CE

First acknowledged non-
Moslem visitor permitted to
enter Temple Mount since
1187 CE.

5626/
1866 CE

Jews become majority in
Jerusalem.

5678/
December
1917 CE

British capture of Jerusalem
from the Turks.

Temple Mount first opened
to Europeans.

5861-
5707/
1921-1947
CE

Rule under British Mandate.
UN participation in
November 1947.
Deterioration of British rule.
Waves of immigration by
Jews under very adverse
conditions.

5687/
1927 CE

Earthquake weakens El
Aksa Mosque foundations.

5708/
June 1948
CE

Rebirth of the State of Israel.
December 1949 Jerusalem
made capital city. Kenesset
built.

5711/
1951 CE

July 20, King Abdullah
assassinated at entrance to
El Aksa Mosque.

5715-
5725/
1955-1965
CE

Jerusalem divided. Jordanian
rule over old city.

Dome foundations
strengthened by Jordanians,
1955-1965 CE. Electric
lights added.

5727/
June 1967
CE

Jerusalem reunited in 6-day
war.

Israeli flag flies temporarily
over Temple Mount.
Control and stewardship of
Temple Mount returned to
Moslems. Fire in 1968
destroys pulpit and Mihrab
in El Aksa.

5742/
Spring
1982 CE

Union of Third Temple
Groups, "To the Mountain
of the Lord," "The Faithful
of the Temple Mount," and
the "Jerusalem Temple
Foundation." Planning for
the Third Temple.

Early Christian Era Highlights

c. 3757/
c. 3 BCE

Jesus
Simeon
Anna

Herod the Great crowned
king, 40 BCE.

Jesus presented at the
temple and dedicated to
God by his parents, doves
offered in sacrifice. (Luke
2:21-24)

c. 3768/
c. 8 CE

Jesus
Mary
Joseph
John the
Baptist

Jesus at age 12 talks to
priests and teachers in the
Second Temple while his
parents are in Jerusalem for
Passover. Family home at
Nazareth (Luke 2:41-50)

c. 3790-
3793/
c. 30-33
CE

Jesus

Pilate, 26-36 CE
Herod Antippas, exiled 39 CE
Herod Agrippa, died 44 CE

Jesus tempted by the devil
on the pinnacle of the
temple, (Luke 4:1-12).
Jesus casts out money
changers from the temple
early in his ministry (John
2:13-16), and again three
years later. During his final
week of life before the
resurrection, he taught in
the temple courts and
confronted the crowds and
Pharisees there. Jesus
predicts destruction of the

Second Temple. (Matthew
21ff, Mark 11, Luke 19,
John 12)

c. 3793-
3795/
c. 33-35
CE

Peter
John

Jesus leaves his disciples 40
days after the resurrection,
ascending from the Mount of
Olives. (Acts 1:1-6, John 20-
21, 1 Corinthians 15:1-8)

Followers of Jesus gathered
in Temple Courts 10 days
later on Pentecost Sunday,
experience coming of the
Spirit of God to give birth
to the Church of Jesus
Christ. Peter preaches to the
crowds and many are
healed. (Acts 1ff)

c. 3793-
3795/
c. 33-35
CE

Stephen

Martyrdom of Stephen on
the Temple Mount, Saul of
Tarsus consenting. (Acts 6-
7).

c. 3822/
c. 62 CE

James the
Just
John (d. 100
CE)

Christians driven from
Jerusalem by persecution.

James, brother of Jesus and
leader of the Church in
Jerusalem, martyred by
being thrown from the
pinnacle of the Temple
Mount.

Based upon document prepared by:

Lambert Dolphin, SRI International, Menlo Park, California 94025

for Jerusalem Temple Foundation, Jerusalem, Israel.

© February 1983