History of Al Quds (Jerusalem) For all we know, Jerusalem is the most fought over land on Earth. From what records we do have, we know that it has been: - besieged 23 times - attacked 52 times, and - captured or recaptured 44 times. It sits at the crossroads of three continents and is considered holy by all three Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Islam, and Christianity). The first evidence of human settlements in the area called Jerusalem today dates to 4000 BC. We really don't know anything about this group of people. The first written records of Jerusalem date to 2000 BC during the time of the Egyptian Middle Kingdom. 2000–1550 BC: Canaanite Period Although we don't know much about them, these were the first know peoples of Jerusalem that we have record of. This period is called the 𝘾𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙙. Jerusalem was likely a Canaanite city-state, although the historical and archaeological records from this period are sparse. Over time, the Canaanites were influenced by and absorbed into various conquering empires, such as the Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans. 1550–1200 BC: Egyptian Influence During this time it is likely that control of the area would have been under the Egyptian Middle Kingdom because the Egyptians were in control of most of the Levant at that time. This historic period also dates to and contains the Biblical Exodus - when Moses led they Israelites into the desert out from under Egyptian control. 1200–1000 BC: Israelite/Jebusite control Around 1200 BC was a major regional event called the Bronze Age collapse. This period was characterized by the decline of many of the major Bronze Age powers, including the Hittites, Egyptians, and Mycenaean Greeks, among others. The city was most likely under the control of Jebusites, a Canaanite tribe, until the conquest by King David around 1000 BCE, according to the biblical account. This is the beginning of the Israelite period. 1000–586 BC: Israelite and Judah Kingdoms No one knows from where exactly the Israelites came from, but there were likely a subset of the Canaanites, as most people in the region are. Around 850 BC, written records return and make it clear that the area was now under control of a group of people called the Israelites. King David is thought to have ruled in the 10th century BC, with traditional biblical chronology placing his reign around 1010–970 BC. Under his rule, Israel and Judah were united, and the boundaries of his kingdom extended from the Negev in the south to the region of the Euphrates River in the north. King David is a central figure in all three Abrahamic religions - Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions. David's story is primarily told in the Hebrew Bible's books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, and he is also referenced in the New Testament and the Quran. After King David, Jerusalem became the capital of the united Kingdom of Israel under Solomon, and after the split, of the Kingdom of Judah until its destruction by the Babylonians. In 586, the city was destroyed by King Nebakenesur of Babylon. 586–539 BC: Babylonian rule Following the siege of Jerusalem, the city fell under the control of the Babylonian Empire. 539–332 BC: Persian Period After Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon, Jerusalem came under the control of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. 332–141 BC: Hellenistic Period Conquered by Alexander the Great in 332 BC, Jerusalem would later be ruled by the Ptolemies and Seleucids. 141–37 BC: Hasmonean Dynasty The Hasmoneans, Jewish priestly rulers who led the Maccabean Revolt, established independence and expanded the city. 37 BC to 70 CE: Roman Rule and the Herodian Dynasty Herod the Great, a client king under Roman auspices, ruled and expanded the Second Temple, making it one of the most magnificent religious structures of its time. 70–324 CE: Roman Rule (Including the Byzantine Period Post-284)