Jerusalem timeline: a city rich with history, steeped in change

The Supreme Court ruling Monday that refuses to allow Americans born in Jerusalem to have their passports changed to reflect Israel as their birthplace is another watershed moment for the heavily-disputed city.

The city has a complex and diverse history spanning thousands of years.

Jerusalem was first settled in 4500-3500 BCE and underwent a long series of power shifts throughout its history. The city has been controlled by Jewish, Arab and Christian populations, creating an intricate history of the city's meaning for many communities.

Victor Lieberman, a history professor at the University of Michigan who teaches a course on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, said the heated topic of debate regarding Jerusalem is indicative of its complicated history.

"It's obviously a complex ethnic mosaic with a long history of separate communities," Lieberman said. "What's important to understand is how the current arrangement originated."

Lieberman noted the most recent chapter in the city's history, as the state of Israel was formed in 1948 and captured Jerusalem's Old City and its eastern half from Jordan in the Six-Day War of 1967.

"Jews and Arabs have separate narratives, which are self-justifying. It's very hard to get a compromise and understanding that both sides can accept," Lieberman said. "The Palestinians see themselves as victims of injustices, and the Israelis see themselves as victims of injustice."

The timeline below reflects some of the critical periods in the city's history:

4500-1000 BCE – The first settlement of Jerusalem appears near the Gihon Spring. The city is later conquered by the Canaanites, who live there before King David conquers the city. He establishes Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish Kingdom and establishes the first Jewish temple.

701-600 BCE – Assyrian ruler Sennacherib sieges Jerusalem, cutting off supplies to the Jewish population. The Babylonian Empire conquers Jerusalem, destroying the city and the first Jewish temple.

539 BCE – The Persian ruler Cyrus the Great conquers the Babylonian Empire, which included Jerusalem at the time. A second Jewish temple is built in the city to replace the original.

63 BCE- 629 CE – Roman General Pompey the Great gains control of Jerusalem. During Roman rule, Jesus was crucified in the city. After his crucifixion, Romans destroy the city and the second Jewish temple, rebuilding Jerusalem as a Roman city based in Christian religion. Though Persians captured the city, the Byzantine Christians reclaimed Jerusalem.

632 - 638 – Prophet Muhammad dies at the age of 63. Caliph Umar, a companion of Prophet Muhammad, conquers Jerusalem, which extends the Islamic empire and asserts Arab rule.

661-1099 – The Arab rule continues in the city as the Umayyad Dynasty takes control, which will later be replaced by the Abbasid Dynasty. At this point, Jerusalem became a sacred city for them and the religions of Islam and Christianity.

1099 – 1244 – The Crusaders conquer Jerusalem, taking the control away from Arabs. Saladin, the first Sultan of Egypt, fought against the Crusaders and led the Muslim opposition, though the two groups fought for control of the city for decades.

1517 – The Ottoman Empire captures Jerusalem, and allows for the return of the Jewish population. The number of Jewish people living in the city and the surrounding area increases heavily under the Ottoman rule.

1917 – The British capture Jerusalem during World War I.

1948 – 1967 – The State of Israel is established after World War II. In an agreement with Jordan, Jerusalem was divided into East Jerusalem (on the Jordanian side) and West Jerusalem (on the Israeli side). Later, Israel claimed Jerusalem's Old City and its eastern half in Six-Day War of 1967.

Source: The American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise (https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/jerutime.html)