A History Of Jerusalem: In The Beginning

Jerusalem is one of the most ancient cities of humanity. For millions of people, Jerusalem has become a center of their religious world, hence the reason that the NASA photograph showing Jerusalem "on top of the world" is so popular. But those who study prophecy also understand that one day Jerusalem will indeed be the Capital of the world:

"^4:1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. ^4:2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion [see Moriah: Separating The Wheat From The Chaff], and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. ^4:3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more [see The True Gospel Of Christ]." (Micah 4:1-4 KJV)

But how did Jerusalem get to be such a focal point of humanity? The LORD chose the site, but why? Why there? How is it that it became a place that brought the world together - sometimes for good, at other times for conflict? The answer may be found on any map of the world, ancient or modern. Jerusalem is located where the people, nations and religions of Europe, Asia and Africa (all from which everywhere else on Earth was populated) converge - and it's been that way since the world began again in the time of Noah, from the descendants of his three sons (see the map below; I added an X to show where Jerusalem is located).

The descendants of Japheth at first settled north of where Jerusalem would be located.

"^10:1 Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.

^10:2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.

^10:3 And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.

^10:4 And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. ^10:5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations." (Genesis 10:1-5 KJV)

The descendants of Ham at first settled west and east of where Jerusalem would be located.

"^10:6 And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.

^10:7 And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtechah: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.

^10:8 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. ^10:9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. ^10:10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. ^10:11 Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, ^10:12 And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.

^10:13 And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, ^10:14 And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.

^10:15 And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth, ^10:16 And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite, ^10:17 And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, ^10:18 And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad.

^10:19 And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha.

^10:20 These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations." (Genesis 10:6-20 KJV)

The descendants of Shem at first settled south and east of where Jerusalem would be located.

"^10:21 Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born.

^10:22 The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.

^10:23 And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.

^10:24 And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber.

^10:25 And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.

^10:26 And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah, ^10:27 And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah, ^10:28 And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba, ^10:29 And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan.

^10:30 And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east.

^10:31 These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations. ^10:32 These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood." (Genesis 10:21-32 KJV)

Fact Finder: How did geography also affect where the Garden in Eden was located? How did geography also determine where Noah's Ark landed?
See The Garden In Eden

This Day In History, January 21

1189: The Third Crusade began with the united military forces of King Henry II of England, King Philip II of France, and the "Holy Roman" Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. Also known as the King's Crusade (see Constantine's Crusades In History And Prophecy and The Crusades).

1356: King Edward de Balliol vacated his throne to Edward III of England after his authority over Scotland declined in favor of the supporters of King David II.

1542: The Bill of Attainer was passed by Parliament against Queen Katherine Howard.

1549: The first (of four in total) British Acts of Uniformity were passed by Parliament, requiring the Anglican Church to use the Book of Common Prayer (later called the First Prayer Book).

1604: Tsar Ivan IV defeated the False Dimitri, who claimed to be the true tsar ("tsar" is the Russian version of "caesar").

1790: Joseph Guillotine invented a new beheading machine (called the "guillotine" after its inventor) for "painless" executions.

1793: King Louis XVI of France, who ruled from 1774 to 3 years after the revolution of 1789, was executed for treason. He was decapitated with the newly-invented guillotine.

1924: Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin died of a stroke at age 54.

1936: After the death of his father King George V, Edward VIII became king. He resigned the throne later that year to marry Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced US woman. Edward was succeeded by George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth II.

1942: German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel (the "Desert Fox") mounted a counter attack against British forces in North Africa.

1959: Hollywood movie maker Cecil de Mille died. He is most famous for his film The Ten Commandments.

1965: The Prime Minister of Persia (known today as Iran; see also Ancient Empires - Persia), Hassan Ali Mansur, was assassinated.

1976: The supersonic Concorde airliner made its first commercial flights. Two of the aircraft flew from London to Bahrain and Paris to Rio de Janeiro.

1977: Almost all Vietnam War draft evaders were pardoned by President Jimmy Carter.

1984: Britain's first "test-tube" triplets (two boys and a girl) were born in London.