History of Jerusalem: Timeline for the History of Jerusalem

Chalcolithic Period (4500-3200 BCE)

• 3500 BCE - First Settlement of Jerusalem

Early Bronze Age (3200-2220 BCE)

• 2500 BCE - First Houses Built in Area

Middle Bronze Age (2220-1550 BCE)

• 1800 BCE - Construction of First City Wall

Late Bronze Age (1550-1200 BCE)

• 1400 BCE - First Mention of Jerusalem in Cuneiform Amarna Letters

Iron Age I (1200-1000 BCE)

• 1200 BCE - Jerusalem is conquered by Canaanites (Jebusites)

Iron Age II (1000-529 BCE)

• 1000 BCE - King David Conquers Jerusalem; Declares City Capital of Jewish Kingdom
• 960 BCE - David's Son, King Solomon, Builds First Jewish Temple
• 721 BCE - Assyrians Conquer Samaria; Refugees Flee to Jerusalem and City Expands onto Western Hill
• 701 BCE - Assyrian Ruler Sennacherib Lays Seige to Jerusalem
• 586 BCE - Babylonian Forces Destroy Jerusalem and Demolish First Temple

Persian Period (539-322 BCE)

• 539 BCE - Persian Ruler Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylonian Empire, Including Jerusalem
• 516 BCE - Cyrus Permits Jews in Babylonian Exile to Return to Jerusalem; Second Temple Built
• 445-425 BCE - Nehemiah the Prophet Rebuilds the Walls of Jerusalem; City Confined to Eastern Hill

Hellenistic Period (332-141 BCE)

• 332 BCE - Greek Leader Alexander the Great Conquers Judea and Jerusalem
• 332-141 BCE - Ptolemaic and Seleucid Rule in Jerusalem

Hasmonean Period (141-37 BCE)

• 141 BCE - Hasmonean Dynasty Begins; Jerusalem Again Expands Limits to Western Hill
• 63 BCE - Roman General Pompey captures Jerusalem

Herodian Period (37 BCE - 70 CE)

• 37 BCE - King Herod Restructures Second Temple, Adds Retaining Walls
• 30 CE - Jesus Crucified by Romans in Jerusalem

Roman Period (70 - 324 CE)

• 70 CE - Roman Forces Destroy Jerusalem and Demolish Second Temple
• 135 CE - Jerusalem Rebuilt as a Roman City

Byzantine Period (324-638 CE)

• 335 CE - Church of the Holy Sepulchre Built
• 614 CE - Persians Capture Jerusalem
• 629 CE - Byzantine Christians Recapture Jerusalem from Persians

First Muslim Period (638-1099 CE)

• 638 CE - Caliph Omar Enters Jerusalem
• 661-750 CE - Jerusalem Ruled Under Umayyad Dynasty
• 691 CE - Dome of the Rock Built on Site of Destroyed Jewish Temples
• 750-974 CE - Jerusalem Ruled Under Abassid Dynasty

Crusader Period (1099-1187 CE)

• 1099 CE - First Crusaders Capture Jerusalem

Ayyubid Period (1187-1259 CE)

• 1187 CE - Saladin Captures Jerusalem from Crusaders
• 1229-1244 CE - Crusaders Briefly Recapture Jerusalem Two Times

Mamluk Period (1250-1516)

• 1250 - Muslim Caliph Dismantles Walls of Jerusalem; Population Rapidly Declines

Ottoman Period (1516-1917)

• 1517 - Ottoman Empire Captures Jerusalem
• 1538-1541 - Suleiman the Magnificent Rebuilds the Walls of Jerusalem

British Mandate (1917-1948)

• 1917 - British Capture Jerusalem in World War I

Divided City (1948-1967)

• 1948 - State of Israel Established; Jerusalem Divided By Armistice Lines Between Israel & Jordan

Reunification (1967-Present)

• 1967 - Israel Captures Jerusalem's Old City and Eastern Half; Reunites City

Source: Chronological Reference Points, Middle East Insight, January-February 1999.