61 Interesting Jerusalem Facts
Jerusalem is located in the Western part of Asia between the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean. Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world (it was founded in 3000 BC) and is the holy city of many religions in the world such as Christianity, Muslims, and Judaism. There are so many cultural histories of this city and you will be discovering some of the most interesting in the article.
General Jerusalem Fun Facts
1. Jerusalem is blessed with some of the world’s oldest olive trees that are more than 800 years old.
2. With more than 300 Jewish synagogues, 50 Christian churches, and 33 Muslim mosques in Jerusalem, this beautiful city will go down as one of the most religious cities in the world.
3. If you are a parks and gardens lover, Jerusalem is definitely for you. There are more than 1,500 public parks and gardens you can visit in the city.
4. Archaeological sites are rare in most cities, but Jerusalem has 2,000 such sites.
5. The last word said in Passover seders is “Jerusalem”
6. A rare 2,700-Year-Old Toilet was discovered in Jerusalem, in 2021.
7. Muslims regard Jerusalem as a Holy City. Only Mecca and Medina are holier than Jerusalem in Islam.
8. Controlling Jerusalem is so important, that More than 100 battles have been fought to control this religious city in the cause of history.
9. Most people know that Jerusalem has been conquered by Romans in the past, but many don’t know that this city has been conquered more than 40 times by Philistines, Arabs and Ethiopians, and many others.
10. Jerusalem is mentioned more than 600 times in the Hebrew Bible, but not once in Islam’s Koran.
Council Of Jerusalem Facts
11. Also known as the Apostolic council was held in Jerusalem around 50 AD.
12. It was decided by the council that those gentiles that converted to Christianity were not supposed to keep most of the fasts.
13. The Council of Jerusalem is considered the forerunner of the ecumenical council of later days.
14. It is presumed that James the Just and perhaps Simon Peter were the ones that presided over this council.
15. Most Christian denominations accept the teachings of this council such as to abstain only from things polluted by idols and from fornication.
The Wailing Wall Of Jerusalem Facts
16. The wailing wall is also known as the western wall and is known in Islam as the Buraq wall which is an ancient limestone wall in Jerusalem.
17. The construction of the wall was originally the expansion of the second Jewish temple.
18. The wailing war was built by Herod The Great and was founded in 19 BCE.
19. The length t of this wall is about one thousand, six hundred and one feet (1601 ft) and about 62 feet in height.
20. The wailing wall is considered holy in Judaism because of its proximity to the temple mount.
Facts About Jerusalem Cricket
21. Jerusalem cricket, also known as potato bugs, is a group of large and flightless insects.
22. The Jerusalem cricket is neither a bug nor a cricket or native of Jerusalem.
23. There are nocturnal insects that make use of their strong mandibles to feed on other insects and organic matter.
24. They belong to the family of Stenopelmatidae and the genera of Ammopelmatus.
Temple Mount Jerusalem Facts
25. Temple Mount for thousands of years has been venerated as a holy site in many religions such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.
26. The present site of the temple mount is a flat plaza that is surrounded by retaining walls.
27. The mountain type of the temple mount is that of limestone and the highest point is about 740 meters.
28. According to Muslims, the temple mount is one of the sites where one of the three sacred mosques is located.
29. The temple mount remains a major focal point of the Arab–Israeli conflict.
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Geography Facts About Jerusalem
30. The neighboring towns of Jerusalem are Abu Dis to the east, and Bethlehem and Beit Jala at the southern city border.
31. Jerusalem is located on the southern spur of a plateau at 31° 46′ 45″ N 35° 13′ 25″.
32. Jerusalem is surrounded at all sides by valleys and stands on hills at an elevation of 785 meters.
33. In Israel, Jerusalem is the largest municipality and is the center of pilgrimage.
34. Mount olives in the city of Jerusalem is the oldest active burial site in the world.
Dome of the Rock Jerusalem Facts
35. Originally, the Dome of Rock was not a mosque but was identified as a shrine.
36. The construction of the dome of the rock was sponsored by Umayyad caliph Abd AL-Malik.
37. The design of the dome of the rock was inspired by the Holy Church of Sepulchre.
38. The dome of rock has undergone so many restorations and wasn’t always glorious as it is today.
39. There is an absence of a distinct entrance to the dome of the rock.
Facts About Jerusalem Pilgrimage
40. Jerusalem is a very important place that serves as a place of pilgrimage for both Christians and Muslims.
41. Christians believe that Jerusalem was the place where Jesus spent the week leading to his death.
42. Christian pilgrims visit the garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem because they believe that it was where Jesus was praying before he was arrested.
43. The temple mount is located in Jerusalem and it is a sacred site that Muslims and Christians visit during their pilgrimage.
44. Dolorosa is the path that pilgrims walk from the outskirts of Jerusalem to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Saint Alexander Of Jerusalem Facts
45. Saint Alexander of Jerusalem died during the persecution of Emperor Decius.
46. Venerated as a saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic church, Saint Alexander was a third-century bishop.
47. Saint Alexander was born during the 2nd century and died in 251 AD.
48. For Roman Catholics, the feast of Saint Alexander of Jerusalem is held on the 18th of March.
The Old City Of Jerusalem Facts
49. The old city is an important city of holiness to both Christians, Judaism, and Muslims.
50. The old city is located inside Jerusalem and is a 0.9-square-kilometer walled area.
51. Over the last 1500 years, the Old City of Jerusalem has been documented in detail and has appeared in different ancient maps.
52. Until the late 19th century, the Old City was what was called Jerusalem as a whole.
53. In 1981, the Old City of Jerusalem was added to the World Heritage Site of UNESCO.
54. The defensive walls and city gates of the Old City were built by the Ottoman Empire from 1535–1542 under Suleiman the Magnificent.
Biblical Facts About Jerusalem
55. In the Bible, the word “Jerusalem” appeared 806 times in it (660 times in the old testament and 146 times in the new testament).
56. The last word said in the Passover was “Jerusalem”.
57. In 1840 and ever since Jews are the largest ethnic group in Jerusalem.
58. Yerushalayim which is the Hebrew word for Jerusalem contains a word (shalom) which means peace in it.
59. According to the Bible, before the Israelites took over the city of Jerusalem, it was known as Jebus.
Jerusalem Donkey Facts
60. The Jerusalem donkey is a legend about the donkey that brought Jesus into Jerusalem.
61. According to the legend, the donkey that brought Jesus into Jerusalem was troubled because he knew the trail awaiting Jesus.
62. The legend is drawn from the fact that donkeys have been bearing human burdens for years.
63. The moral of this legend is to treat donkeys better because of the work they have been doing.