History of Israel rule (continued)

Roman Period (63 BC to AD 324)  In 63  BC Pompey took Jerusalem and slew the priests at the altar.  He entered the Holy of Holies, but left the Temple treasures intact.  The next day, he commanded it be cleansed.    In 37 BC Herod the Great or Herod 1 became king of Judea.   In the 18th year of his reign (17 BC) he proposed the rebuilding of the Temple.   Herod would begin a building project that would take many years and would continue through the life of Christ and end just 6 years before its final destruction.  (Refer to pictures 6671 and 6674 for an explanation of the Temple of Herod).  The Temple of Herod along with Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70 under the command of Titus, and the Jews exiled as Jesus had prophesied.  "And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is night... And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive unto all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled."  Luke 21:20, 24    Jerusalem lay desolate for about 60 years. 

Following the revolt of Bar Kokba against Rome, Emperor Hadrian began to build a new city in about AD 135.  He called the new city, where Jerusalem had been, "Colonia Aelia Capitolina."  Within this city, he built a temple to Aphrodite.  Jews were forbidden to enter this city, but many Jews resided in the Galilee area and Golan.

Byzantine Period (AD 324 to 64)  When Constantine came into power as the ruler of the Roman Empire, he declared Christianity the official state religion.  At this time large churches such as the Church of the Holy Sepulcher  - (Old City Jerusalem) (pictures 6638-6651) and the Church of the Nativity (Bethlehem) (pictures 7160-7174) were built.  Jerusalem grew.  In AD 614 the Persians captured Jerusalem and killed about 33,000 people and at least partially destroyed many of the churches.  After a short period of Byzantine rule once again in AD 629, Jerusalem surrendered once again - to the Muslim Arabs.

Islamic Period (AD 640 to 1099)  The Arab conquest of Jerusalem was accomplished peacefully in exchange for privileges that guaranteed Christians the right to maintain their holy sites and practice their religion.  mount Moriah (the Temple Mount) was identified by the Muslims as the place where Muhammad ascended into heaven, and the Dome of the Rock was constructed on mount Moriah in the late 7th Century.  Jews were permitted to live in Jerusalem once again, and Jerusalem was considered sacred to Christianity, Judaism and the Muslim religions. 

Crusader Period (AD 1099 to 1291)  After the Crusaders took Jerusalem in AD 1099, they killed the Muslims and Jews and built many churches and monasteries.  A golden cross was put on the Dome of the Rock and declared a Temple of the Lord.  In 1187 AD the Muslims again regained control of Jerusalem.  The golden cross on the Dome of the Rock was replaced by a crescent - the symbol of Islam, and the Jews returned to Jerusalem.  Christians became more numerous after the 2nd Crusade in 1229 AD and they gained some of their former land through treaties this time rather than battles.

Mamluk and Ottoman Turk Periods (AD 1291 to 1917)  The Mamluk rulers of Egypt conquered Palestine in the late 13th Century.  Many of them converted to Islam.   In AD 1517 the Ottoman Turks came into power.  A massive building project was carried out between AD 1537 and 1540.  These walls stand today in Jerusalem.  For many years after, however, Palestine was ignored by the Ottoman Turks, and the area suffered much decline.  When Orson Hyde arrived in Jerusalem in 1841 and offered the dedicatory prayer (see pictures 7126-7135),  much of it was a barren wasteland. 

British Period (AD 1917 to 1948)  During World War 1, the Turks sided with Germany.  On December 9, 1917, Jerusalem surrendered to British forces.  Because of increased Jewish immigration leading to racial strife, the United Nations recommended in 1947 that Palestine be divided into 2 sections, a Jewish section and an Arab section.  The Jews accepted this, but the Arabs rejected it.  War broke out between the two groups and the British withdrew in 1948.

State of Israel (AD 1948 to the present time)   After much violence, an armistice was agreed upon on July 18, 1948.  The Arabs controlled the West Bank and the Old City Jerusalem, where the Temple had been located, and the new state of Israel controlled western Jerusalem and the rest of the country.  In 1967, in the 6 day war with the Arabs, the Jewish people regained control of the Old City Jerusalem and the West Bank.  The Jews were now able to visit the Western Wall in the Old City, but the leadership in the Country did not choose to take possession of mount Moriah (Temple Mount) where the Muslim Dome of the Rock stands. Today Israel has turned over some of the West Bank and much of the Gaza to the Palestinians, but there continue to be disputes between the Israelis and the Palestinians over the land we know as Israel.