Ceramic evidence indicates the occupation of Ophel, within present-day Jerusalem, as far back as the Copper Age, c. 4th millennium BC, with evidence of a permanent settlement during the early Bronze Age, c. 3000-2800 BC. The Execration Texts, which refer to a city called Roshlamem or Rosh-ramen and the Amarna letters may be the earliest mention of the city. Some archaeologists, including Kathleen Kenyon, believe Jerusalem as a city was founded by West Semitic people with organized settlements from around 2600 BCE. According to Jewish tradition the city was founded by Shem and Eber, ancestors of Abraham. In the biblical account, when first mentioned, Jerusalem is ruled by Melchizedek an ally of Abraham (identified with Shem in legend). Later it is under control of the Jebusites until the 10th century BC when David conquered it and made it the capital of the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah. Recent excavations of a large stone structure are interpreted by some archaeologists as lending credence to the biblical narrative.
The death, the burial, the resurrection, and the ascension of Jesus took place in Jerusalem. In Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit came down on the day of Pentecost, giving birth to Christianity. Jerusalem has been the paramount objective of pious men and women for over 2,000 years. Jerusalem was not always the name of the city. Jerusalem is a Semitic word, and back in the time of Tell-el-Amarna around 1400 BC, the city was called Urusalim, meaning a city of peace. The rabbis say over 60 names exist for Jerusalem in the Bible. In the Old Testament the name, Jerusalem appears around 600 times. In the New Testament, the word appears towards the end of Acts, Romans, and 1st Corinthians and in Galatians.
Jerusalem is situated at a relatively high altitude, it's temperate climate has two distinct seasons: winter, a cold and often rainy affair, is followed by a long, warm and dry summer with low humidity and temperatures averaging around 75°F (24°C). During autumn and spring a hot desert wind called the sharav is common.
As the political, religious, and scholarly capital of Israel, Jerusalem's economy is based on service industries, including government, education, religion, and tourism, with manufacturing playing a relatively small role. Preservation of the city's historic character has also prevented the establishment of large-scale industry in the city and the surrounding area.
A major source of livelihood in Jerusalem is government and public service employment. Since 1967, business activity and investment in the city have been stimulated by the housing boom and the ever-increasing influx of pilgrims and tourists—except in periods of high political tension. Personal income for both Jews and Arabs has risen steadily. Extreme poverty is concentrated among sections of the Muslim population, particularly in the Old City, among strictly Orthodox Jews, and among Jews from Africa and Asia. Also, in politically stable times, thousands of West Bank Arabs enter the city to work as unskilled labourers, especially in the construction industry.
As Israel's center of scholarship and religion, Jerusalem has a highly educated population, even exceeding the relatively high national average of the nation as a whole. Given Jerusalem's high number of large families, the city has an unusually large population of school-aged children. Education for non-Orthodox or Modern Orthodox Jews is administered by the Jerusalem Education Authority. Hebrew University, founded in 1925, is Israel's most prestigious post-secondary institution. Almost 23,000 full-time students are enrolled at its regular campuses at Mount Scopus and Giv'at Ram, its medical school at Ein Kerem, and its agricultural college at Rehovot. The university is the site of nearly 40 percent of all civilian research carried out in Israel. Other colleges in Jerusalem include the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Hebrew Union College, and the Rubin Academy of Music. Al-Quds University, a national Arabic Palestinian university, is the only Arab University in Jerusalem. It was originally established in 1984 by the merger of four colleges in Jerusalem and its suburbs.
Jerusalem has an extensive public bus service, and most drivers speak English, but most bus services stop over Shabbat. Bus 99 is a hop-on hop-off service that visits all main tourist attractions in the city. The old city area is compact enough to explore on foot. Taxis are plentiful, identifiable by a yellow sign on the roof, and can be hailed in the street, ordered by telephone or hired outside hotels and the main places of interest. Taxis are metered and charge more late at night and on Saturday and public holidays. Passengers should make sure the taxi driver turns the meter on at the start of a journey. Shared taxis (sherutim) are another popular form of transport, travelling fixed routes and usually costing about the same as a bus. Passengers can get on and off when they need to, though drivers (and fellow passengers) can be impatient when it comes to delays.
The Western Wall, known to non-Jews as the Wailing Wall, is the most sacred Jewish site of prayer in the world, the place where thousands of worshippers gather year round to pray and even leave prayers folded into its crevices. The 1,916ft (584m) wall is all that remains of the Second Temple of Jerusalem, built in 30 BC by King Herod. It is made up of enormous stone blocks and serves as a tribute to the scale of workmanship in past eras. Following Orthodox Jewish practice the praying sections have been separated for men and women. Men are required to wear a skullcap (kippah) and women must be modestly dressed. On Fridays, the Jewish Shabbat or Sabbath, the men's section particularly pulsates with the songs and prayers of the faithful, for in principle the whole area is an Orthodox synagogue. The wall is also sacred to Muslims who believe that it is where the prophet Mohammed tied up his winged horse, Al Burak, before ascending into heaven.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, known as the Church of the Resurrection (Anastasis) to Eastern Orthodox Christians, is a Christian church in the Old City of Jerusalem. It stands on a site that encompasses both Golgotha, or Calvary, where Jesus was crucified, and the tomb (sepulchre) where he was buried. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been an important pilgrimage destination since the 4th century, and it remains the holiest Christian site in the world. Every year on Holy Saturday, the day preceding Orthodox Easter, miracle occurs - at a certain moment the Holy Light flashes from the depth of the Holy Sepulchre in a supernatural way, miraculously, and lights up the little lamp of olive oil put on the edge of it. It has taken place at the same time, in the same manner, in the same place every single year for centuries, no other miracle is known to occur so regularly and so steadily over time.
Temple Mount, a walled section of the Old City of Jerusalem, is a site of tremendous religious significance to Jews, Muslims and Christians. The area, which is one of Jerusalem’s most famous landmarks, is believed to be the site of the holy rock where Abraham offered his son Isaac for sacrifice. It is also reputedly the site where Solomon erected the First Temple to house the Ark of the Covenant, which had been brought to Jerusalem by his father David, and also the area from where Mohammed ascended to heaven.
The Israel Festival is a celebration of performing arts from around the world, the major international cultural event in the country that brings together some of the best theatre, dance, opera and classical music performances, including the best of Israel's own talent. Programmes vary to exhibit a wide range of cultures, from ethnic music to opera, traditional and experimental theatre, and classical and contemporary dance. Throughout the festival there are also numerous free performances, including street shows, children's programmes and a nightly jazz club.
