The Hebrew Yerushalayim does not appear in the Torah (the first five books of the Bible). In Genesis 14:18, the city is called Salem: “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High.”

It is only in the Book of Joshua (18:28) that the name we know, Yerushalayim, appears for the first time: “…and the Jebusite (that is, Jerusalem).” This is the passage in which the king of the city of Jerusalem enters into a covenant with four other kings in the south of the country against the children of Israel. The next verse in the Bible mentioned Jerusalem is Judges 1:21: “But the sons of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem; so the Jebusites have lived with the sons of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.”

Israel Today Membership

Become a Member

• Read all member content

  Get exclusive in-depth reports from Israel.

• Get exclusive in-depth reports from Israel

  Connect with Israel, right from your home.

• Lift up the voice of truth and hope

  Support Jerusalem-based Zionist journalism.

Become a Member

Already a member? Login here.