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History of Jerusalem: Timeline for the History of Jerusalem

(4500 BCE - Present)

Chalcolithic Period (4500-3200 BCE)

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)

Iron Age I (1200-1000 BCE)

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

Iron Age II (1000-529 BCE)

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)

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)

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)

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)

British Mandate (1917-1948)

  • 1917 - British Capture Jerusalem in World War I

Divided City (1948-1967)

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.