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Jerusalem and Judaism

Psalm 122
Could I but kiss thy dust
so would I feign expire.
As sweet as honey then,
my longing and desire.
Yehuda Halevi
Spanish-Hebrew poet
(c. 1075-1141)

Approximately three thousand years ago, King David conquered the city of Jerusalem from the Jebusites, and claimed it his capital. Here, Solomon, David's successor built the First Temple, making Jerusalem the spiritual center of the Jewish people. Jews were barred from the city for nearly six centuries beginning with the exile to Babylon in 586 BCE*, after the destruction of the Second Temple by the Roman, Titus in 70 CE**, and again by the Christians during the period of the Crusaders in the 12th century. While in exile the Jews longed for their Jerusalem.

* BCE stands for "Before Common Era," also referred to as BC or "Before Christ."
** CE stands for "Common Era," also referred to AD or "Anno Domini."