Importance of Jerusalem in Judaism and Israeli History Jerusalem
is important to three faiths - Christianity, Islam and Judaism.
However, Jerusalem is of unique political importance only to
Judaism. Jerusalem is important to Jews and Israel: As a
national center since ancient times As the religious center
since ancient times As the unredeemed focus of Jewish
humiliation, after its destruction and desecration by the
Romans. As a focal point of Jewish yearnings to return to the
homeland As a focus of Zionist reconstruction As the scene of
Arab massacres and ethnic cleansing of Jews in 1921, 1929 and
1936-39 As the scene of great bravery and heart-breaking failure
in the Israeli War of Independence As the capital of the state
of Israel As the symbol of Jewish national revival According to
Jewish tradition, Jerusalem has been the center of Jewish
national life for about 3,000 years since its conquest by King
David. It was the capital city of Judea under the descendants of
David and after the return from Babylonia