Choice of Yerushalayim/2

Choice of Yerushalayim

Exegetical Approaches

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Religious Significance

Yerushalayim was picked as David's capital for its religious significance. The city was considered holy and Divinely chosen from the very creation of the world.

Center of the world and site of creation – According to TanchumaKedoshim 10About the Tanchuma,¹ Yerushalayim lies at the heart of the world² and from there the heavens and earth were created,³ as alluded to in Tehillim 50, "מִצִּיּוֹן מִכְלַל יֹפִי אֱלֹהִים הוֹפִיעַ".

Continuous site of worship – Rambam, following Chazal,⁴  maintains that Yerushalayim (and the site of the Mikdash specifically) had a history of holiness, being a site of Divine worship throughout the ages.  It was the place where Avraham set up an altar to bind Yitzchak, and where Adam, Kayin, Hevel, and Noach all sacrificed to Hashem.⁵ This was no coincidence, but a result of the location's inherent selection.  It should be noted, however, that there is no textual evidence in Sefer Bereshit that any of these individuals, except for Avraham, sacrificed in Yerushalayim.⁶

"וַיִּקְרָא אַבְרָהָם שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא י"י יִרְאֶה" – Rambam learns from Avraham's name of the site of the Akeidah (י"י יִרְאֶה) that he already declared it to be the future site of the Mikdash in Jerusalem.⁷  Rambam adds that this fact was known to many, so that in the time of Moshe it was said of the mountain, "בְּהַר י"י יֵרָאֶה".

Beit El: "אֵין זֶה כִּי אִם בֵּית אֱלֹהִים"

• According to  Bereshit Rabbah69:7About Bereshit Rabbah Yaakov declares, "this is a house of God and gateway to heaven" after his dream in Beit El, not because God was especially present in Beit El, but because in his dream, he saw Jerusalem (the midpoint of the ladder marked the site of the Beit HaMikdash).⁸ RashiBereshit 28:11Bereshit 28:17About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, drawing on Bavli SanhedrinSanhedrin 95bAbout the Bavli, goes a step further to suggest that  Mt. Moriah was actually uprooted and brought to Beit El.  Neither of these suggestions, though, match the simple sense of the verses.
• It is also possible that Yaakov was simply declaring Beit El his own personal site of worship and not suggesting that it should be a spiritual center for future generations of Israel.

"הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר י"י" – According to this approach, this verse refers specifically to Yerushalayim. Various reasons are given as to why, then, it is not mentioned by name:

• For the nations – Rambam maintains that had the nations known the elevated stature of Yerushalayim they would have either fought violently to control it, or destroyed the city so as to prevent others from having it.
• For Israel⁹ – Keli Yekar, in contrast, suggests that Hashem wanted to keep the name a secret lest people belittle the earlier sites of Gilgal, Shiloh, Nov and Givon which housed the Mishkan.  Rambam adds that Hashem wanted to prevent the tribes from fighting over the site, as each would have desired that it be in their tribal territory.¹⁰

Why wasn't Yerushalayim  the first center?

"וָאֶבְחַר בִּירוּשָׁלַ‍ִם לִהְיוֹת שְׁמִי שָׁם "

Moving the ark – The fact that David's first actions after conquering Yerushalayim are to bring the ark there and request to build the Mikdash, might support the understanding that the reasons behind the choice of city were religious in nature.

Military and Economic Advantages

David chose Jerusalem as his capital due to a combination of strategic factors including its defensibility, central location, and availability of water and other resources.

Security – The City of David it is relatively secure on all sides but the north as it is surrounded by the Kidron valley to the east, the Tyropean valley to the west and the Hinnom valley to the south. The very fact that it was still in the hands of the Jebusites in the time of David attests to its strength and difficutly of conquest.  That said, the site is not the highest of the cities on Israel's mountainous ridge, nor is it even the tallest in its vicinity.¹¹

Water sources – The City of David was close to two springs, the Gichon and Ein Rogel. ¹² It is likely that it was this proximity to water sources which led to choosing specifically the City of David, on the lower eastern hill,¹³ despite this necessitating a compromise on security.

Central location – If David wanted his capital city to be accessible to all the tribes, a central location within the country was necessary.  Jerusalem is situated fairly in the middle of the country, fitting this criteria.

Important ancient site

Eye on enemies – It is likely that David wanted to keep an eye on the Philistines, the biggest foreign threat during his reign.  Jerusalem was well situated to do so.

Trade routes – Jerusalem does not lie on either of the two international trade routes, the "Way of the Sea" (דרך הים) or the "King's Highway" (דרך המלך), though it was not far from the "Patriarch's Highway" (דרך האבות) that connected Shekhem and Chevron.¹⁴

Natural resources and agriculture – As Jerusalem cannot boast of many natural resources or rich agricultural land, these were probably not among David's reason for choosing the site.

Political Move

David's choice was political in nature, a part of his effort to unite the various tribes (especially Yehuda and Binyamin) into one centralized nation.

Jerusalem's status in the Patriarchal period – This approach maintains that the simple sense of Torah does not support the idea that Yerushalayim was an important religious center in the Patriarchal period.  The forefathers call out to Hashem and set up altars in many locations, including Shechem,¹⁵ Beit El,¹⁶ Chevron¹⁷ and Be'er Sheva¹⁸ and it was these which were probably the spiritual centers of the era. Though the Akeidah took place in Yerushalayim, the text does not highlight the fact, only mentioning the specific site of Mt. Moriah.¹⁹  In fact, Yerushalayim is not named even once in all of Torah.²⁰ 

"וַיִּקְרָא אַבְרָהָם שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא י"י יִרְאֶה"

• Though this verse would seem to suggest that Avraham already marked and selected Yerushalayim as a future site of worship,  this position might suggest that this was only one of many sanctified sites. As seen above, there were other cultic centers during the Patriarchal period. Throughout the pre-Monarchic period as well, other locations such as Gilgal, Shiloh, Nov and Givon served as spiritual centers.
• Alternatively, the statement was simply said via prophecy,²¹ as Avraham foresaw that Yerushalayim and Mt. Moriah were ultimately to be chosen by David and sanctified by Hashem.

Beit El: "אֵין זֶה כִּי אִם בֵּית אֱלֹהִים" – This position might suggest that Yaakov

"הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר י"י" – The fact that Yerushalayim is not mentioned by name²² supports the idea that there were multiple options for the "chosen" site.²³  R. Hoffmann explains that the phrase is simply highlighting that Hashem's place of worship will be chosen by Him, unlike the hilltops which were chosen by human idolaters.²⁴  RambanDevarim 17:15About R. Moshe b. Nachman, in contrast, asserts that  the phrase does not insinuate that Hashem need partake in the choosing at all; the language of "אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר י"י" is rather a figure of speech which expresses that all is from God's will.

Early political centers

Jerusalem's resources and security – Though Jerusalem is relatively secure

Rejection of Chevron – Though David's first political center had been Chevron, where he had the backing of his tribe, as soon as he became king over all of Israel he recognized that this might be viewed as giving preferential treatment to his brethren.  Thus, to prevent jealousy among the other tribes, David decided to choose a new capital city.

Yerushalayim's neutrality – Since Yerushalayim had not yet been conquered in the time of David, it did not belong to any particular tribe, making it an ideal choice for a neutral capital city which no individual tribe could claim as their own.²⁵  David hoped that this would prevent tribal fighting and promote unity. 

Border location – The City of David lies at the border between the inheritances of Binyamin and Yehuda. As there was much friction between these two tribes specifically (with Shaul coming from Binyamin and David from Yehuda), having them "share" in the capital city was an effective way for both to feel privileged and reduce tension.

Modern parallels

¹ See also Tosefta YomaYoma 2:12About the Tosefta, Yerushalmi YomaYoma 5:3About the Yerushalmi, and Bavli YomaYoma 54bAbout the Bavli who all speak of Jerusalem as the site of creation, though they do not mention it being in the center of the world.

² This idea is pictorially represented by Heinrich Bunting, in his famous clover leaf map of 1581.

³ See also RashiYoma 54bAbout R. Shelomo Yitzchaki on Bavli Yoma 54b, "ציון נבראת תחילה וסביביה נדבקו רגבים עד סוף העולם מכל צד."

⁴ See Bereshit Rabbah34:9About Bereshit Rabbah, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 2323About Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, and Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 31331About Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer.

⁵ See also Bavli PesachimPesachim 88aAbout the Bavli which has Yitzchak and Yaakov praying at Mt. Moriah as well. The Bavli derives that Yitzchak did so from the verse, "וַיֵּצֵא יִצְחָק לָשׂוּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶה" (Bereshit 24:63) where "שיחה" is understood as prayer and "שָׂדֶה" to refer to Jerusalem and the site of the Mikdash, as in the verse, "צִיּוֹן שָׂדֶה תֵחָרֵשׁ" (Mikhah 3:12).  See also the NetzivBereshit 24:63About R. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin there who suggests that Yitzchak was not actually in Jerusalem, but that he prayed towards the site.  Yaakov, too, is said to have prayed at the Mt. Moriah when he was enroute to Charan.  See Bavli SanhedrinSanhedrin 95bAbout the Bavli which reads the phrase "וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם" to refer to his praying at "the" place, ie. the known site of the Mikdash.  See similarly Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer35About Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer and the discussion regarding the identification of Beit El with Jerusalem below.

⁶ Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer31About Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer asserts that when speaking of the altar on which Avraham placed Yitzchak, the verse writes, "וַיִּבֶן שָׁם אַבְרָהָם אֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ", with a definite article, suggesting that this was a known altar that had been used before. However, no sacrifice of Adam is even mentioned in the text, and there is no reason to believe that Kayin and Hevel's offerings were given in Yerushalayim specifically. Similarly, since the ark landed on the mountains of Ararat it would be likely that Noach offered his sacrifice thereabouts rather than on Mt. Moriah.

⁷ Avraham announces, "Hashem will see", declaring that this place will later be one of revelation. See also Targum Onkelos, who does not explicitly mention the Mikdash but explains similarly: "וּפְלַח וְצַלִּי אַבְרָהָם, תַּמָּן בְּאַתְרָא הַהוּא, אֲמַר קֳדָם יְיָ הָכָא יְהוֹן פָּלְחִין דָּרַיָּא".

⁸ See also Bavli PesachimPesachim 88aAbout the Bavli which suggests that Yaakov called the site of the Mikdash, "Beit El", and Bavli SanhedrinSanhedrin 95bAbout the Bavli which presents him as returning from Charan to the site of the Mikdash so as to pray there specifically. [See below how Rashi understands this source.]

⁹ This position assumes that though the city already chosen, the fact was not yet known to the masses.

¹⁰ For a full discussion of why Yerushalayim is never named in Torah, see R"Y Levy's article, Why Does the Torah Not Mention Jerusalem by Name?

¹¹ It measures 690 meters above sea level, as opposed to the 770 meters of the Upper or Western City (Mt. Zion, the Jewish and Armenian Quarters of today), or the 900 meters of Chevron and Beit El.  The fact that the western part of the city was the taller of the two might have been what led Jospehus to erroneously refer to that section of the city as "the stronghold of David".  It is probably also what led -- originally identify this area, rather than the City of David, as Mt. Zion, replete with David's tomb and citadel.  For discussion of the misidentification, see

¹² At first glance the name of the city "ציון", from the root "ציי" meaning dry or desolate, would argue against the possibility that the city was remarkable specifically due to its water sources.  See, though, R"Y Elitzur, מקום בפרשה (Tel Aviv 2014): 261-272, who suggests that Zion originally referred to the larger area surrounding the City of David, which was indeed barren desert.  Mezudat Zion, then, referred to the fortress in the area of Zion.  See Elitzur's article for other explanations of the name, including the possibility that it stemmed form the root "צין" which could be related to the Arabic  root "צון", meaning to watch or guard. According to such a derivation the name reflected the strength of the site, and perhaps related to the fortress built on top.

¹³ The larger city of Jerusalem is made up of two hills, separated by the Tyropean valley.  See above that the Western Hill was about 90 meters higher than the City of David.

¹⁴ See the story of the Concubine in Givah in Shofetim 19:11, where the servant tells his master, "לְכָה נָּא וְנָסוּרָה אֶל עִיר הַיְבוּסִי הַזֹּאת וְנָלִין בָּהּ".  The fact that they have to veer off the path, means that Yevus (Yerushalayim) was somewhat off the highway.

¹⁵ See Bereshit 12:6-8 and Bereshit 33:18-20.

¹⁶ See Bereshit 12:8, Bereshit 13:3-4, Bereshit 28, and Bereshit 35:1-7.

¹⁷ See Bereshit 13:18.

¹⁸ See Bereshit 21:33.  Though Avraham does not build an altar here, he does cry out to God and plant an Eshel.  It is likely that the planting was a religious act, as R. D"Z Hoffmann suggests, "נראה שעץ זה שימש לעבוד תחתיו, כמקום מקדש".  In the Ancient Near East many worshiped their gods under trees (See, for example, Devarim 12:2) so it is not surprising that Avraham might do so as well.  See also Bereshit 46 which describes Yaakov sacrificing to Hashem and receiving prophecy in Be'er Sheva as he descends to Egypt.

¹⁹ Had it not been for the verse in Divrei HaYamim II 3:1 which locates the site as being where David sacrificed on the threshing floor of Aravnah the Jebusite, the reader would never have known that it was in Yerushalayim at all.

²⁰ However, the city Shalem (from which Malki Tzedek comes to greet Avraham in Bereshit 14) has been identified with Yerushalayim based both on the similarity between the names and the parallel between it and the name Zion in Tehillim 76:3.

²¹ See also the controversial statement of Ibn EzraDevarim 1:2About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, which has been understood by some to mean that the verse is a later addition, inserted into Torah only after Jerusalem was in fact chosen by David. See

²² See Shadal who asserts that the lack of identification provides proof against Bilical critics who claim that Devarim was written after the rise of the Davidic dynasty.  He points out that had that been the case, there is no doubt that an author would have mentioned Jerusalem explicitly as it was clearly the capital.  The silence is only logical if Jerusalem had not yet been chosen.

²³ See ChizkuniDevarim 12:5About R. Chizkiyah b. Manoach who asserts that the verse does not specify Yerushalayim, since it was not the only holy place chosen by Hashem, and SefornoDevarim 12:5About R. Ovadyah Seforno who suggests that it might refer to either Shiloh or Yerushalayim.

²⁴ He further asserts that if the verse did refer to any one site, it would be Shiloh, the first cultic center after the Conquest.  As evidence he points to Yehoshua 9:27, where Yehoshua assigns the Givonites to be water drawers and wood choppers in , "הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחָר", which could only refer to Shiloh at that point.

²⁵ See Bavli Yoma,Sanhedrin 101 and Avot deRabbi Natan, and for various opinions regarding whether or not Jerusalem was ultimately divided among several of the tribes or belonged to no one.  Even if one maintains.   For a full discussion, see Prof. Y. Ta-Shma's article, מעמד ירושלים בחלוקת הארץ.