Choice of Yerushalayim/2
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Choice of Yerushalayim
Exegetical Approaches
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.
Site of Creation – According to --, all of creation stemmed from Zion, as Tehillim 50 testifies, "מִצִּיּוֹן מִכְלַל יֹפִי אֱלֹהִים הוֹפִיעַ".
Site of Worship – Rambam maintains that the site of the the Mikdash in Yerushalayim 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.1 This was no coincidence, but a result of the location's inherent chosenness.
"וַיִּקְרָא אַבְרָהָם שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא י"י יִרְאֶה"
- Rambam2 learns from Avraham's words that he already declared the site of the Akeidah to be the future site of the Mikdash in Jerusalem. This fact was known to many, so that in the time of Moshe it was said of the mountain, "בְּהַר י"י יֵרָאֶה".
- It is also possible, however, that despite the location's holiness, the site's choice was not known to all and Avraham was simply stating his hope that place continue to be one of revelation.
Beit El: "אֵין זֶה כִּי אִם בֵּית אֱלֹהִים"
"הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר י"י" – This verse, too, 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 Israel – Alternatively
Jerusalem in the period of the Avot
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 sources and other resources.
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.
