Sat, 30 Dec 2017 12:54:28 +0000
Dear Editor,
He has been known to make headlines for many wrong reasons.
Donald Trump, the United States President stood in front of the media the other day to make a controversial announcement.
The world watched and listened carefully as he opened his mouth and announced that America now recognises Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
This controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital sparked protests across the Arab and Muslim world.
It also brought the United Nation’s general assembly to a vote and despite threats by Trump that Washington would cut foreign aid to countries that would vote against his decision, his notorious move suffered a defeat as the assembly voted 128-9 to make Trump’s decision “null and void”.
Below are some of the facts on Jerusalem and its history.
Jerusalem (Juh-Roo-Suh-Lem) is the most famous city on Earth and in all of its history.
Its name means “city of peace” but despite being called that Jerusalem has not been the city of peace.
Jerusalem has been involved in many wars and has been destroyed several times.
But unlike most ancient cities, Jerusalem has always been rebuilt on the exact same place.
It is in this city King Solomon erected his beautiful Temple to worship God.
It’s also the same city that Jesus’ parents brought him as a baby to be presented to the Lord (Luke 2:22-24).
In 586 B.C, the city was destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar when the southern kingdom was defeated and many of its people taken into exile in Babylon.
Years later some Jews returned to Jerusalem and started to rebuild the temple.
During the next 500 years, Jerusalem was to be ruled by a number of countries that included Greece, Persia, Egypt, Syria and finally Rome.
It was during the Roman rule that Jesus visited Jerusalem several times and once wept about how it wouldn’t listen to his massage.
He was finally crucified there and after he rose from the dead, he appeared to his disciples in Jerusalem and went back to heaven from a hill near the city.
The first Christian church was formed in Jerusalem after the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples during the feast of Pentecost.
Most recently in 1968, the entire city came under the control of the modern nation of Israel.
Today it is considered a sacred city by Jews, Christians and Muslims.
The dome of the rock where Abraham is said to have offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice to God now stands on part of the area were the temple once stood.
It is said that if you visit Jerusalem today, probably at least one person will say to you “please pray for the peace of Jerusalem”.
It has many names that show how special it is. It is often referred to as the ‘City of God’, ‘Holy Mountain’ or ‘Zion’.
I rest my thought.
TROY MUKUPA,
