Names of Jerusalem
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This article explores the different names of Jerusalem and their linguistic natures, etc. For a discussion of the politics and history of Jerusalem itself, the Jerusalem article is probably a better place to start.
Over the millennia, there have been many names of Jerusalem in many different languages.
Contents |
Names
Salem
- Biblical Hebrew שלם š-l-m "whole", "complete" in the idiomatic sense of "at peace"
- Akkadian Urušalim
- Assyrian Uršalimmu
(Uru and Ur are really cognates of the Hebrew Ir ("city of") and should not be confused with the syllables Jeru- in the name Jerusalem.)
- Biblical Greek Σαλημ Salēm, Σολυμα Solyma
- Biblical Latin Salem
- Arabic ساليم Sālīm
- Tiberian Hebrew שָׁלֵם Šālēm
- Standard Hebrew שָׁלֵם Šalem
In the Book of Genesis, Salem or Shalem is the name of the city during the time of Abraham. It is ruled by Melchizedek, whose name denotes a righteous king. Salem is also regarded as a shorter name for Jerusalem.
Moriah
- Biblical Hebrew מוריה m-w-r-y-h "chosen of/is the LORD"
- Biblical Greek Μωριας Mōrias
- Biblical Latin Moria
- Arabic مريّا Muriyyā or Murayyā (?)
- Tiberian Hebrew מוֹרִיָּה Môriyyāh
- Standard Hebrew מוֹרִיָּה Moriyya
In the Book of Genesis, Moriah is the name of the Temple Mount at a time when it is uninhabited. It is the place where, in Abrahamic religions, Abraham attempts the sacrifice of his son.
Jebus
- Biblical Hebrew יבוס y-b-w-s "trodden down"
- Biblical Greek Ιεβους Iebous
- Biblical Latin Iebus
- Arabic يبوس Yabūs
- Tiberian Hebrew יְבוּס Yəḇûs
- Standard Hebrew יְבוּס Yəvus
In the Old Testament, Jebus is the name of the Canaanite fortress on the Temple Mount during the time of King David. The name refers to the large threshing floor on the Temple Mount around which the fortress was built. David conquers Jebus and establishes Jerusalem on its place as the new Israelite capital. The threshing floor was subsequently purchased by David as the site of the Temple.
Jerusalem
- Biblical Hebrew ירושלם y-r-w-š-l-m probably "Heritage of Salem" or "Heritage of Peace"
- Aramaic יְרוּשְׁלֶם Yərûšəlem
- Biblical Greek Ιερουσαλημ Hierousalēm, Ierousalēm, Ιεροσολυμα Hierosolyma, Ierosolyma
- Syriac ܐܘܪܫܠܡ Ūrišlem
- Biblical Latin Hierusalem
- Arabic اورشليم Ūršalīm, Ūršalaym
- Armenian Երուսաղեմ / Erousałem
- Tiberian Hebrew יְרוּשָׁלַםִ / יְרוּשָׁלָםִ Yərûšāláim / Yərûšālāim
- Standard Hebrew יְרוּשָׁלַיִם Yərušaláyim
- Old Norse Jorsala
- Russian Иерусалим / Iyerusalim
Jerusalem is the name most commonly used in the Bible, and is the preferred name in Jewry and the Western World. Its Arabic counterpart, Ūršalīm, is the term used by the government of Israel in Arabic, and by Arabs in certain historic or Biblical contexts.
A Midrashic explanation of the name relates it to the yir'eh from the name Yahweh-yir'eh ("Yahweh sees", Vulgate Latin Dominus videt) given to Moriah by Abraham and the name Salem.
The Greek forms Hierousalēm and Hierosolyma, and the Latin form Hierusalem indicate an interpretation of the first syllables as the Greek word hieros meaning "holy". The Old Norse form Jorsala indicates an interpretation of the last syllables as the Old Norse toponym ending -sala denoting a hall (sometimes a temple hall).
Zion
- Biblical Hebrew ציון ṣ-y-w-n "height"
- Biblical Greek Σιων Siōn
- Biblical Latin Sion
- Syriac ܨܗܝܘܢ Ṣehyôn
- Arabic صهيون Ṣuhyūn
- Tiberian Hebrew צִיּוֹן Ṣiyyôn
- Standard Hebrew צִיּוֹן Ẓiyyon
Zion or Sion is a traditional name for the Temple Mount and the city surrounding its slopes.
Ariel
- Biblical Hebrew אריאל ʼ-r-y-ʼ-l "Lion of God."
- Greek Αριηλ Ariēl
- Arabic اريئيل Arīʼīl
- Tiberian Hebrew אֲרִיאֵל ʼĂrîʼēl
- Standard Hebrew אֲרִיאֵל Ariʼel
Ariel is a poetic name for Jerusalem.
In modern times however, the name is more often used for the Israeli settlement of Ari'el in the West Bank, miles away from Jerusalem.
Aelia Capitolina
- Latin Aelia Capitolina "Capitoline Hill of (the House of) Aelius"
- Arabic إيلياء, ʼĪlyāʼ
- Tiberian Hebrew אֵילִיָּה קַפִּיטוֹלִינָה ʼÊliyyāh Qappîṭôlînāh
- Standard Hebrew אֵילִיָּה קַפִּיטוֹלִינָה Eliyya Qappitolina
Aelia Capitolina was the Roman name given to Jerusalem after all Jews were expelled from the area. The name refers to Hadrian's family Aelius and the hill temple of Jupiter built on the remains of the Jewish Temple. Its Arabic counterpart, ʼĪlyāʼ was sometimes used in early times Middle Ages, as in some Hadith (Bukhari 1:6, 4:191; Muwatta 20:26), like Bayt ul-Maqdis (see below.)
Al-Quds
- Arabic القدس al-Quds "The Holy Place", القدس الشريف al-Quds aš-Šarīf "The Noble Holy Place"
- Turkish Kudüs
- Tiberian Hebrew הַקֹּדֶשׁ haqQōḏeš "The Holy"
- Standard Hebrew הַקֹּדֶשׁ haQódeš
Al-Quds is now the most common Arabic name for Jerusalem (used also by many cultures influenced by Islam), though it is not attested in the Arabic language until the Buyid-Fatimid period, over 300 years after the first Arab conquest of Jerusalem. The variant al-Quds aš-Šarīf has also been used, notably by the Ottomans. This name for the city is derived ultimately from the Hebrew title Ir Ha-Qodesh ("The City of the Holiness") probably via an Aramaic form qudsha.
Bayt al-Maqdis
- Arabic بيت المقدس Bayt al-Maqdis, Bayt al-Muqaddas "House of the Holiness"
Bayt al-Maqdis or Bayt al-Muqaddas is a (nowadays less common) Arabic name for Jerusalem, a variant of the previous. It is the base from which nisbas (names based on the origin of the person named) are formed - hence the famous medieval geographer called both al-Maqdisi and al-Muqaddasi (born 946.) It is used in some Hadith (Sahih Muslim 234, 251). This name is derived from the Hebrew Beit Ha-Miqdash ("The Temple" literally "House of the Holiness") which denotes the Temple in Jerusalem not the city itself.
al-Balat
Ir Ha-Qodesh
"City of the Holy Place/Holiness"
[[Category:{{{1|}}} articles with sections needing expansion]]Ir Ha-Qdoosha
"The Holy City"
[[Category:{{{1|}}} articles with sections needing expansion]]City of David
- Hebrew Ir David
Yahweh-yir'eh
"The Lord sees", in Vulgate Latin Dominus videt. Name given by Abraham after God provided a goat to be sacrificed in place of Isaac. (This name is conventionally pronounced as "Adonai-yir'eh" because of Jewish religious rules against pronouncing the name "Yahweh".)
[[Category:{{{1|}}} articles with sections needing expansion]]Airport codes
JRS and LLJR were the IATA and ICAO airport codes for the Jerusalem International Airport.
External links
See also Names of the Levant. -->
eo:Nomoj de Jerusalemo ms:Nama-nama Baitulmuqaddis pl:Nazwy Jerozolimy