Jerusalem: A Historical Overview, Part Two

c. 966BC- Solomon begins construction of the temple during the fourth year of his kingship (1 Kings 6.:1)- And it came to pass in the four hundred and eighteenth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.

c. 925BC- Shishak, King of Egypt, fights against Rehoboam King of Judah. The temple was plundered (1 Kings 14:25-26)- It happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that Shishak King of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. And He took away the treasures of the king’s house; he took away everything, He also took away all the gold shields Solomon had made.

c. 775BC—King Jehoash of Israel attacks King Amaziah of Juda. The wall was breached and the Temple was plundered (2 Kings 14:13-14)—Then Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh; and he went to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the CornerGate—four hundred cubits. And he took all the gold and silver, all the articles that were found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria.

586BC—King Nebuchadnezzar comquers and destroys Jerusalem and the temple (2 Kings 25:8-10). And the fifth month , on the seventh day of the month ( which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon). Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the King of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.

He burned the house of the LORD and the king’s house, all the houses of Jerusalem, that is, all the houses of the great, he burned with fire.

And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down the walls of Jerusalem all around.

539BC—Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon. He subsequently allows the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. ( 2 Chronicles 36:22-23).—Now the first year of Cyrus King of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD GOD of heaven has given me . And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up!