Jerusalem is the capital and the largest city in Israel. It has been a center of Jewish life from the most ancient times. The dream of the Jews has always been to return to Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is the holy center of three monotheistic religions. This was the cause of many wars.
There are different opinions concerning the name Jerusalem (in Hebrew Yerushalayim). Some say it means “legacy of peace” – a portmanteau of yerusha (legacy) and shalom (peace). Shalom is a cognate of the Hebrew name Shlomo (like King Salomon, the builder of a first Temple. Alternatively, the second part of a portmanteau could be Shalem (literally “whole” or “in harmony”).
A biblical midrashic interpretation in “Genesis Rabba” says that Abraham came to the city called “shalem”. The city was called shalem by Malchizedek. Malchizedek was the king of Jerusalem. Abraham named the city “Yere Hashem”. The name “shalom” was combined with “Yere”, producing Jerusalem.
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