Jerusalem and the Temple of Solomon

IT WAS called “the perfection of prettiness” and “the town of the grand King.” (Ps 48:2; 50:2; La 2:15) Jerusalem was the capital of God’s nation. (Ps 76:2) After David seized the city from the Jebusites and made it his capital, it was called “the City of David,” or just “Zion.”​—2Sa 5:7.

While not enjoying a very strategic location, Jerusalem gained fame because God placed his name there. (De 26:2) It was the religious and administrative center of the nation.

Jerusalem is at an altitude of 2,500 feet (750 m) in the central mountains of Judea. The Bible refers to its “loftiness” and to worshipers as ‘going up’ to reach it. (Ps 48:2; 122:3, 4) The ancient city was surrounded by valleys: the Valley of Hinnom on the west and south and the torrent valley of Kidron on the east. (2Ki 23:10; Jer 31:40) The spring of Gihona in the Kidron Valley and En-rogel to the south supplied fresh water, especially vital during enemy attacks.​—2Sa 17:17.

On the diagram on page 21, the City of David is in red. During the reigns of David and Solomon, the city extended northward to include Ophel (green) and Mount Moriah (blue). (2Sa 5:7-9; 24:16-25) Solomon built a magnificent temple to Jehovah on that higher spur. Imagine throngs of worshipers streaming up to “the mountain of Jehovah” for the annual festivals! (Zec 8:3) The road network represented on page 17 facilitated such travel.