Jerusalem - under the rule of

63BC - 604AD Western Roman then Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire.
Administration of Jerusalem came under a new Roman city Constantinople (planned as "New Rome") in 330. Constantinople's previous name had been Byzantium and its modern name is now Istanbul (from 1930).
Christian pilgrims then came to Jerusalem from everywhere building beautiful buildings. However, on a political level, Jews continue to be treated as "second-class citizens" .
In 602, the Roman Emperor Maurice who had made an alliance with the Persian Emperor Chosroes II, by helping him regain the Persian throne lost in an army mutiny and also giving him his daughter Miriam in marriage, is now himself barbarously murdered by his own army.
In 604, the Persian Emperor invades Syria to avenge his benefactor and father-in-law, dealing the empire its severest blow. 666 years
604 - 614 Persia declares war by invading Syria. Jerusalem caught up in this war. The Eastern Roman Empire is on the back foot. There are a large number of Jews now living in Babylon who enrolled in the Persian army and were naturally keen to see Christendom's political influence expelled from Jerusalem. 10 years
614 - 627 Persia rules Jerusalem with much death and destruction. 13 years
627 - 637 The Eastern Roman Empire recaptures Jerusalem (but very briefly). The whole area is now being conquered by Mohammed's Arab army, saying the Jews & the Christians time is over. 10 years
637 - 1517 Following an initial truce, the Romans, Arabs, Egyptians and Turks war around Jerusalem over the next 880 years.
In 1077 (exactly 440 years later), the race of Seljuk Turks who had swarmed over the land from Central Asia, capture Jerusalem and forbid all Christian services, murdering Christian pilgrims from the West or anywhere. In November 1095, the Pope in Rome calls for a "righteous war" i.e. marching to the "defence of the East" the following summer. Many years later this became known as the First Crusade. Thus came a brief interlude with the international Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem established 1099-1187 i.e. for 88 years with its divisions and fall in 1187 then portrayed in the movie "The Kingdom of Heaven". The Christians had placed a huge gilt cross on the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount, and this was immediately stripped and destroyed by Saladin and his army from Egypt in 1187. But following his subsequent defeats during the Third Crusade in 1192, truce signed between Saladin and King Richard of England. In 1253 the Mongols from Asia invaded the land, were driven back, but then in 1400 under Timur they again devastated the land. In 1453 the Ottoman Turks capture Constantinople from the Eastern Roman Empire, in 1514 crush Persia, then in 1517 triumphantly enter Cairo in Egypt. 880 years
1517 - 1917 Turkish Ottoman Empire. With the expulsion of the Jews from Spain (in 1492), more Jews settle back into Jerusalem. In 1800, there are 2000 Jews living there. However, by 1905 this number grew to 40,000, far more than any other ethnic group. The massive increase in numbers, and their ongoing desire to rule their own city again (known as Zionism) become issues of serious concern. 400 years
1917 - 1967 Britain initially for 30 years. See Winston Churchill - 1937. With the founding of Israel in 1947-48 the intent is for Jerusalem to become an international city. Instead, war breaks out. Then, despite an armistice agreement in 1949 to temporarily split the city into ownership by Jordan in the east & Israel in the west, for 18 years ongoing attacks on Jews are sponsored by Jordan via the old city in east Jerusalem including the Temple Mount area.
The area is known as Mount Moriah (pronounced in Hebrew as moe-ree-yaw - literal meaning "Seen by the Lord") where Abraham submitted his precious son Isaac to God sometime around 1900BC and where God restored him to Abraham in providing a substitution sacrifice. And it has been an area sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, in fact, huge numbers of peoples over thousands of years. 50 years
1967 - 2007 East Jerusalem captured and fully ruled by Israel, but this situation not officially recognized by any country. To alleviate the pressure of suicide bombers, military barriers were built around Gaza and the West Bank. Then at the start of the Jewish year leading into 2007, the 40 year anniversary, we had the public declaration by the Palestinian Authority in the United Nations confirming its 1993 recognition of Israel. 40 years

"If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning; let my tongue cleave to my palate, if I do not remember you - if I do not bring up Jerusalem above the head of my joy" Psalm 137:5-6

Click here for more details on this history from a Jewish perspective. Click here for a Catholic perspective.

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63BC - 604AD Western Roman then Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire. Administration of Jerusalem came under a new Roman city Constantinople (planned as "New Rome") in 330. Constantinople's previous name had been Byzantium and its modern name is now Istanbul (from 1930). Christian pilgrims then came to Jerusalem from everywhere building beautiful buildings. However, on a political level, Jews continue to be treated as "second-class citizens" . In 602, the Roman Emperor Maurice who had made an alliance with the Persian Emperor Chosroes II, by helping him regain the Persian throne lost in an army mutiny and also giving him his daughter Miriam in marriage, is now himself barbarously murdered by his own army. In 604, the Persian Emperor invades Syria to avenge his benefactor and father-in-law, dealing the empire its severest blow.	666 years
604 - 614 Persia declares war by invading Syria. Jerusalem caught up in this war. The Eastern Roman Empire is on the back foot. There are a large number of Jews now living in Babylon who enrolled in the Persian army and were naturally keen to see Christendom's political influence expelled from Jerusalem.	10 years
614 - 627 Persia rules Jerusalem with much death and destruction.	13 years
627 - 637 The Eastern Roman Empire recaptures Jerusalem (but very briefly). The whole area is now being conquered by Mohammed's Arab army, saying the Jews & the Christians time is over.	10 years
637 - 1517 Following an initial truce, the Romans, Arabs, Egyptians and Turks war around Jerusalem over the next 880 years. In 1077 (exactly 440 years later), the race of Seljuk Turks who had swarmed over the land from Central Asia, capture Jerusalem and forbid all Christian services, murdering Christian pilgrims from the West or anywhere. In November 1095, the Pope in Rome calls for a "righteous war" i.e. marching to the "defence of the East" the following summer. Many years later this became known as the First Crusade. Thus came a brief interlude with the international Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem established 1099-1187 i.e. for 88 years with its divisions and fall in 1187 then portrayed in the movie "The Kingdom of Heaven". The Christians had placed a huge gilt cross on the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount, and this was immediately stripped and destroyed by Saladin and his army from Egypt in 1187. But following his subsequent defeats during the Third Crusade in 1192, truce signed between Saladin and King Richard of England. In 1253 the Mongols from Asia invaded the land, were driven back, but then in 1400 under Timur they again devastated the land. In 1453 the Ottoman Turks capture Constantinople from the Eastern Roman Empire, in 1514 crush Persia, then in 1517 triumphantly enter Cairo in Egypt.	880 years
1517 - 1917 Turkish Ottoman Empire. With the expulsion of the Jews from Spain (in 1492), more Jews settle back into Jerusalem. In 1800, there are 2000 Jews living there. However, by 1905 this number grew to 40,000, far more than any other ethnic group. The massive increase in numbers, and their ongoing desire to rule their own city again (known as Zionism) become issues of serious concern.	400 years
1917 - 1967 Britain initially for 30 years. See Winston Churchill - 1937. With the founding of Israel in 1947-48 the intent is for Jerusalem to become an international city. Instead, war breaks out. Then, despite an armistice agreement in 1949 to temporarily split the city into ownership by Jordan in the east & Israel in the west, for 18 years ongoing attacks on Jews are sponsored by Jordan via the old city in east Jerusalem including the Temple Mount area. The area is known as Mount Moriah (pronounced in Hebrew as moe-ree-yaw - literal meaning "Seen by the Lord") where Abraham submitted his precious son Isaac to God sometime around 1900BC and where God restored him to Abraham in providing a substitution sacrifice. And it has been an area sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, in fact, huge numbers of peoples over thousands of years.	50 years
1967 - 2007 East Jerusalem captured and fully ruled by Israel, but this situation not officially recognized by any country. To alleviate the pressure of suicide bombers, military barriers were built around Gaza and the West Bank. Then at the start of the Jewish year leading into 2007, the 40 year anniversary, we had the public declaration by the Palestinian Authority in the United Nations confirming its 1993 recognition of Israel.	40 years