The Early Inhabitants of Jerusalem: Myth and History

Jerusalem has long been a city steeped in both biblical legends and historical accounts. According to the Bible, the city's earliest inhabitants were the Jebusites, a Canaanite tribe that called the city Uru-Shalem, meaning the city of peace.

The Jebusites: From Resistance to Assimilation

As the story goes, the Jebusites managed to resist the conquest of Canaan by Joshua and were later either conquered, or their territory was acquired. King David, the future founder of the Israelite kingdom, incorporated the Jebusite city into his capital. According to some versions of the story, David secured the city through conquest, while others claim he paid the Jebusites in gold for the land.

What’s interesting is that the biblical narrative often depicts the defeat and exile of the Canaanites, but the Jebusites appear to have been spared and assimilated into the Israelite community. Some rabbinic commentaries even suggest that the Jebusites became part of the Jewish Temple Priesthood, an indication that their god was seen as a form of Yahweh, the Israelite national god.

Additional Historical Context and Archaeological Evidence

While the Bible speaks of the Jebusites, other historical and archaeological evidence provides insights into the early inhabitants of the area. During the Chalcolithic period around 4500 BCE, there was a group on the ridge known as the City of David. However, as they had no writing system, their names and cultural designations remain unknown to this day.

Later on, the advanced sedentary Canaanites constructed a hamlet called Shalim around 1750 BCE. This city, situated on a Zion hill, is believed to have been one of the earliest settlements in the area. By 1011 BCE, a nomadic chief named David and his 12 tribes moved into Shalim, leading a semi-nomadic lifestyle as goat herders.

The concept of Israel as a distinct toponym and the presence of Judaism as a distinct form of theism did not emerge until much later. From the 3000 BCE to 1948 AD, there was no Israel, Judaic theism, Jews, Israelites, or even a Hebrew language as a global dialect.

The Old Testament's narrative of Jerusalem and its early inhabitants, while compelling, must be considered alongside both archaeological and historical findings. The Jebusites, the City of David, and the various other groups demonstrate the complex layered history of the city, a history that continues to be a subject of scholarly and religious discourse.