Introduction

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Holy to the three monotheistic religions, Jerusalem has been torn by strife and competing claims throughout its history. Destroyed, rebuilt, modified by each power that ruled over it, it is composed of layers that are symbols of both religious devotion and worldly pride. Today, as in the past, its stones are home to those who live there and to those who come to worship. Rather than try to retell a story that has been told many times, we have chosen to provide information on specific aspects of the city, ranging from documentation on its historical monuments to the evolution of the Old City's physical and social topography. The user is able to explore the Database and select specific topics. Each topic is composed of descriptive text, maps and other illustrations, supporting documents and references, as appropriate.

The Database is constructed as an open-ended chronology. Historical vignettes, illustrating the City's evolution from the late Ottoman period to the present, supplement the documentation of its monuments. More chronological segments will be added later. The history of modern Jerusalem is divided into short segments documenting its evolution from 1800 to the League of Nations Mandate after World War I; the British mandate; the proposed constitution of the City as a corpus separatum in 1947; its integration into Jordan (1948-1967); and Israeli occupation (1967-present).

1. The monuments of Jerusalem

The main source used in this segment is the 1992 Tübinger Atlas des Vorderen Orients. The monuments listed have been located on an  interactive map and color coded by religious denomination. Selecting a particular monument from the index highlights its location on the map. Conversely, clicking on a monument on the map identifies its name, use and date of construction. From either the index or the map, the user can call forth a fact sheet that gives a short history of the monument, describes its main architectural features and provides bibliographical references for further study. Plan, sections and illustrations are cross-referenced with the text. A search engine allows the identification and location of monuments that meet specified criteria: date of construction, religious denomination and building type.

This component of the Database was developed with an educated traveler in mind; someone interested to explore the cultural heritage of Jerusalem's monuments. Perhaps someone not unlike the readers of the extraordinarily well-documented 19^th century Baedeker guidebooks.

2. Jerusalem in the 19^th century

The first comprehensive topographical portrayal of Jerusalem is provided by the 1864 survey made by Capt. Wilson, Royal Engineers. The survey map, supplemented by manuscript notes by the Reverend Charles Sandrezk, a Protestant missionary living in Jerusalem, provides a comprehensive nomenclature of street names and a detailed description the City. This information has been mapped and supplemented by contemporary illustrations of the principal districts.


The selection of the 19th century as a starting point reflects the profound changes that took place when Jerusalem was transformed from a small provincial town to a relatively prosperous destination for Christian and Jewish pilgrims. The population increased rapidly, from less than 10,000 at the beginning of the century to nearly 19,000 in 1851. Much of this growth was the result of foreigners who came to settle: European and American missionaries, and a growing number of Eastern European and Russian Jews. The capital they brought with them changed the appearance of the city as new buildings were constructed within the wall and, in the latter part of the century, when a new city was developed in the northern and western suburbs.


An analysis of Nineteenth century Ottoman court records allowed us to document property transactions in the Old City. This Database can be utilized to analyze transactions, by date, religious affiliation of the grantor and grantee, and location in the City. These records show significant increases in both prices and volume of transactions, peaking in the third quarter of the century, prior to the development of West Jerusalem.

3. World War I and its aftermath

The period immediately following World War I involved extensive transactions between the Allied Powers, the Arabs and the Zionist Organization as to the future of Palestine and the status of Jerusalem, culminating in the selection of Great Britain as the mandatory for Palestine by the newly created League of Nations. A brief narrative is supplemented by original documents, including the correspondence between Sherif Hussein and the British High Commissioner for Egypt and the Sudan.

4. The British Mandate in Palestine

This segment describes major events and provides supporting documentation of major events in the Old City from 1919 to 1948. Original documents cited include the Peel Commission Report on the Wailing Wall controversy, various documents exploring the division of Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish State and the internationalization of Jerusalem, culminating in the 1947 United Nations resolution on the partition of Palestine and the special status proposed for Jerusalem.

5. Jordanian Rule

This segment is under development.

6. Israeli Rule

Major transformations have taken place since 1967. Within a few days of the Israeli occupation of the city, parts of the Maghrabi quarters were demolished to make way for a plaza in front of the Wailing Wall. Additional demolitions took place a year later to make way for the reconstruction of the Jewish Quarter. The Database provide a list of confiscated properties, both private and awqaf, and documentation on families displaced.

The archeological explorations undertaken in this period have caused great concern and the Old City is now classified as an "endangered site" on the UNESCO Heritage of Mankind List.

7. United Nations Resolutions

The complete texts of all UN resolutions pertaining to Jerusalem are accessible through the Database as a separate segment. A chronological index provides a one-sentence summary of each resolution, whose full text can be displayed. A full listing of UNESCO resolutions, cross-referenced to supporting material provides hard to come by information on the often-acrimonious relationship between the Organization and the occupying power. The documentation is cross-referenced, allowing the user to call for the text of other UN resolutions and documents cited.