Jerusalem

Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and its largest city in both population and area. Located in the Judean Mountains, between the Mediterranean Sea and the northern tip of the Dead Sea, modern Jerusalem has grown up outside the Old City.

The city has a history that goes back to the 4th millennium BCE, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. Tradition says that King David first chose it as Israel's capital. It is considered a Holy City by members of three religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Jerusalem in Agent of Byzantium

Jerusalem was an important city of the Roman Empire in 1317. It was home to one of five patriarchates of the Christian Church. Its people tended to look down toward Constantinople as a newcomer.

Jerusalem in Alpha and Omega

Many questions about the nature of God were revealed in Jerusalem in the 21st century.

The first revelation came when a multi-national expedition discovered the Ark of the Covenant under the Temple Mount.

Jerusalem in "The Banner of Kaviyan"

Thanks to the magic of the banner of Kaviyan, Shahin had visions of Khusro II's sacking of Jerusalem and his capture of Patriarch Zacharias.

Jerusalem in The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump

Jerusalem was the site of the Temple, still the center of Judaism at the close of the 20th century.

Jerusalem in "Next Year in Jerusalem"

"Next Year in Jerusalem" was the motto of the Second Irgun, a statement of hope that one day, Jerusalem would again be part of the reconstituted Israel. The murders committed by Yakov's Irgun cell inspired Jewish rioting in Jerusalem, but not enough to achieve their goal of a general uprising against the Arabs.

Jerusalem in "Occupation Duty"

Hierosolyma was the principal city of occupied Moab. Unlike modern cities such as Gaza, it was still built with local golden limestone and wood and brick. It looked as though it had been in existence forever and had, in fact, been taken by the Philistine champion Lord Goliath, some 3000 years prior, before being occupied by the Persians and besieged by Philip of Macedon, wrecked by the Romans, and sacked by the Turks of Babylonia.

During Pheidas' tour of duty as a conscript in the Philistinian Army, he was based in Hierosolyma and went on foot patrols to help keep the perpetually rebellious Moabites cowed, and root out terrorist infiltration by fanatics of the Sword Buddhist religion, who were backed by the Babylonian Turks.

Jerusalem in "Shock and Awe"

Jerusalem fell to the barbarian tribesmen led by a strange chieftain known as the "Son of God", and his second-in-command, the Rock. The siege lasted for three days and nights. On the third night, the hillsmen succeeded in entering Jerusalem and slaughtering the entire Roman garrison and any people seen as collaborators.

Jerusalem in Southern Victory

By the 20th century, Jerusalem, in the Ottoman province of Palestine, was seen as a sleepy little town where not much happened.

Jerusalem in Thessalonica

When the Avar and Slav sorcerers invoked a fire-goddess for a spell which put out all the fires in besieged Thessalonica, George had the idea that the Jews of Thessalonica might have been immune to the spell. He went to the Jewish Quarter and found that it was indeed so, and got from his Jewish friend Benjamin the coppersmith a burning flame with which he re-lighted fires in the Christian part of the city. Benjamin compared the Jews' immunity to the fire-spell with an earlier miraculous event - in the aftermath of the Jews' rebellion against Hellenist rule in Jerusalem, a small cup of consecrated oil had been enough to feed the fire in the Temple for whole eight days. George was of course familiar with the city of Jerusalem, where Jesus was crucified, but he did not hear before of this particular miracle which was part of Jewish history rather than Christian one. However, George saw no reason to doubt the story, having seen with his own eyes the effectiveness of the Jewish God's care for His worshipers.

Jerusalem in Through Darkest Europe

Jerusalem was an important city for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. During the First Crusade, Christians had conquered the city away from the Muslims, but this was reversed some time later. Nine centuries after the First Crusade, Jerusalem was a quiet, peaceful city, very hospitable to pilgrims.

Jerusalem in The War That Came Early

After the 1941 British Military Coup, the head of Scotland Yard (who had closely cooperated with the Wilson Government) was packed off to head the British police in Jerusalem. Ronald Cartland said that if the police chief avoided being killed either by the Arabs or by the Zionists, "he might actually do some good to the Empire".

Jerusalem in Worldwar

Jerusalem was a city in the Race's colony of Palestine, sensitive for its importance to several rival human religions, a fact that the Race was slow to appreciate due to having had no other religion than Emperor-worship for so many centuries. The city became also well-known for the international hospital established there by Moishe Russie for comparing human medical practices with those of the Race. Russie Medical College was the hospital's school.

The Germans launched two nuclear missiles at Jerusalem during the Race-German War of 1965, but both were destroyed by the Race's anti-missile system.

The Arabic residents were the least resigned to the Race's rule, and were a restive lot. Around 2021, Chaim Russie (grandson of Moishe) was killed in an Arab terrorist attack. It was not known whether he was the intended target.