The Power of Names

We know that sometimes the name itself directs us to the history and the story of the place. The name Jerusalem, as we know it today, appears in the Execration Texts* approximately 4,000 years ago. 3,000 years ago, King David occupied the city of Jerusalem and made it the Capital of Israel and he named it the City of David.

“David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the terraces inward.” (2 Samuel 5 9).

And even though the King himself named the city the City of David, we continue to use the name ‘Jerusalem’ more than the name ‘the City of David’.

Earlier this month the earliest stone inscription bearing the full spelling of the modern Hebrew word for Jerusalem was unveiled at the Israel Museum, in Jerusalem. Professionally chiseled Hebrew lettering inscribed into a stone column reads: “Hananiah son of Dodalos of Jerusalem”.

It was found in a construction site at what is now the entrance to modern city, nowadays Jerusalem. This pillar dates back approximately 2,000 years ago and every child in Israel, is able to read it, as the letters are the same as they are today. Amazing!

To summarize – the name of Jerusalem was a Jebussi name (not a Hebrew one) and it has become to be how we all recognize the City of David as the City of Jerusalem. That is the power of the name Jerusalem.

Enjoy this video just a few days old.

I’d like to thank CBN for this video.

*Execration texts, also referred to as Proscription Lists, are ancient Egyptian hieratic texts.