Then it ran up the Valley of Ben Hinnom along the southern slope of the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem). From there it climbed to the top of the hill west of the Hinnom Valley at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim. – Joshua 15:8

Today's Scripture Reading (April 6, 2025): Joshua 15

Jerusalem. The City of David has a rich history. Today, the city is in the possession of Israel. Still, it is also divided between three faiths that consider the city to be holy: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity all lay some claim on the city. Temple Mount, where the first and second Temples once existed, is in the control of Islam. While Islam has a significant religious and historical connection with the mountain, Judaism considers the Temple Mount to be holy but is prohibited from actual worship on the hill. Other sacred places in the Holy City would include the Mount of Olives, a ridge that runs down the city's eastern side of the city and the place where Jesus is believed to have ascended into heaven. Today, the Mount of Olives is the home of a vast Jewish graveyard containing over 150,000 graves.

Golgotha, the hill where Jesus is believed to have been crucified, is another hill just outside Jerusalem's walls. The traditional identification of Golgotha is located within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The conventional identification of this hill as Golgotha was made by the mother of Constantine, the Roman Empress Helena. Helena had visited Jerusalem in 325 C.E. and identified this place as the Golgotha of the Gospel Story.

While Jerusalem is important to three very different cultures in our contemporary world, it also sits on the border between Israel and an area known as"The West Bank." The West Bank currently exists under a provisional Palestinian government. The West Bank is an essential part of "The Two State Solution" to the ever-present conflict in the Middle East. The fact that three religions claim Jerusalem and the idea that the city exists on the border between Israel and the West Bank has kept Jerusalem from reprising its role as the Capital City of Israel. And so, Tel Aviv remains the capital while the City of David remains a place of pilgrimage.

From the dividing line described in this passage, we recognize that Jerusalem has always been a border city; in ancient times, it would have sat on the border between two tribes, while sitting in Judah, the Tribe of Benjamin lies just outside the city walls. The Judean city added to the reality that Judah also sat on the border of three enemy kingdoms: the Philistines bordered Judah along the west side of the nation, Moab to the east, and Edom to the south. All of this meant that Judah was in a place of great responsibility and great danger. This position of Judah was echoed by the placement of what would become the nation's capital: Jerusalem. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Joshua 16