Walking With Christ

Psalm 76:2
His abode has been established in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion.

Psalm 76:2 refers to God’s dwelling place in Zion, another name for Jerusalem. Let’s explore the rich history and meaning behind the name of this sacred city, the City of David. By the time of David, around 1,000 BCE, the city of Jerusalem was already well established. But where did its name come from, and what does it mean? These are some of the questions we encounter when studying this ancient and significant city.

Throughout history, it was common for conquerors to rename cities as a sign of their dominion. However, King David didn’t change the name of Jerusalem when he conquered it. Instead, he renamed only the fortress section of the city, calling it the “City of David” (2 Samuel 5:7). The reasons why David didn’t rename the entire city are lost to history, but clues may still remain.

The earliest known mention of Jerusalem outside of the Bible is found in the Egyptian execration texts (around 1,900 BCE), where the city is called Urusalim. These texts were essentially curses written against foreign cities and rulers. Later, the name appears again in the Amarna letters (around 1,400 BCE), which were diplomatic correspondences between the Egyptian Pharaoh and Canaanite rulers. Here, the city is referred to as Urushalim. Over time, this name was translated into Hebrew as Yerushalayim, which became Jerusalem.

The name Urushalim is a compound word formed from “uru,” meaning “city” in Akkadian (the language of the Amarna letters), and “shalim,” which would have been rendered as “Salem.” In Hebrews 7:2, we read that Melchizedek is “king of Salem,” which means “king of peace.”

Genesis 14:18
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.)

Thus, Salem means peace, making Melchizedek the king of peace.

There’s one more linguistic connection to consider. The Akkadian word “uru” was translated into Hebrew as “yeru,” while “shalim” became “shalayim” or “shalom,” the Hebrew word for peace. While the meanings slightly shifted, the similarities between the two languages show that “uru” becoming “yeru” isn’t a stretch. In Hebrew, “yeru” can refer to a foundation or beginning, such as the start of a river or the base of a building.

Now let’s tie this all together. In Genesis 14, Abram meets Melchizedek in the King’s Valley after rescuing his nephew Lot (Genesis 14:16-17) from captivity. First-century historian Josephus wrote that the King’s Valley was about a quarter mile east of Jerusalem. Today, this valley is known as Hinnom or Gehenna, located just south of Mount Zion, near the traditional site of King David’s tomb.

In this meeting, Abram encountered the king of peace (Melchizedek) in King’s Valley near the city of peace (Salem) in the shadow of Mount Zion. After his victory, Abram came to a place of peace and refused to take spoils from the king of Sodom, declaring that God would provide for him. By the time David arrived, this city of peace had become the “foundation of peace.” David claimed it in the name of God, and, in a prophetic foreshadowing, this foundation of peace would later be the site of the temple built by his son, Solomon. The layers of symbolism here are simply incredible. The king of peace came to Abram where he was in the valley looking up to Zion and blessed him. Abram declined the temptation of the enemy that came in the form of spoils offered by the king of Sodom because he recognized that God alone provides wealth and success. This was the beginning of peace for mankind. This place would become the symbol of that peace when David claimed the city for the people of Israel and changed the nomadic society to a settled one.

In conclusion, Jerusalem, or Yerushalayim, not only carried the meaning of peace but also symbolized the foundation of God’s presence and promises to His people, a foundation that would continue to shape its legacy throughout biblical history.