Abstract

The Bible refers to Jerusalem by many names, among them “the Joy of All the Earth” (Masos Kol HaAretz), “the Perfect in Beauty” (Kiriat Yofi), “the City of God” (Ir HaEloim), “the Holy City” (Ir HaKodesh), and “Shalem,” as in Genesis 14:17–18 (King Melchizedek of Shalem). All these names allude to the essence of the city as the site of the First and Second Temples and to the hope for the messianic Third Temple. The following pages are devoted to artifacts and works of art that portray images related to the centrality of Jerusalem and its Temple as symbols of sanctity for Jews and polestars for prayer and devotion to God.