The Canaanites emigrated from Arabia because of the drought and lived in Syria in 4000 BC, especially in Jordan and Palestine. This whole of this land was called "Canaanites' land", including the coastal strip from Sidon to Ghora, from the Mediterranean to the Dead Sea and from Tiberias to Beir Sheba'a (Jeffreeze [date unknown]). The Canaanites divided into tribes and likewise different locations, so they could not form a united entity. Jerusalem was occupied by Yabous, on of these tribes, in 2500 BC (Al Farhan 1975).

Although they worshipped various gods, Canaanites were monotheists as shown in the Old and New Testaments. Malki Sadeq, the Arab Yabousi king who ruled Jerusalem, was a monotheist. He believed in Allah and used the Sanctuary as a mosque, and he used the Dome of the Rock to make sacrifices (Al Dabbagh 1975). The Old Testament referred to him as "Allah's priest" (Genesis, 14:18-20; a letter to the Hebraics in the Bible, 6:20 and 7:1-5). Historical studies show that Canaanite existence continued in Palestine until the Islamic conquest (Abu Elyan 1993).

The Pharoahs ruled Jerusalem during 1600 BC for nearly 200 years when the city was attacked by the Bedouin Alkhabero tribe. The Egyptian ruler, Abid Kheba, was forced to ask for help from Akhnatoon, who was unable to help him till 1317 BC, the date when Seti first ruled Egypt (1317-1301 BC) (Al Dabbagh 1975). A certain letter sent by Abid Kheba indicated that the people of the city were forced to leave it and live in the mountains (Abu Elyan 1993), and so he was also unable to go back to Jerusalem.

The Jews attacked the city in 977 or 1000 BC when David (peace be upon him) conquered the city and called it David's City. He built a palace and temples. He was succeeded by his son Suleiman, who ruled for 40 years and who built Al Haykal, where Malki Sadeq used to worship. After Suleiman's death, the Jews were divided. The name of the city changed back to its Canaanite name, Jerusalem. During this 337-year-long Era, 20 different kings ruled the city. Their people assassinated more than half of them. In addition, the city suffered through several catastrophes, and polytheism prevailed amongst the population, especially among Yabousians, Canaanites and Ammonites (Palestinian Encyclopedia 1984).

The city was attacked by Naboukheth Nasser during Sedqia Ben Yushia's rule, the last Jewish king in the city (597-586 BC). The city was destroyed, and the Jews were taken captive and brought to Babylon in Iraq. They were not allowed to go back till King Kurush did so in 538 BC. King Kurush was influenced by his wife, who was connected to the Jews, and so he built Al Haykal, which lasted from 515-20 BC, at which time the Herodons began to build a new one (Palestinian Encyclopedia 1984; Mahmoud 1984),

The city was conquered by Alexander in 332 BC. The Jews, who by this time had forgotten what the Persians had done for them, welcomed him. After Alexander's death, Ptolemys ruled the city. Thereafter, Salouqians from Syria ruled it. The people were influenced by this Hellenistic period. Their king, Antokhios IV, succeeded in destroying Al Haykal in 165 BC and forced the Jews to believe in Heathenism. As a result, many revolts began, especially the Maccabites, till the Jews got autonomy under the rule of Hasmounians (135-76 BC) (Palestinian Encyclopedia 1984).

The city was conquered by the Roman leader Bombay in 63 BC, but it was conquered again by Persians in 40 BC. The Romans restored it in about two years and appointed Herodous as king, who restored Al Haykal for the Jews and gave them autonomy (Mahmoud 1984).

Despite these privileges, the Jews rebelled against the Romans so Titus destroyed the city and dispersed them (the Diaspora) in 70 CE. They rebelled again in 115 CE and in 132 CE, but Hedrian annihilated the city and banished all the Jews. He allowed only the Christians to live in the city and called it "Elia". Consequently, the Jews disappeared for 1,000 years, with no connection to the city. Constantine allowed them to visit the city once a year (Al Aref 1959). When the Roman Empire was divided and became weak in 395 CE, the Persians conquered the city in 614 CE with the aid of 25,000 Jews. However, the Romans restored the city in 627 CE. This event is mentioned in the Holy Qur'an in Surah 30 (The Romans) (Palestinian Encyclopedia 1984).

After a fierce battle that continued for four months, the Patriarch Sofronious asked the Islamic leader Abu Obeidah to call the Caliph, Omar Bin Al Khattab, to come and receive the keys of the city personally. He came and entered the city through Al Mukkaber Mount in 636 CE and he wrote a treaty, called Al Ohdeh Al Omarieh, to protect the Christian rights in the city. The Christians stayed freely in the city but had to pay compensation (al jezyah) for being protected by the Muslims (Mahmoud 1984).

A great number of Prophet Mohammed's companions (Al Sahabeh) and his followers came to the city, as well as a lot of Muslims from all over, to live in or to visit the holy places, to study and to start their pilgrimage to Mecca. At this time, the city recovered its Islamic features (Al Farhan 1975). Both the Umayyad and Abbassiad caliphs paid great attention to the city concerning the fields of architecture, and the scientific movement. Several scientists and physicians stayed there (Al Asali 1981). The situation in the city had changed because of the deterioration of the Abbassiad's control, plus the conflict between the Abbassiads and the Fatemides over Syria and Palestine (Al Asali 1981).

The conflict between Al Salajeqeh and the Fatemides made it easy for the Crusaders to conquer Jerusalem in 1099 CE (492 Hijra [H]). This marked the end of the first Islamic Era. The Crusades Era lasted for 90 years. The Crusaders were such barbarians. They murdered more than 70,000 Muslims, especially in the Sanctuary. This barbarity contradicts the Treaty signed by the Caliph Omar Bin Al Khattab regarding the Islamic tolerance and lenience with the Christians in the city. Besides, the Crusaders destroyed the city and took all the treasures and made the Sanctuary a stable for their horses (Al Farhan 1975). Consequently, a Catholic authority ruled the city, but the Orthodox were dissatisfied. In the meantime, the Muslims continued their efforts to restore the city, that being their supreme ambition (Mahmoud 1984).

Both Emad Eldin and Nureldin Zinky did their best to unify the Muslims and restore the city. Finally, Saladin was able to restore the city after he had defeated the Crusaders in the battle of Hitteen in 1187, so the Crusaders were banished. The Christians were allowed to stay in the city (Mahmoud 1984). Consequently, Saladin removed the cross that was installed on the Dome of the Rock, appointed Imams, cleaned up the whole place and made the city a stronghold to protect it from other raids. Moreover, he increased the number of Muslims in the city and built several Islamic educational institutions (Mahmoud 1984). Saladin's followers such as King Issa the son of King Aladel Abu Bakr, Saladin's brother, ordered that the walls of the city had to be destroyed in case the Crusaders conquered the city again. This would make it difficult to remove them, especially when they occupied Demiat in 1229 CE. As a result, most of the people in Jerusalem were forced to leave the city to Kerak or Damascus. Moreover, King Alkamel surrendered the city to the Crusaders, except the Sanctuary, for 11 years, but King AlNaser Daoud restored it, then he handed it back to the Crusaders for four more years and finally King Al Saleh liberated it in 1244 CE (Al Asali 1981).

The city prospered during the Second Islamic Era, especially under the rule of Mamalik, which lasted for 260 years. This prosperity, both in architecture and the sciences, continued until the rule of the Ottomans (1556-1917 CE). They renewed the Dome of the Rock and rebuilt the wall to protect the city (Al Asali 1981).
The situation in the city deteriorated in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries because of the weakness and conflicts in the Ottoman authority (Al Asali 1981). Consequently, the city was occupied by the British on 9 December 1917. This declaration, made by British General Allenby, was the beginning of the present catastrophe in Jerusalem. Palestine has been Judaized in general and Jerusalem in particular since that date (Al Hamed 1997).