Exile and Return

David captured the Jebusite stronghold and made it his capital. Solomon built the first temple; Babylon destroyed it in 586 BC; Zerubbabel and Ezra/Nehemiah rebuilt; Herod expanded; Rome destroyed it again in AD 70. The center of redemptive history through every era — including the crucifixion, resurrection, and Pentecost.

Capital of Nebuchadnezzar's empire and the place of Israel's seventy-year exile. Daniel and his three friends lived in the royal court here. The city's fall to Cyrus in 539 BC opened the way for the return. In Revelation, 'Babylon' becomes a symbol for any worldly power opposing God.

Capital of the Persian Empire under Cyrus, Darius, Xerxes (Ahasuerus), and Artaxerxes. The setting of Esther; Nehemiah served as cupbearer here; Daniel had visions in this city. Excavations by the French recovered the Code of Hammurabi from a later period of the site.