David Conquers Jerusalem

After becoming king over all Israel, David led his forces against Jerusalem, then a Jebusite fortress called Zion. The Jebusites boasted their city was impregnable, but David’s men entered through the water shaft and captured it.

David made Jerusalem his capital, calling it the “City of David.” Its location on the border between northern and southern tribes made it ideal for a united kingdom. He brought the Ark of the Covenant there, establishing Jerusalem as both political capital and religious center—a status it would maintain for millennia across Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.