I've been typing some articles to help my pastor with his doctoral work (he's one hand down) and this article from the book "City of God, City of Satan" by Robert C. Linthicum particularly intrigued me.
Jerusalem is seen in its idealized form as the city of God. It is introduced in Genesis (14:17-24) in the figure of Melchizedek, king of Salem (Salem is the former name of Jerusalem). The entire biblical drama concludes in the last chapters of the book of Revelation with the vision of “the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God” (Rev. 21:2).
The traditional interpretation given to the name of Jerusalem is “city of peace”. But biblical scholars such as Millar Burrows have pointed out that the name actually means “foundation of Shalem.” The traditional interpretation, “city of peace,” is etymologically unfounded.
The first references to Jerusalem in the Bible are found in Genesis 14:18 and Psalm 76:2, where it is called in Hebrew Shalem (in English, “Salem”)... The earliest known names for Jerusalem were Urushalim (the Egyptian Execration Texts, c. 1850 B.C.E.) or Shalem. Apparently the city received the name Jerusalem only after King David annexed it to Israel and made it his capital (2 Sam. 5:6-12).
Since the root name for Jerusalem is Urushalim or Shalem, we have to ask the question, “Who or what is Shalem?” Shalem was the local god of pre-Israelite Canaan. It was the god symbolized in the planet Venus, the evening star.
Does the name Jerusalem have anything to do with peace? Obviously the Hebrew words shalem and shalom (“peace”) are virtually identical. Is there a relationship? Apparently there is. In the Canaanite language, the god’s name Shalem actually meant “completion”. This meaning evolved from the Canaanites’ perception of Shalem as Venus, the evening star – which completed the day. Therefore, as time went on and language evolved, the word shalem came to be identified with a place – Jerushalem – and with the concept of “completion” of “fulfillment”. This became the base for the later Israelite word shalom or “peace”. But one should not then make the mistake of assuming that the name of David’s city was Jerushalom. It was not. It was Jerushalem.
If the city Urushalim of Shalem means “foundation of Shalem,” of the city of Shalem, what, then, does the prefix Je mean? It is the anglicized version of the Yah and thus an abbreviation for the word Yahweh! When King David conquered Jerusalem, he added the name of his and Israel’s God to the name of a city that previously had been named for the god Shalem. The name Yahweh was not substituted for the name of Shalem; it was added to it!
In the very name Jerusalem is expressed the tension of every city. It is Je-rusalem – the city of Yahweh, of God. It is Jeru-salem – the city of Baal (or Satan). Jerusalem is the city of Yahweh. Jerusalem is the city of Baal. It is a city that contains the power and influence of both forces within its walls. The very name of Israel’s primary (and idealized) city expresses the foundational urban message of the Bible. Jerusalem – and every city – is the battleground between God and Satam for domination of its people and their structures.
How crazy is it that, to date, this city has yet to be one of peace and prosperity? I'm not one to dwell on end-times theology, but I can't help but wonder how Jerusalem will play a part in this world as we continue on through future generations. Something to ponder while I make dinner tonight... :) What could have happened if David renamed the city?