Jerusalem, city on a hill

Jerusalem sits on a spine of high ground—Zion/City of David and the Temple Mount—hemmed in by steep ravines: the Kidron to the east, Hinnom to the south and west, and the old Tyropoeon cutting through the middle. That ridge-top perch made the city naturally defensive. Attackers had to climb narrow approaches under fire, then fight across terraces and walls stepped along the slopes. Armies could surround Jerusalem, but taking it usually meant long sieges, earthworks, or battering a gate where the slope eased. Elevation helped defenders see movement for miles and signal allies; it hurt besiegers who had to haul water, timber, and stones uphill. The hilltop also shaped daily life. Water was the weak spot, so engineers protected springs and tunneled—think the Gihon and Hezekiah’s tunnel—to keep a lifeline inside the walls. Streets ran like ribs off the ridge, and building on terraces became an art form.

Up to Jerusalem

Symbolically, the height turned into theology. Pilgrims from every direction spoke of “going up to Jerusalem,” not just because roads literally climbed (from Jericho it’s a grueling ascent of more than 3,000 feet), but because worship meant an upward journey of the heart. The Psalms of Ascent (120–134) capture that cadence of climbing and singing. “Zion” became shorthand for God’s nearness, justice on the hill, and refuge under his rule. So Jerusalem’s topography wasn’t mere scenery; it was strategy, daily constraint, and spiritual metaphor—a city lifted above its valleys, hard to conquer, harder to forget, and always “up” in both geography and imagination.