Before the prayers and the politics, Jerusalem was a fortified hilltop in a volatile Bronze Age landscape. This episode traces the city back to its earliest recorded existence as Uru-Salim, a Canaanite stronghold mentioned in the Amarna Letters sent by Egyptian pharaohs to their Levantine vassals. We explore how local rulers like Abdi-Heba navigated the shifting alliances between the collapsing Hittite Empire, the rising power of Mitanni, and the imperial demands of Egypt. You will hear about the mysterious Habiru confederations that threatened urban centers, the strategic importance of the Jebel al-Mukattam ridge, and the archaeological evidence from Tel el-Amarna that confirms Jerusalem’s name long before it appeared in biblical texts. We also look at the physical remnants of this era—the cyclopean walls, the water systems carved into bedrock, and the pottery shards that tell the story of a city trying to survive in the shadow of great empires. This is not a tale of kings and prophets, but of merchants, scribes, and soldiers fighting for control of a crossroads.
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