Jerusalem has occupied a pivotal position in Jewish life and consciousness over the past three thousand years. For one millennium, the city constituted the political and religious focus for Jews, in the beginning for those living in the region of the tribe and kingdom of Judah and subsequently, for some 800 years, for Jews everywhere. Even after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, its memory was ever-present even though the Jews did not regain control of the city for almost two millennia. Countless expressions of the intimate ties to Jerusalem maintained and strengthened their memories and feelings toward the city. We will discuss these two distinct aspects—history and tradition—which are, in fact, different chronological stages, in order to understand how this centrality and sanctity emerged and how Jewish tradition succeeded in preserving these associations through the ages.