Jerusalem, officially the
Free City of Jerusalem, is a city-state in the Middle East, located on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the oldest cities in the world, and is considered holy to the three major Abrahamic religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The city is under international administration by the Union of Nations, although with significant self-government; it borders the Jewish Republic of Palestine to the north, and the British overseas territory of Sinai to the south.
During its long history, Jerusalem has been destroyed at least twice, besieged 23 times, captured and recaptured 44 times, and attacked 52 times. The part of Jerusalem called the City of David shows first signs of settlement in the 4th millennium BCE, in the shape of encampments of nomadic shepherds. During the Israelite period, significant construction activity in Jerusalem began in the 9th century BCE, and in the 8th century the city developed into the religious and administrative center of the Kingdom of Judah. In 1538, the city walls were rebuilt for a last time around Jerusalem under Suleiman the Magnificent. Today those walls define the Old City, which has been traditionally divided into four quarters—known since the early 19th century as the Armenian, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Quarters; the Old City became a World Heritage Site in 1955.
Since 1860, Jerusalem has grown far beyond the Old City's boundaries, reaching an estimated population of 807,900 by the modern day. Jews make up a majority of the population, at just under 55%; Muslim and Christian populations are almost equal, both making up approximately 22% of Jerusalem’s population.
According to the Bible, King David conquered the city from the Jebusites and established it as the capital of the united kingdom of Israel, and his son, King Solomon, commissioned the building of the First Temple. The holiness of Jerusalem in Christianity was reinforced by the New Testament account of Jesus' ministry and crucifixion there. While not generally considered part of the city of Jerusalem, the city of Bethlehem - sacred to Christians as the site of Jesus’ birth - is also under the control of the Free City. In Sunni Islam, Jerusalem is the third-holiest city, after Mecca and Medina. In Islamic tradition, in 610 CE it became the first qibla, the focal point for Muslim prayer, and Muhammad made his Night Journey there ten years later, ascending to heaven where he speaks to God, according to the Quran. As a result, despite having an area of only 0.9 square kilometres (0.35 sq mi), the Old City is home to many sites of seminal religious importance, among them the Temple Mount with its Western Wall, Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Outside the Old City stands the Garden Tomb.
Following a number of centuries undo the rule of the Ottoman Empire, in 1919 the Empire was dissolved by the Treaty of Créteil, which placed Jerusalem and its surrounds under British sovereignty. In 1920, following the partition of the Levant, Britain handed the territory over to international control under a Council of Powers, who administered it as the Jerusalem Free Territory. Following the end of the World War and the establishment of the Union of Nations, control over the city was handed over to the new institution, which established self-rule in the city under the Jerusalem Basic Law, which guarantees equal rights to all citizens, regardless of race or religion. Modern day Jerusalem is the cultural focal point of the Middle East with a significant tourism sector, as well as a well-developed technological sector which contributes to the city’s wealth and prosperity as the fourth richest city in the Middle East.
~
The Council of Ambassadors of the Free City of Jerusalem is the upper house of the General Council, the legislature of the city-state of Jerusalem. In contrast to the directly elected lower house, the Council of Representatives, the members of the Council of Ambassadors are appointed by governments of foreign states and the Union of Nations. The Council, due to its unelected nature, is primarily tasked with reviewing laws passed by the Council of Representatives, to ensure that they comply with the Basic Law, do not favour any one political, religious or ethnic group, and to uphold the generals peace and security of the state. Members of the Council fall into three categories. Ambassadors of Justice are elected by the Union of Nations General Council at its annual meetings, with one member elected to a five-year term annually. The Ambassadors of Justice are primarily tasked with defending equality of rights in the city, especially between cultural groups, and are often seen to advocate for additional cultural representation for various groups in the city. The three Ambassadors of Peace are each appointed by one of the superpowers - the United States, the United Kingdom and France - who provide the majority of troops to the Jerusalem Guard, the city’s defence force. They are especially responsible for defending Jerusalem’s interests abroad, and protecting it from outside threats. The Ambassadors of Faith represent the three main religious groups of the city, and are nominated by nations key to that faith. Hence, Palestine appoints an ambassador to represent the Jewish community, Arabia (as home to Mecca and Medina, the holiest cities in Islam), appoints an ambassador to represent the Muslim community, and the Holy See appoints an ambassador, representing the various Christian communities in the city. While most members remain neutral in day to day politics, the Council as a whole holds a rarely-exercised veto power over laws passed by the Council of Representatives, and also serves as the final court of appeal for the city. While it is occasionally accused of bias or being unrepresentative, most international observers agree that the Council plays a crucial role in maintaining the peace and prosperity of the Free City of Jerusalem.
~
Credit where it’s due: most of the ancient history is taken directly from Wikipedia; other parts I’ve reworded slightly, but most is my own work.
I certainly enjoyed creating this little snapshot into a more peaceful Jerusalem; it’s been in my head since I created the TL and I’ve finally gotten around to making it. I’m especially proud of my creation of such a unique political system, and I hope you all like it!
If you have any questions, fire away! Any suggestions or ideas for what I should do or bring forward, tell me and I’ll do my best. Your questions and suggestions are what keeps me going, so even though I’m bad at answering them, keep ‘em coming!
There’s a lot more about the Middle East I hope to share someday; I hope this whets your appetite!