Z dziejów świętego miasta II: Stolica zjednoczonego państwa

Jerusalem as the capital of a state became the Chosen City that was a sacred place for the whole nation. This is why Israeli rulers took care about it so that it would be worth its name. Apart from that, the appearance of the city was to prove the power and the wealth of the kings who ruled it. Numerous buildings – the palace, the Temple, the city walls, the House of Lebanon's Wood had a prestigious character. However, this kind of the kings' activity used up much of the states' funds, largely contributing to the crisis that took place at the end of Solomon's rule. It resulted in dividing the state into Judah and Israel. After the United Monarchy had disintegrated Jerusalem lost some of its significance. It became the capital of a small and poor state, since that is what Judah was. Only memories were left of the past years of splendor and power, as the city itself, frequently plundered and several times destroyed, gradually became its own shadow.