City of David

David conquered the city, Jerusalem, in 1000 BCE. Because Jerusalem was a neutral territory embedded in the north by Israel and in the south by Judah, the land became David's personal property and he renamed it the City of David. David treated the existing inhabitants of the city with respect, and he even incorporated them into his own administration, which fostered the creative interaction of Jebusite and Israelite traditions.

David attempted to move the Ark of the Covenant but it ended in tragedy. Through this incident, people figured that it was not up to human beings to establish a holy place on their own initiative: the sanctity of a site had to be revealed. Yahweh had often been envisioned as a mobile god, but he could not be moved by the mere whim of a king. If Yahweh came to live in Zion it would be because he--and he along--had chosen to do so. The second time, however, Yahweh did allow David to move the Ark into Jerusalem.