Everything about Zion totally explained
Zion (
Hebrew: צִיּוֹן,
tziyyon;
Tiberian vocalization:
tsiyyôn;
transliterated Zion or
Sion) is a term that most often designates the
Land of Israel and its capital,
Jerusalem. The word is found in texts dating back almost three millennia. It commonly referred to a specific mountain near
Jerusalem (
Mount Zion), on which stood a
Jebusite fortress of the same name that was conquered by
David and was named the City of David.
The term
Zion came to designate the area of Jerusalem where the fortress stood, and later became a
metonym for
Solomon's
Temple in Jerusalem, the city of
Jerusalem and the entire
Promised Land to come, in which, according to the
Hebrew Bible,
God dwells among his
chosen people.
Modern use
The name
Zion appears 154 times in the
Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). Some examples from the book of
Psalms, which have been frequently recited and memorized by Jews for centuries, state:
- "By the streams of Babylon we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion." (Psalms 137:1)
- "For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land? If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I don't remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy. Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof; O daughter of Babylon, that art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that repayeth thee as thou hast served us." (Psalms 137:3-8) (King James Version, with italics for words not in the original Hebrew)
- "The builder of Jerusalem is God, the outcast of Israel he'll gather in... Praise God O Jerusalem, laud your God O Zion." (Psalms 147:2-12)
Zionism
Zionism is a
political movement and an
ideology that supports a
homeland for the
Jewish people in the
Land of Israel, where the Jewish nation originated over 3,200 years ago and where
Jewish kingdoms and self-governing states existed up to the 2nd century
AD. While Zionism is based in part upon
religious tradition linking the Jewish people to the Land of Israel, the modern movement was originally
secular, beginning largely as a response to rampant
antisemitism in
Europe during the
19th century. After a number of advances and setbacks, and after
the Holocaust had destroyed Jewish society in Europe, the Zionist movement culminated in the establishment of the
State of Israel in 1948 and succeeded in reaching the zionist dream or goal.
Anti-slavery
The
Jewish longing for Zion, starting with the deportation and enslavement of Jews during the
Babylonian captivity, was adopted as a metaphor by Christianized Black
slaves. Thus, Zion symbolizes a longing by wandering peoples for a safe homeland. This could be a literal place such as in
Ethiopia for
Rastafari for example. For others, it has taken on a more
spiritual meaning—a safe
spiritual homeland, like in
heaven, or a kind of
peace of mind in one's present life.
Rastafari movement
For
Rastafarians, Zion is to be found in
Africa, and more specifically in
Ethiopia, where the term is also in use. Some Rastas believe themselves to represent the real Children of
Israel in modern times, and their goal is to repatriate to Africa, or to Zion. Rasta
reggae is peppered with references to Zion; among the best-known examples are the
Bob Marley songs '"Zion Train," "
Iron Lion Zion," and the
Damian Marley song "Road to Zion." Reggae groups such as
Steel Pulse and
Cocoa Tea also have many references to Zion in their various songs. In recent years, such references have also "crossed over" into pop music thanks to artists like
OAR,
Sublime,
Lauryn Hill,
Boney M (
Rivers of Babylon),
Dreadzone with the reggae-tinged track "Zion Youth."
Example from the
Mad Professor song "Africa Is Zion": "Africa is Zion and Zion is Africa,
Ethiopia is Mount Zion / Them tell us that Africa is Africa, the Bible tell us it's Zion."
"Zion" stands for a Utopian place of unity, peace and freedom, as opposed to "
Babylon," the oppressing and exploiting system of the western world and a place of evil.
Ugaritic texts and the Bible
In texts uncovered at
Ugarit, references to "Zephon" (Tsephon) have been identified with the Syrian mountain
Jebel Aqra. In these texts, the mountain is the holy place of the gods, where the god known as the "
Lord" reigns over the divine assembly. The word "Zephon" is a common Semitic word for "North", and some have considered it to be possibly cognate with the Hebrew name Zion (Tsiyyon). mentions both terms together:
"...Har-Tsiyyon yarktey Tsafon..." ("Mount Zion on the Northern side"), usually taken to refer to the north side of Mount Zion, not necessarily indicating that Zion is found to the North.
Mount Zion
Mount Zion is also the modern name of a hill south of the
Old City's
Armenian Quarter—the result of a misnomer dating from the
Middle Ages when
pilgrims mistook the relatively large, flat summit for the original site of the
City of David. The
Dormition Church (right) is located upon that hill.
The Daughter of Zion
The location of the Temple was neither a mountain nor a city, nor even the highest elevation near the city, but rather a smallish hill (Mount
Moriah), and this hill is sometimes considered to be what is meant by the phrase "Daughter of Zion" - as though the
Temple Mount is the "daughter" of Mount Zion. Another cryptic verse,, seems to refer to this hill, but is also ambiguous, depending on the punctuation. In Hebrew it reads
"Mi attah Har-haGadol lifnei Zerubbabel l'mishor..."; the plain text has no punctuation, but the
Masoretic text puts a pause following
Har-haGadol, to mean "What are you, great mountain? Before Zerubbabel, [youwill become just] a plain..." However, if the pause is placed following
Zerubbabel, it would mean instead "What are you, "great mountain" before Zerubbabel? [Youare just] a plain..." Since this hill is where Zerubbabel built the Second Temple, it appears to be a reference to the "Daughter of Zion" (the hill), as distinct from Zion (the mountain).
Further Information
Get more info on 'Zion'.
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