Zion
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[[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 224609405 by [[Special:Contributions/206.109.19.38|206.109.19.38]] ([[User talk:206.109.19.38|talk]]) Rv Vandalism
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'''Zion''' ([[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]: צִיּוֹן, ''tziyyon''; [[Tiberian vocalization]]: ''tsiyyôn''; [[Hebrew transliteration|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 [[metonymy|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 [[Jews as a chosen people|chosen people]].
== Modern use ==
<!-- This article is about the historical and religious term. Refs in pop culture belong in [[Zion (disambiguation)]] -->
{{otheruses|Zion (disambiguation)}}
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:
<blockquote>
* "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 do not 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 will gather in... Praise God O Jerusalem, laud your God O Zion." (Psalms 147:2-12)
</blockquote>
== Zionism ==
[[Image:Bat Zion I want your Old New Land join Jewish regiment.jpg|thumb| Zion I want your Old New Land join Jewish regiment.jpg|thumb|A World War I recruitment poster. The Daughter of Zion (representing the Jewish people): ''Your [[The Old New Land|Old New Land]] must have you! Join the [[Jewish Legion|Jewish regiment]].'']]
{{main|Zionism}}
Zionism is a [[Jewish political movements|political movement]] and an [[ideology]] that supports a [[homeland]] for the [[Jew]]ish people in the [[Land of Israel]], where the Jewish nation originated over 3,200 years ago and where [[History of ancient Israel and Judah|Jewish kingdoms and self-governing states]] existed up to the 2nd century [[AD]]. While Zionism is based in part upon [[Judaism|religious tradition]] linking the Jewish people to the Land of Israel, the modern movement was originally [[Secularism|secular]], beginning largely as a response to rampant [[Anti-Semitism|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 [[Israel|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 [[slavery|slave]]s. Thus, Zion symbolizes a longing by wandering peoples for a safe homeland. This could be a literal place such as in [[Ethiopia]] for [[Rastafari movement|Rastafari]] for example. For others, it has taken on a more [[spirituality|spiritual]] meaning—a safe ''spiritual'' homeland, like in [[heaven]], or a kind of [[peace of mind]] in one's present life.
== Rastafari movement ==
For [[Rastafari movement|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 [[Of A Revolution|OAR]], [[Sublime (band)|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 "[[Hadad|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). {{bibleref2|Psalm|48:2}} 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 ==
[[Image:Dormitio Jerusalem.jpg|thumb|150px|right|[[Dormition Church]], situated on the modern "Mount Zion"]]
{{main|Mount Zion}}
Mount Zion is also the modern name of a hill south of the [[Old City (Jerusalem)|Old City]]'s [[Armenian Quarter]]—the result of a misnomer dating from the [[Middle Ages]] when [[Pilgrimage|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==<!-- This section is linked from [[Uncle Sam]] -->
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, {{bibleref2|Zechariah|4:7}}, 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, [you will become just] a plain..." However, if the pause is placed following ''Zerubbabel'', it would mean instead "What are you, "great mountain" before Zerubbabel? [You are 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).
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
* Steven Zarlengo: ''Daughter of Zion: Jerusalem's Past, Present, and Future''. (Dallas: Joseph Publishing, 2007).
*Damian Marley: "Road to Zion" (Song from the album "Welcome to Jamrock")
*Zao: "The Last Song of Zion" (Song from the album "Funeral of God")
*Trevor Hall: "To Zion" (Song from the album "The Elephant's Door")
*Bob Marley: "Iron Lion Zion (Song from the album "Songs of Freedom")
*Band P. O. D. (or Payable on Death) also mentions Zion in several of their songs one of them actually being called "Zion".
*Sonic Syndicate: "Zion Must Fall" (Song from the album "Eden Fire")
*Matrix: "Zion"(city of freedom)
== External links ==
* [http://scriptures.lds.org/gsz/zion Guide to the Mormon Scriptures: Zion]
* [http://scriptures.lds.org/bdz/zion Mormon Bible Dictionary: Zion]
[[Category:Jerusalem]]
[[Category:Geography of Jerusalem]]
[[Category:Zionism]]
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