The lion is the official emblem of Jerusalem.
You will able to find it on monumental buildings or even on the street lamps or swage lids.
Lions are rooted in the Jewish tradition since the biblical period,
from the tribe of Judah through King Salomon and the crewel Sultan Baybars.
When god gave the different symbols to the children of Jacob, in the book of Genesis,
Judah received the lion’s cub. The symbol shows the courage of Jacob’s son.
Jerusalem was on the border between the land promised to Benjamin and the one promised to Judah.
King David came from the tribe of Judah so he continued using the lion as a symbol of the dynasty.
A lion with a crown on his hade is used in the Ethiopian church.
They see themselves as the offspring of King Salomon and Queen Shebaa, which is a part of the David’s dynasty.
All of the conquers of the city saw themselves as the ‘new David’ of Jerusalem.
They used the lion on their shields and as an emblem.
For example the lions that decorate Lion’s Gate are dated to the period of Baybars.
Today the official symbol of the city has the lion cub in front of the antic walls of the city
surrounded by branches of Olive tree that represent Pace.
When you walk long Jaffa Street and around the city keep your eyes open and look for the different lions of Jerusalem.
