Holyland Model of Jerusalem in the context of "Scale model"

Jerusalem during the Second Temple period describes the history of the city during the existence there of the Second Temple, from the return to Zion under Cyrus the Great (c. 538 BCE) to the siege and destruction of the city by Titus during the First Jewish–Roman War in 70 CE. During this period, which saw the region and city change hands several times, Jerusalem was the center of religious life for all Jews; even those who lived in the diaspora prayed towards Jerusalem on a daily basis and went there on pilgrimage during three annual religious festivals. Under Hasmonean and Herodian rule, Jerusalem served as a royal capital and the seat of all major national institutions. In Jerusalem, the Pharisees of Second Temple Judaism developed into the Tannaim and Judaism's post-Exilic religious identity as it continues today, and the Hebrew Bible was perhaps canonized, although exactly when this occurred remains disputed. It was also in Jerusalem during the later stages of this period that Christianity was born.

The 600 years of the Second Temple period can be divided into several periods, each with its own distinct political and social characteristics. The physical development of the city was greatly affected by the changing characteristics of each era, while at the same time influencing these periods themselves. The city's population was characterized by social stratification, both economic and religious, which grew more pronounced over the years. There existed in the city, for example, a clear distinction between a rich and cosmopolitan elite and the wider population wishing less influence in the nation's ways from the outside world. Social strata also encompassed different religious outlooks, each with its different emphasis: some reliant on the Temple priests, while the majority were led by traditional non-priestly families, emphasizing the world of Torah study and the development of law over the formal hierarchy established in the Temple.

The Temple in Jerusalem, or alternatively the Holy Temple (Biblical Hebrew: בֵּית־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, romanized: Bēṯ ham-Miqdāš; Arabic: بيت المقدس, Bayt al-Maqdis), refers to the two religious structures that served as the central places of worship for Israelites and Jews on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. According to the Hebrew Bible, the First Temple was built in the 10th century BCE, during the reign of Solomon over the United Kingdom of Israel. It stood until c. 587 BCE, when it was destroyed during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. The exact location of this temple on the temple mount is debatable.

Almost a century later, the First Temple was replaced by the Second Temple, which was built after the Neo-Babylonian Empire was conquered by the Achaemenid Empire. While the Second Temple stood for a longer period of time than the First Temple, and was renovated by Herod the Great, it was destroyed during the Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE.

Temple denial is the claim that the successive Temples in Jerusalem either did not exist or they did exist but were not constructed on the site of the Temple Mount. This claim has been advanced by Islamic political leaders, religious figures, intellectuals, and authors.

Michael Avi-Yonah; born Julius Jonah Jehiel Buchstab (Hebrew: מיכאל אבי-יונה; September 26, 1904 – March 26, 1974) was an Israeli archaeologist and art historian. During his career he was a professor of archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and served as secretary of Israel's Department of Antiquities. He published over 400 academic works, including books, journal articles, chapters and encyclopedia entries. He is credited with laying the foundations for the study of Classical and Byzantine archaeology in the Land of Israel/Palestine. Avi-Yonah designed the Holyland Model of Jerusalem.