By Fr. Dwight Longenecker, LifeZette - Why all the fuss?.. It matters because history matters — and the history of Jerusalem is super-important… For at least 3,000 years, the city of Jerusalem has been not only the political capital, but also the religious center for the Jews. On the ancient mountain, Solomon built his magnificent temple, and for nearly 500 years Jerusalem was the center of Jewish life and religion.