Have you seen a satelite map of Jerusalem? Jerusalem is a city of hills and valleys. That is why we often see songs of ‘Ascents’ from psalms. Take this one for example:
A Song of Ascents.
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains—
from where does my help come?
My help comes from Adonai,
Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalms 121:1-2)
The Geography of Jerusalem
This was a Google Maps version of Jerusalem. Can you see some areas are brown and not covered by white houses?
Jerusalem is shaped by 3 valleys- from the East to West they are Kidron Valley, Tyropoeon Valley, and Hinnom Valley.
If you connect these 3 valleys, you get a Hebrew letter.
You can see this on a Byzantine map too because the geography does not changed!
What does ש mean?
Why does Jerusalem look like a Hebrew letter? You’ve seen it on Mezuzahs on the gates or doors in Jerusalem or throughout Israel. Some of it have ש letter written on it.
Or even abroad. This one was from Bratislava. The Jewish people have not forgotten Jerusalem or their God even in exile.
And letter ש shows up on tefillin!
Notice on the back of the hand, it is standrd for the Jewish people to bind and show the shape ש. (It’s the same letter ש on the tefilin on his forehead, but the extra leg there has a special meaning.)
The Hebrew letter ש represents God’s name. God called himself “El Shaddai” אל שדי. El is God, Shaddai is my great protective, or commonly translated as almighty.
It’s important because the first time God addressed himself as el shaddai was the time time God changed Abram to Abraham, and made a covenant with him.
When Abram was 99 years old, Adonai appeared to Abram, and He said to him, “I am El Shaddai. Continually walk before Me and you will be blameless.
No idols are allowed, so Jewish people use the initial of God ש (sh) to remember El Shaddai. But on the other hand, God had already put His initial on Jerusalem!
But I have chosen Jerusalem that My Name would abide there and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’ (2 chronicles 6:6)
You can see this from Mt.Olives too! Can you find ש?
Here it is!
