Zion, or Sion, is an archaic term that originally referred to a section of Jerusalem, which, by Biblical definition, is the City of David[?]. After the death of King David, the term Zion came to refer to the hill in Jerusalem which was the site of Solomon's temple. Later, Zion came to refer to temple and the temple grounds themselves. Beyond that, Zion is used to symbolize Jerusalem and the Promised Land[?] of God to come, in which God dwells among his chosen people.
The longing for Zion of the Babylonian Hebrews was adopted as a metaphor by Christianized Black slaves[?]. Thus, Zion symbolizes Africa for, among others, Rastafarians.
Zion originally was the specific name given to a Jebusite[?] fortress near modern-day Jerusalem that was conquered by David. The original fortress was located on the hill in southeastern Jerusalem.
See also: Zionism
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