The Temple Mount features so deeply in the psyche of many religious Jews that they are often blinded to ignore important passages in Tanach and misinterpret the location of Zion. Here I have extracted the most revealing mentions of Zion and I elaborate their meaning in that context.
(ז) וַיִּלְכֹּ֣ד דָּוִ֔ד אֵ֖ת מְצֻדַ֣ת צִיּ֑וֹן הִ֖יא עִ֥יר דָּוִֽד׃
(7) But David captured the stronghold of Zion; it is now the City of David.
Prophet Samuel tells us the citadel or stronghold of Zion becomes the City of David. The verses tell us David stayed in the place they captured and that place that he stayed was expanded and became the City of David.
(א) וַיִּתְחַתֵּ֣ן שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה אֶת־פַּרְעֹ֖ה מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם וַיִּקַּ֣ח אֶת־בַּת־פַּרְעֹ֗ה וַיְבִיאֶ֙הָ֙ אֶל־עִ֣יר דָּוִ֔ד עַ֣ד כַּלֹּת֗וֹ לִבְנ֤וֹת אֶת־בֵּיתוֹ֙ וְאֶת־בֵּ֣ית יהוה וְאֶת־חוֹמַ֥ת יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם סָבִֽיב׃
(1) Solomon allied himself by marriage with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He married Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her to the City of David [to live there] until he had finished building his palace, and the House of GOD, and the walls around Jerusalem.
Here we understand there is a distinction between City of David, palace, House of God and walls. They are each identified separately.
(א) אָ֣ז יַקְהֵ֣ל שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה אֶת־זִקְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֡ל אֶת־כׇּל־רָאשֵׁ֣י הַמַּטּוֹת֩ נְשִׂיאֵ֨י הָאָב֜וֹת לִבְנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל אֶל־הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם לְֽהַעֲל֞וֹת אֶת־אֲר֧וֹן בְּרִית־יהוה מֵעִ֥יר דָּוִ֖ד הִ֥יא צִיּֽוֹן׃
(1) Then Solomon convoked the elders of Israel—all the heads of the tribes and the ancestral chieftains of the Israelites—before King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the Ark of the Covenant of GOD from the City of David, that is, Zion.
Here we are told that City of David is Zion.
(יח)(מיכיה)[מִיכָה֙] הַמּ֣וֹרַשְׁתִּ֔י הָיָ֣ה נִבָּ֔א בִּימֵ֖י חִזְקִיָּ֣הוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶל־כׇּל־עַם֩ יְהוּדָ֨ה לֵאמֹ֜ר כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר ׀ יהוה צְבָא֗וֹת צִיּ֞וֹן שָׂדֶ֤ה תֵחָרֵשׁ֙ וִירוּשָׁלַ֙יִם֙ עִיִּ֣ים תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה וְהַ֥ר הַבַּ֖יִת לְבָמ֥וֹת יָֽעַר׃
(18) “Micah the Morashtite, who prophesied in the days of King Hezekiah of Judah, said to all the people of Judah: ‘Thus said GOD of Hosts: Zion shall be plowed as a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins And the Temple Mount a shrine in the woods.’
Now an additional distinction between Zion, Jerusalem and Temple Mount.
(טז) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יהוה יַ֚עַן כִּ֤י גָֽבְהוּ֙ בְּנ֣וֹת צִיּ֔וֹן וַתֵּלַ֙כְנָה֙ (נטוות)[נְטוּי֣וֹת] גָּר֔וֹן וּֽמְשַׂקְּר֖וֹת עֵינָ֑יִם הָל֤וֹךְ וְטָפֹף֙ תֵּלַ֔כְנָה וּבְרַגְלֵיהֶ֖ם תְּעַכַּֽסְנָה׃
(16) GOD said: “Because the daughters of Zion are so vain and walk with heads thrown back, with roving eyes, And with mincing gait, making a tinkling with their feet”—
Women were only permitted up to the Women's Court on the Temple Mount, here the daughters of Zion are inferred to be misbehaving as residents of Zion.
(יב) לָכֵן֙ בִּגְלַלְכֶ֔ם צִיּ֖וֹן שָׂדֶ֣ה תֵֽחָרֵ֑שׁ וִירוּשָׁלַ֙͏ִם֙ עִיִּ֣ין תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה וְהַ֥ר הַבַּ֖יִת לְבָמ֥וֹת יָֽעַר׃ {פ}
(12)Assuredly, because of you Zion shall be plowed as a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins and the Temple Mount a shrine in the woods.
Another distinction between Zion, Jerusalem and Temple Mount. Its important at least because the Temple Mount is not Zion.
(ג) כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יהוה שַׁ֚בְתִּי אֶל־צִיּ֔וֹן וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּת֣וֹךְ יְרֽוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְנִקְרְאָ֤ה יְרוּשָׁלַ֙͏ִם֙ עִ֣יר הָֽאֱמֶ֔ת וְהַר־יהוה צְבָא֖וֹת הַ֥ר הַקֹּֽדֶשׁ׃
(3) Thus said GOD: I have returned to Zion, and I will dwell in Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be called the City of Faithfulness, and the mount of GOD of Hosts the Holy Mount.
A further distinction indicates how far we have drifted in our understanding since Zecharia told us their is Zion, Jerusalem and the Holy Mount. We appear to have lost our sensitivity to the place to which God returned and will again return.
(ו) וַ֭אֲנִי נָסַ֣כְתִּי מַלְכִּ֑י עַל־צִ֝יּ֗וֹן הַר־קׇדְשִֽׁי׃
(6) “But I have installed My king on Zion, My holy mountain!”
Now we can understand the association between Zion and Mount Moriah, the mountain.
(ב) בְּנֵ֤י צִיּוֹן֙ הַיְקָרִ֔ים הַמְסֻלָּאִ֖ים בַּפָּ֑ז אֵיכָ֤ה נֶחְשְׁבוּ֙ לְנִבְלֵי־חֶ֔רֶשׂ מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה יְדֵ֥י יוֹצֵֽר׃ {ס}
(2) The precious children of Zion; Once valued as gold— Alas, they are accounted as earthen pots, Work of a potter’s hands!
(יא) נָשִׁים֙ בְּצִיּ֣וֹן עִנּ֔וּ בְּתֻלֹ֖ת בְּעָרֵ֥י יְהוּדָֽה׃
(11) They have ravished women in Zion, Maidens in the towns of Judah.
Again the Zion references here are residential.
בְּאוּרִיָּה כְּתִיב ״לָכֵן בִּגְלַלְכֶם צִיּוֹן שָׂדֶה תֵחָרֵשׁ״, בִּזְכַרְיָה כְּתִיב ״עוֹד יֵשְׁבוּ זְקֵנִים וּזְקֵנוֹת בִּרְחֹבוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָם״. עַד שֶׁלֹּא נִתְקַיְּימָה נְבוּאָתוֹ שֶׁל אוּרִיָּה הָיִיתִי מִתְיָירֵא שֶׁלֹּא תִּתְקַיֵּים נְבוּאָתוֹ שֶׁל זְכַרְיָה, עַכְשָׁיו שֶׁנִּתְקַיְּימָה נְבוּאָתוֹ שֶׁל אוּרִיָּה – בְּיָדוּעַ שֶׁנְּבוּאָתוֹ שֶׁל זְכַרְיָה מִתְקַיֶּימֶת. בַּלָּשׁוֹן הַזֶּה אָמְרוּ לוֹ: עֲקִיבָא נִיחַמְתָּנוּ, עֲקִיבָא נִיחַמְתָּנוּ.
In the prophecy of Uriah it is written: “Therefore, for your sake Zion shall be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become rubble, and the Temple Mount as the high places of a forest” (Micah 3:12), where foxes are found. There is a rabbinic tradition that this was prophesied by Uriah. In the prophecy of Zechariah it is written: “There shall yet be elderly men and elderly women sitting in the streets of Jerusalem” (Zechariah 8:4). Until the prophecy of Uriah with regard to the destruction of the city was fulfilled I was afraid that the prophecy of Zechariah would not be fulfilled, as the two prophecies are linked. Now that the prophecy of Uriah was fulfilled, it is evident that the prophecy of Zechariah remains valid. The Gemara adds: The Sages said to him, employing this formulation: Akiva, you have comforted us; Akiva, you have comforted us.
תַּנֵּי. רִבִּי יוּדָה בֶּן לָקִישׁ אָמַר. שְׁנֵי אֲרוֹנוֹת הָיוּ מְהַלְּכִין עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמִּדְבָּר. אֶחָד שֶׁהָיְתָה הַתּוֹרָה נְתוּנָה בְתוֹכוֹ. וְאֶחָד שֶׁהָיוּ שִׁבְרֵי הַלּוּחוֹת נְתוּנִין בְתוֹכוֹ. זֶה שֶׁהָיְתָה הַתּוֹרָה נְתוּנָה בְתוֹכוֹ הָיָה מוּנַח בְּאֹהֵל מוֹעֵד. הָדָא הִיא דִכְתִיב וַאֲרוֹן בְּרִית יְי וּמֹשֶׁה לֹא מָשׁוּ מִקֶּרֶב הַמַּחֲנֶה. זֶה שֶׁהָיוּ שִׁבְרֵי הַלּוּחוֹת בְתוֹכוֹ הָיָה נִכְנַס וְיוֹצֵא עִמָּהֶן וּפְעָמִים הוּא מַתְרֶה עִמָּהֶן. וְרַבָּנִן אָמְרֵי. אָרוֹן אֶחָד הָיָה וּפַעַם אַחַת יָצָא בִימֵי עֵלִי וְנִשְׁבָּה. קִרְיָיה מְסַיֵיעַ לְהוֹן לְרַבָּנִן. אוֹי לָנוּ מִי יַצִּילֵנוּ מִיַּד הָאֱלֹהִים הָאַדִּירִים הָאֵלֶּה. מִילָּה דְלָא חֲמוּן מִן יוֹמֵיהוֹן. קִרְיָיה מְסַיֵיעַ לְרִבִּי יוּדָה בֶּן לָקִישׁ. וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל לַאֲחִיָּה הַגִּישָׁה אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים. וַהֲלֹא אָרוֹן בְּקִרְיַת יְעָרִים הָיָה. מָה עָבְדוּן לֵיהּ רַבָּנִן. הַגִּישָׁה אֵלַי הַצִּיץ. קִרְיָיא מְסַיֵיעַ לְרִבִּי יוּדָה בֶּן לָקִישׁ. הָאָרוֹן וְיִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוּדָה יֹשְׁבִים בַּסּוּכּוֹת. וַהֲלֹא אָרוֹן בְּצִיּוֹן הָיָה. מָה עָבְדוּן לֵיהּ רַבָּנִן. סְכָךְ שֶׁהוּא כְקִירוּי. שֶׁאַדַּיִין לֹא נִבְנֶה בֵית הַבְּחִירָה.
It was stated: “Rebbi Jehudah ben Laqish says, two arks were travelling with Israel in the desert; one in which the Torah was deposited and one in which the broken pieces of the tablets were deposited. The one in which the Torah was deposited was put into the Tent of Meeting; that is what is written: Moses and the Ark of the Eternal’s covenant did not move from the camp. The one in which the broken pieces of the tablets were deposited was going out and coming in with them. But the Rabbis say, it was only one, and once it went out in the days of Eli and was taken prisoner. A verse supports the Rabbis: Woe to us, who will save us from this mighty god? A word which shows that they never had seen it before. A verse supports Rebbi Jehudah ben Laqish. Saul said to Aḥiya: present God’s Ark. But was the Ark not at Qiryat Ye`arim? What do the rabbis do with it? ‘Present to me the High Priest’s diadem’ Another verse supports Rebbi Jehudah ben Laqish: The Ark, Israel, and Jehudah, dwell in huts. Was the Ark not in Zion? What do the rabbis with it? The straw roof cover that was in the walls, since the Temple was not yet built.
דָּרֵשׁ רָבָא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב עִילָּאֵי, מַאי דִכְתִיב: ״וַיֹּאמֶר יהוה יַעַן כִּי גָבְהוּ בְּנוֹת צִיּוֹן״ — שֶׁהָיוּ מְהַלְּכוֹת בְּקוֹמָה זְקוּפָה. ״וַתֵּלַכְנָה נְטוּיוֹת גָּרוֹן״ — שֶׁהָיוּ מְהַלְּכוֹת עָקֵב בְּצַד גּוּדָל. ״וּמְשַׂקְּרוֹת עֵינַיִם״ — דַּהֲוָה מָלְיָאן כּוּחְלָא לְעֵינַיְיהוּ וּמְרַמְּזָן. ״הָלוֹךְ וְטָפוֹף״ — שֶׁהָיוּ מְהַלְּכוֹת אֲרוּכָּה בְּצַד קְצָרָה. ״וּבְרַגְלֵיהֶן תְּעַכַּסְנָה״ — אָמַר רַב יִצְחָק דְּבֵי רַבִּי אַמֵּי: מְלַמֵּד שֶׁמַּטִּילוֹת מוֹר וַאֲפַרְסְמוֹן בְּמִנְעֲלֵיהֶן וּמְהַלְּכוֹת בְּשׁוּקֵי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁמַּגִּיעוֹת אֵצֶל בַּחוּרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בּוֹעֲטוֹת בַּקַּרְקַע וּמַתִּיזוֹת עֲלֵיהֶם וּמַכְנִיסוֹת בָּהֶן יֵצֶר הָרָע כְּאֶרֶס בְּכָעוּס.
Since the Gemara spoke of sins in the First Temple era, it continues to explain other verses with similar content. Rava, son of Rav Ilai, interpreted the following verse homiletically. What is the meaning of that which is written: “The Lord says because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with outstretched necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go and making a tinkling with their feet” (Isaiah 3:16)? “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty,” indicates that they would walk with upright stature and carry themselves in an immodest way. “And walk with outstretched necks,” indicates that they would walk in small steps, heel to toe, so onlookers would notice them. “Wanton eyes,” indicates that they would fill their eyes with blue eye shadow and beckon.“Walking and mincing [tafof] as they go,” indicates that the wealthy women would walk a tall woman alongside a short one so that the tall woman would stand out. This is derived from the interchangeability of the letters tet and tzadi; tzafo, meaning, in this case, to be seen. “Making a tinkling [te’akasna] with their feet,” Rabbi Yitzḥak from the school of Rabbi Ami said: This teaches that they would place myrrh and balsam in their shoes and would walk in the marketplaces of Jerusalem. And once they approached a place where the young men of Israel were congregated, they would stamp their feet on the ground and splash the perfume toward them and instill the evil inclination into them like venom of a viper [ke’eres bakhos].
כִּי מְטוֹ לִירוּשְׁלֶם, שְׁדוֹ לֵיהּ בִּיסְתַּרְקֵי, עַד דִּסְלֵיק וִיתֵיב מֵעִילָּוֵי שׁוּרָא, עַד דְּחַזְיַוהּ לְכוּלַּהּ יְרוּשְׁלֶם. כִּי חַזְיַיהּ, אִיזּוּטַר בְּעֵינֵיהּ. אָמַר: הֲלָא דָּא הִיא קַרְתָּא דִּירוּשְׁלֶם דַּעֲלַהּ אַרְגֵּישִׁית כֹּל מַשְׁירְיָתַי, וַעֲלַהּ כַּבֵּשִׁית כֹּל מְדִינָתָא? הֲלָא הִיא זְעֵירָא וְחַלָּשָׁא מִכֹּל כַּרְכֵי עַמְמַיָּא דְּכַבֵּשִׁית בִּתְקוֹף יְדַי? עֲלַהּ וְקָם וּמָנֵיד בְּרֵישֵׁיהּ, מוֹבֵיל וּמַיְיתֵי בִּידֵיהּ עַל טוּר בֵּית מַקְדְּשָׁא דִּבְצִיּוֹן וְעַל עֲזַרְתָּא דְּבִירוּשְׁלֶם.
When they arrived in Jerusalem they cast mats [bistarkei] forSennacherib and piled them high until he ascended and sat above the wall, to the extent that he was able to see the entire city of Jerusalem. When he saw it, it seemed small in his eyes and he said: Is this the city of Jerusalem for which I have disrupted all my camps and for which I have conquered all these countries? Is it smaller and weaker than all the cities of the nations that I have conquered with my might? He went up and shook his head in contempt, and dismissively waved his hand at the Temple Mount that is in Zion and at the courtyard that is in Jerusalem.
כָּל הַבְּרָכוֹת אַחַר חִיתוּמֵיהֶן אֵין אוֹמְרִין בְּרָכָה פָסוּק. הָתִיב רִבִּי יִצְחָק בֵּרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר קוֹמוֹי רִבִּי יוֹסֵה מִכֵּיוָן דְּתֵימַר אַחַר חִיתוּמֵיהֶן אֵין אוֹמְרִין בְּרָכָה פָסוּק. אָמְרִין חֲכִימֵי הָדֵין טַלְיָיא דְּהוּא סָבַר מַהוּ אַחַר חִיתוּמֵיהֶן שֶׁאִם הָיָה עוֹמֵד בְּשַׁחֲרִית וְשָׁכַח וְהִזְכִּיר אֶת שֶׁל עַרְבִית וְחָזַר וְחָתַם בְּשֶׁל שַׁחֲרִית יָצָא. אָמַר רִבִּי אָחָא כָּל הַבְּרָכוֹת כְּעֵין חוֹתְמוֹתֵיהֶן. וְאִילֵּין דְּאָמְרִין צַהֲלִי וְרֹנִי יוֹשֶׁבֶת צִיּוֹן וְגוֹמֵר אֵין בּוֹ מִשּׁוּם בְּרָכָה פָּסוּק.
All benedictions after their seals; one does not say a verse as benediction. Rebbi Isaac ben Rebbi Eleazar objected before Rebbi Yose: Because you say after their seals, one does not say a verse as benediction? They said, that young man is intelligent because he thinks! What is the meaning of “after their seals”? It is that when he was standing in the morning prayer and forgot and mentioned the text of evening prayers but he caught himself and finished with the text of morning prayers, then he did his duty. Rebbi Aḥa said, all benedictions in the kind of their seals. But those who say (Is. 12:6): “Jubilate and sing, inhabitant of Zion …” do not violate the rule that no benediction is a verse, Ps. 147:2. In the morning prayers, the verses have survived in the first benediction for Shema‘ in all minhagim and for the benediction after Shema‘ in most of them. The text states that the only acceptable place for a Biblical verse is before the “seal”. Even the Mishnah prescribes benedictions whose text is a Biblical verse (Taäniot 2:2); what is prohibited here is using a verse in the final doxology..
וּמֶה הָיוּ אוֹמְרוֹת. שָׂא נָא עֵינֶיךָ בָּחוּר וּרְאֵה מָה אַתְּ בוֹרֵר לָךְ. אַל תִּתֵּן עֵינֶיךָ בַּנּוֹאִי תֵּן עֵינֶיךָ בַּמִּשְׁפָּחָה כול׳. הָיְתָה בִּתּוֹ שֶׁלְמֶלְךְ שׁוֹאֶלֶת מִבִּתּוֹ שֶׁלְכֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל. בִּתּוֹ שֶׁלְכֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל שׁוֹאֶלֶת מִבִּתּוֹ שֶׁלְמֶלְךְ. הַכְּאוּרוֹת הָיוּ אוֹמְרוֹת. אַל תִּתֵּן עֵינֶיךָ (בַּנּוֹאִי) [בַּנּוֹי]. וְהַנָּאוֹת הָיוּ אוֹמְרוֹת. תֵּן עֵינֶיךָ בַּמִּשְׁפָּחָה. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר צְאֶינָה וּרְאֶינָה בְּנוֹת צִיּוֹן בַּמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה בַּעֲטָרָה שֶׁעִיטְּרָה לּוֹ אִמּוֹ בְּיוֹם חֲתוּנָּתוֹ וּבְיוֹם שִׂמְחַת לִבּוֹ. בְּיוֹם חֲתוּנָּתוֹ זוֹ מַתַּן תּוֹרָה. וּבְיוֹם שִׂמְחַת לִבּוֹ זֶה בִּנְיַין בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ שֶׁיִיבָּנֶה בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵינוּ.
“What were they saying? Young man, lift your eyes and see what you are choosing for yourself. Do not fix your eye on beauty, fix you eyes on the extraction, etc.” If she was the king’s daughter she was borrowing from the High Priest’s daughter; the High Priest’s daughter was borrowing from the king’s daughter. The ugly ones did say, “do not fix your eye on beauty,” and the beautiful ones did say, “fix you eyes on the extraction.” “And so it says, Daughters of Zion go out and see king Solomon, with the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his marriage and the day of his heart’s joy. The day of His enjoyment is the giving of the Torah; and the day of His heart’s joy is the building of His Temple which may be built soon in our days.”