"Eternity means Jerusalem." ~~ Talmud, Berakhot
"Ten measures of beauty were given the world, nine were taken by Jerusalem and one by all the rest." ~~ Talmud, Kiddushin
"If a land has a soul, then Jerusalem is the soul of the Land of Israel." ~~ David Ben-Gurion
"If I forget thee, O Jerusalem let my right hand wither! Let my tongue cleave to my mouth if I remember thee not, if I prize not Jerusalem above all my joys!" ~~ Psalms (Tehillim) 137:6
"Who prays in Jerusalem is as one praying before the Throne of Glory, for the Gate of Heaven is there." ~~ Pirke Derabbi Eliezer
"Jerusalem will only be redeemed through [the merit of giving] charity. " ~~ Talmud, Shabbat 139a
"Who saw not Jerusalem in its glory has never seen a beautiful city." ~~ Talmud, Sukkah
"The Holy One will turn the Ninth of Ab into joy…and will Himself build Jerusalem and gather therein the exiles of Israel." ~~ Midrash Zuta, Eika
"There are three gates to Gehinam (purgatory) – one of them is in Jerusalem. " ~~ Talmud, Eiruvin 19a
"The ransomed of the Lord shall return…with singing to Zion." ~~ Isaiah (Yesha’yahu) 35:10
"A snake or scorpion never bit anyone in Jerusalem and a person never said to his fellow there is not enough room for me to sleep in Jerusalem. " ~~ Talmud, Yoma 21a
"Avraham called it Yireh (See) as it says [in the Scriptures], “And Avraham called the name of that place Yireh Hashem” (See God). Shem called it Shalem (Complete) as it says “And Malki Tzedek, King of Shalem.” The Holy One, Blessed be He said “I will call it Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) like both of them called it – Yireh, Shalem – Yerushalayim. " ~~ Midrash, Bereshit Raba 56