Yes, the Israelites were in Jerusalem more than 2000 years before Islam was even founded.

https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-903024?utm_source=activetrail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=July202026

By MIRIAM SELA-EITAM
JULY 20, 2026 09:15
Updated: JULY 20, 2026 17:00

Massive wooden beams charred by the fire that destroyed Jerusalem and the First Temple were unearthed during a recent dig at the Jerusalem Walls National Park in the City of David, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) reported Monday.

The First Temple, which was built by King Solomon, was destroyed in 586 BCE by Nebuchadnezzar II, the second king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire.

IAA and Tel Aviv University archaeologists discovered the burnt beams inside a building that had collapsed in the fire, the IAA said.

“The beams appear to have served as the roof of an inner courtyard in a building from the First Temple period,” IAA excavation director Efrat Bocher said.

Plaster that had melted off the building’s walls, sealing the wood beneath it, had likely preserved the beams for 2,600 years, she said.