The name "Ma'aleh Adumim" is derived from the book of Joshua (Chapter 15, verses 6-18), in which Ma'aleh Adumim is described as a border area between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The name refers to the route leading from the Jordan Valley to Jerusalem, dominated by "reddish hues" in its rock formations.
After the Yom Kippur War, many settlement groups were spontaneously created in Judea and Samaria, one of the most prominent being the Ma'aleh Adumim settlement. Organized in Jerusalem, its members spanned a wide socio-cultural and political spectrum. The members worked diligently towards the establishment of a city in Ma'aleh Adumim. As a result of their great effort, the Israeli government decided to allow the establishment of a "residential camp" for workers in the area, (know today as "Founders Hill"), and hereon a Jewish settlement developed in the region.
Launched by 23 pioneer families on the seventh night of Chanukah, 1975, Ma'aleh Adumim became a local council in 1979. As a result, the settlement received official recognition and now operates within the framework of a municipality. The spirit and determination of these first 23 families paved the way for thousands of others who later followed in their footsteps.
In 1991 the government officially declared Ma'aleh Adumim a city.
It is the first Jewish city in Judea, Samaria and Gaza.
In 1995 the population of Ma'Aleh Adumim reaches 20,000
In 1997 the population of Ma'Aleh Adumim reaches 25,000
In 1999 the Ma'Aleh Adumim Mall - "Canion Adumim" opens.
In 2000 construction begins on the new neighborhood "Nofei Sela".
In 2002 residents begin moving into the new neighborhood "Nofei Sela".
In January 2003 a new three-kilometer (1.8 mile) road connecting
Maaleh Adumim westward to Jerusalem was officially opened.
The road, 3.5 years in the making, features two 550-meter tunnels that run
under the campus of Hebrew University on Mount Scopus.
The new highway will permit residents of Maaleh Adumim, and other Jewish
towns located on the Jerusalem-Jericho highway, to reach Ramat Eshkol in
the capital in about seven minutes, instead of the present 15-20
minutes. The 320-million shekel project is one of Israel's largest
public works projects.
In August 2004 Shivuk HaShikma (Rami Levi) opened a very large food shopping center
in Mishor Adumim (industrial area of Ma'aleh Adumim).
In 2005 the population of Ma'Aleh Adumim reaches 32,000
