Who built the temple mount. Why is the mountain called Moria? Who is the owner of the Temple Mount

Story

Between the 10th century BC. e. and 1st century AD e. On the Temple Mount stood the Jerusalem Temple, which served as the only permitted place of sacrifice to the One God, and was also the center of the religious life of the Jewish people and an object of pilgrimage for all Jews three times a year (on Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot).

The Temple Mount is the holiest place for Jews: religious Jews around the world face Israel during prayer, Jews in Israel face Jerusalem, and Jews in Jerusalem face the Temple Mount.

According to the promises of the Jewish prophets, after the coming of the Messiah, the last, Third Temple will be rebuilt on the Temple Mount, which will become the spiritual center for the Jewish people and all humanity. Also associated with the Temple Mount is the expectation of the so-called Last Judgment.

During the Temple period, there were differences in holiness between different parts of the Temple Mount. Entry into the Holy of Holies of the Temple was permitted only to the High Priest, and only on Yom Kippur to conduct services. Only kohanim could enter the Temple. Those who were ritually impure were prohibited from entering Temple Square, or, according to a stricter view, from entering the Temple Mount at all. It was also forbidden to climb the Temple Mount for purposes other than religious or in an indecent manner.

According to most halachic authorities, notably Maimonides, the sanctity of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount remains in effect after the destruction of the Temple. Today, all Jews are believed to be ritually unclean, and therefore no one can ascend the Temple Mount. However, there is a point of view according to which this prohibition only applies to climbing the territory where the Temple stood, while entry to the rest of the Temple Mount is permitted. The problem is that biblical sources do not allow us to accurately identify the permitted zone.

Temple Location

Others believe that the Altar of Burnt Offering was located on this stone in the Temple courtyard. In this case, the Temple was located to the west of this stone. This view is more likely because it corresponds to the spatial relationships of Temple Square and allows for a fairly large, level area. .

There are other options for localizing the Temple. Almost two decades ago, Israeli physicist Asher Kaufman suggested that both the First and Second Temples were located 110 meters north of the Mosque of the Rock. According to his calculations, the Holy of Holies and the Foundation Stone are located under the current "Dome of the Spirits", a small Muslim medieval building.

The opposite, “southern” (in relation to the Dome of the Rock) localization of the Temple has been developed over the past five years by the famous Israeli architect Tuvia Sagiv. He places it on the site of the modern Al-Qas fountain.

The meaning of the Temple Mount in Christianity

The Temple Mount is mentioned numerous times in the Pentateuch, which is the basis of the Old Testament, making the site sacred to both Jews and Christians. Additionally, the New Testament states that Jesus is a direct descendant of King David (Matt. 1:17), whose son, Solomon, founded the First Temple on this mountain.

However, among the many holy sites of Christianity in Jerusalem, the Temple Mount was not given much importance.

The meaning of the Temple Mount in Islam

Mosque of the Rocks

Jerusalem and the holy sites located on the Temple Mount are recognized by Muslims as third in importance after Mecca and Medina. Qubbat al-Sakhra is built in the very center of the Temple Mount, and inside it there is a stone protruding from the ground - this is the top of the mountain, the only part of it that rises above the flat plateau. According to the Koran, this stone is the rock from which the Prophet Muhammad ascended into the sky on a winged horse.

Political significance of the Temple Mount

During the Mameluke, Ottoman and British rule Palestine, Jews were not allowed on the Temple Mount. The British Mandate administration introduced a special body for guardianship of the holy places of Islam on the Temple Mount - WAQF, the so-called Islamic Council, which received actual authority over the entire territory of the Temple Mount.

At the end of the Israeli War of Independence in 1948, the Temple Mount, along with all of East Jerusalem, came under Jordanian control. Until 1967, Jews were not allowed not only to the Temple Mount, but also to the Western Wall, which was a gross violation of the ceasefire agreement.

During the Six Day War, during the battle for Jerusalem, Israeli paratroopers established control over the Temple Mount, planting the Israeli flag over it, and the commander of the operation, Mota Gur, announced over army radio communications: “The Temple Mount is in our hands!” However, soon, by order of Defense Minister Moshe Dayan, the flag was lowered, and the powers of the Waqf were again officially confirmed.

Since 1967, access to the Temple Mount has been open to everyone on designated days and hours.

In , after the signing of the Oslo Accords, control of the Waqf passed from Jordan to the Palestinian Authority. The workers of this organization are accused of systematically destroying archaeological values ​​- traces of the Jewish presence on the Temple Mount - under the guise of repair and construction work. At the same time, Muslim preachers freely engage in anti-Israeli propaganda, incite violence and generally refuse to acknowledge the very fact of the existence of

It is clear that King David, who knew about this, would prefer to talk with the Lord here. But the Temple Mount then belonged to a foreigner, the Jebusite Orna. The king had to collect ransom money from all the tribes of Israel in order to be able to build an altar on this land.

His son Shlomo, a wise and extremely loving ruler of the Jewish people, decided to please the Lord even more. This is how the First Temple appeared, which stood for 403 years and served not only as a place of prayer, although services were held there every day. It was a spiritual center, the heart of the people: laws were proclaimed here, Supreme Court, all Jewish men came here for holidays three times a year.

The First Temple was destroyed by the Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar, and an extremely dark period in Jewish history began, known as the Babylonian Captivity. Upon returning from captivity, the Jews, under the leadership of Zerubabel ben Shaltiel, with the support of the high priest, first of all built themselves new Temple.

At that time, the area of ​​the Temple Mount was approximately 250 by 250 m. Herod the Great started rebuilding the Temple, changing the face of the mountain itself - he leveled it, expanding the area, demolishing the hills and strengthening the lowlands with arches and walls. The remains of these walls and the Eastern Gate, located below the Golden Gate, have “survived” to this day.

This beautiful structure will stand until Rome captures Judea. Even before its destruction by Titus Flavius ​​Vespasian, the Temple would be unwittingly desecrated by the Roman commander Pompey the Great, who entered the Tabernacle. Either he simply didn’t know what he was doing, or he openly despised other people’s beliefs. And then the Temple will be robbed by another Roman commander - the pathologically greedy Marcus Crassus.

Roman metamorphoses of the Temple Mount

Emperor Hadrian gave another name to the Holy City destroyed by Rome - Aelia Capitolina, after his own family name. And on the site of the Second Temple, the temple of the main Roman deity, Jupiter Capitolinus, grew. And in place of the Tabernacle, the “modest” Publius Aelius Hadrian erected his own statue on horseback. Obviously, so that the Jews do not forget who is now the master of their fate. The Jews could not tolerate such outrage. The Bar Kochba rebellion broke out, leading to an uncertain victory and even the creation of a “temporary” temple - people needed somewhere to pray. After the collapse of the uprising in the summer of 135, the Jews lost more than the fruits of their short-lived victory. Hadrian simply forbade them from entering the city.

This continued until 361, when an extremely peculiar man, Flavius ​​Claudius Julian, became the Roman emperor, who promised the Jews the restoration of the Temple. No, he did not want the good of the Jewish people at all: in this way he was implementing his own religious program. Julian was a staunch enemy of Christianity. He dreamed of restoring the ancient, pagan faith in Rome, and was a fan of the old deities - Jupiter, Mars, Venus. By building the Temple, he hoped to undermine the authority of Christ with his prophecy that all that would be left was a pile of stones. And he really started construction, found funds, and brought materials. But in May 363, all work had to be temporarily interrupted: a large fire occurred. And Julian did not live to see their resumption - already in July he died in the battle with the Persians. Many believed that he was killed by one of his own Christian soldiers who were dissatisfied with his policies. The Persians did not reward any of their own for the murder of the Roman emperor!

Jovian, who replaced Julian at the imperial post, was a Christian - and he did not care in the slightest about the ideas of the former ruler.

Desolation and the arrival of Muslims

In Byzantine times, the Temple Mount had no significance even for Christians: a vast city dump arose under its walls.

In 638, Palestine was captured by the Arabs. Their leader Umar ibn al-Khattab considered the Temple Mount a sacred place: he even went there to pray, ordering the garbage heaps to be cleared away. The Arabs associated this place with the name of their own prophet - Muhammad. The so-called Foundation Stone, which remained on the site of the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle of the Second Temple, was for Muslims the “takeoff pad” of Muhammad to heaven. They even managed to find his footprint there!

Umar founded a small house of prayer on the Temple Mount: thus the future one was born. Caliph Abdul-Malik significantly expanded it; his son Al-Walid completed the construction in 705.

The same Abdul-Malik, a religious and very educated man, decided that it was not appropriate to leave the Foundation Stone “on the street.” And in 687 he began building the Qubbat al-Sakhra mosque over it, which in direct translation will be “A dome erected over a rock.” This construction was completed before the reconstruction of the Umar Mosque - in 691.

The short reign of the Crusaders in Jerusalem (1099-1187) “converted” both mosques into Christian churches.

From July 4, 1187, after Salah ad-Din's victory over the Crusaders, until the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1908-1922, only Muslims fell to their knees on the Temple Mount. Jews were not allowed here. However, the introduction of the British Mandate did not change anything. Britain feared that the appearance of Jews near mosques would provoke religious and national conflicts. She approved the creation of a special Muslim council to take care of the mountain.

Temple Mount Today

Even the War of Independence did not save the situation: power over part of the state of Israel - the Temple Mount in Jerusalem - belonged to Jordan. Moreover, Jews were prohibited from even visiting the Western Wall.

Only the events of the Six-Day War, or more precisely, the paratroopers from the Gura brigade, briefly returned the mountain to Israel. But the Ministry of Defense could not withstand the pressure of the Islamic world - and again handed over the keys to the gates of the Temple Mount to the Muslim Waqf. Transferred, so to speak, real estate for religious purposes. Now the waqf is managed by the Palestinian Authority.

True, everyone is now allowed on the mountain, but religious intolerance every now and then gives rise to conflicts. The Arabs even managed to accuse Israeli archaeologists conducting excavations on the Temple Mount (after all, the most valuable archaeological layers - the remains of ancient buildings) are hidden under it - that they were undermining with the aim of bringing down Al-Aqsa! Of course, it was not the secrets of the Temple Mount, but terror that interested scientists! This is what Yasser Arafat said in 1996 when the Hasmonean tunnel was excavated, sparking armed clashes and deaths on both sides.

The Arabs themselves, two years later, during the reconstruction of the so-called “Solomon’s Stables” near Al-Aqsa, almost brought down a piece of the Western Wall! And in general, Israelis suspect religious Islamic leaders of systematically trying to remove traces of the Jewish people from the Temple Mount.

In 2000-2003 non-Muslims were again prohibited from accessing the mountain: the Israeli government believed that this would only worsen the conflict. But it was made worse by weather, and again Muslim underground work. In 2004, the Mughrabi Bridge at the Moorish Gate half collapsed, and the situation on the Temple Mount became critical.

Terrorist attack on a sacred site

The Israeli initiative to build a new bridge in 2007 was literally drowned out by the cries of Muslim fanatics: the Jews are attacking Al-Aqsa again!

The Mosque of Umar is truly the third most important shrine in the Muslim world. But for some reason it generates in the souls of its believers not at all kind and merciful feelings. It got to the point that the Israeli government was forced to restrict the passage of Muslims to the Temple Mount on Fridays. But the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem called on believers to ignore this decision!

On July 13, 2017, two Arab guys post a selfie on Facebook with smiles and the comment: “Tomorrow will be better.” On July 14, no one felt better. These same guys and another friend of theirs opened fire from machine guns and a pistol on the Temple Mount, at the Lion Gate. Two Israeli patrol policemen and a border guard were injured, all three were hospitalized. The terrorists who “wanted what was best” were destroyed on the spot. The policemen, 22-year-old Kamil Shanan and 30-year-old Hail Sataoui (both Druze), survived only until noon.

The Islamic world stubbornly resists even the idea that the Temple Mount is not its own personal shrine. But also the greatest Jewish, and even Christian. Christians revere it as repeatedly mentioned in the Pentateuch - and as the place of the introduction of the Virgin Mary into the Temple.

Waiting for the Third Temple

It was not without reason that David Ben-Gurion said that both Britain and the Arab world would live without the land of Israel - for the Jews this is a matter of life and death. Almost the same can be said about the Temple Mount. There is no need to destroy Muslim shrines on it. But why shouldn’t the Jewish Temple appear there, which - in two versions - existed there long before Islam as such? Why not actually recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Temple Mount?

According to the prophets, the Third Temple will rise on the mountain after the appearance of Moshiach, in the same place where the previous ones stood. Perhaps this is why Muslims do not want this - after all, presumably, both Temples stood where Haram Al-Sharif is now. But this is just one of the assumptions! Jewish researchers also put forward other versions of the location of the Temples.

The prophet Yehezkel spoke about the construction of the Third Temple in his vision.

Well, until the Messiah has yet appeared and the Third Temple has not been built, Jewish believers will not offer prayers here. This is a place of the highest holiness, and rites of ritual purity, allowing you to stay on the territory of the Temple (even a non-existent one) in this moment impossible to carry out.

Attractions near Temple Mount

We can safely say that the mountain is surrounded by one big attraction - Old city Jerusalem. Each of its diverse neighborhoods has many interesting historical sites to explore and places for tourists to relax.

How to get there on your own

Non-Muslims enter the Temple Mount via the Moroccan (aka Maghreb) Bridge through the Garbage Gate.
Muslims - along Tsepi Street, through the gate of the same name. If you profess Islam or look like a Muslim, you may be asked to show your passport, give your name, read a surah of the Koran (to make sure that you are not a disguised Israeli who has come to blow up Al-Aqsa).

The Temple Mount is located in Jerusalem, in the east of the Old City. Its territory, surrounded by high walls, immediately adjoins two quarters - Muslim and Jewish, and is controlled exclusively by the Muslim side. The sacred land is the subject of centuries-old disputes, military and civil conflicts between Muslims and Jews, who for a long time were not allowed to even set foot on it. Today, the path to the Temple Mount is open, but to non-Muslims only during designated hours and days of the week, and subject to certain rules.

Dimensions of the Temple Mount:

• length (east and west) - 470-485 m;
• width (south and north) - 280-313 m;
• absolute height - 774 m;
• relative height - about 20 m;
• the maximum height of the surrounding wall is 45 m.

Temple Mount: meaning

The rectangular area of ​​the hill is a sacred place among Jews, Islamists and Christians.

In Judaism, the Temple Mount is considered God's chosen place and is therefore considered the holiest place on Earth. Here stood the First Temple (Solomon), then the Second Temple (Jerusalem) was built, and after the descent of the Messiah, according to legend, the eternal Third Temple appeared. It is assumed that on the Cornerstone of the mountain the Almighty began the Creation of the world. An altar was erected here, Jacob had a dream here, which made it clear about the “presence of the Lord in this place,” and in the First Temple there was the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy of Holies. The concept of the holiness of a place is confirmed by the fact that the Jews turn their gaze to Israel - Jerusalem - the Temple Mount in prayer.

In the prophetic writings there are mentions of other names for the shrine - Mount Moriah, Mount Temple (or House), Mount Zion (until the 1st century, now another hill).

In Islam, the Temple Mount is recognized as the third most important, losing the first two positions to those located in Saudi Arabia Mecca and Medina. According to legend, this is one of the first places of worship of Allah. It was from here that the Prophet Muhammad made Miraj - he ascended to heaven along with the angel Gabriel.

For Christians, the Temple Mount is associated with the introduction of 3-year-old Mary, the future Mother of God, into the Holy of Holies, which the high priest could enter only once a year, and with her upbringing in piety at the Jerusalem Temple until she was 12 years old.

Today, only Islamic shrines are present in the fenced area and not a single project of “combining” them with shrines of other religious denominations is even being considered.

Foundation stone

From the point of view of religious ideas, the Foundation Stone is considered the place where God began the process of Creation of the world and where sacrificial rites were subsequently carried out. According to researchers, the Cornerstone originally lay in the Holy of Holies of Solomon's Temple, and later the Muslims covered it with the Dome of the Rock.

Today, the Holy Stone, measuring 17.7 x 13.5 m, rising to a height of up to two meters, is fenced with a gilded lattice to prevent touching and is controlled by Muslims. However, the authenticity of this section of rock is questioned by some researchers, since the first written text of religious instructions of Orthodox Judaism, the Mishnah, mentions a stone rising only three fingers above the surface.

Temple Mount in Jerusalem: Visit

Not all tourists manage to visit the Temple Mount, since access to it is strictly regulated by time, days and religious canons. Today there is strict control at the entrance. Muslims may be asked to recite the most important passages from the Koran, and those who refuse for any reason will be turned away. Immodestly dressed visitors will suffer the same fate. You must have a passport with you, as the requirement to present documents sounds quite often.

Jews are not allowed to take religious paraphernalia, prayer books or holy books with them, and groups of Orthodox Jews walking along the perimeter of the mountain are accompanied by heavy security. They are strictly forbidden to say prayers even by silently moving their lips and to bow while facing the Holy of Holies. For the slightest violation, the entire group is expelled from the territory.

Only Muslims are allowed to enter the Temple Mount mosques.

“Infidels” are allowed to visit the religious-historical complex from Monday to Thursday at certain times:

• in summer - from 08:30 to 11:30 and an hour after 13:30;
• in winter - from 07:30 to 10:30 and an hour after 12:30.

There is no access on Friday and Saturday. There are cases when the gates remain closed during the agreed visiting hours, and without prior notice.

There is no time limit on entry for Muslims.

In each of the walls there are several gates, some of which are walled up. Today there are 11 operating portals, 10 of which are exclusively for Muslims. The Mughrabi Gate, located in the southern third of the Western Wall on the Jewish Quarter side, was opened to non-Muslims in 1967. Since 2016, they have been renamed the Gigel Gate.

Attractions

On the borders of the fenced hill there are more than 100 objects belonging to different historical periods and styles. Buildings from the Herodian and Greco-Roman eras have been preserved here, but the bulk of the structures were erected in Mamluk and Ottoman times. On the Temple Mount there are mosques, monuments of Muslim architecture, including prayer pavilions, several fountains, arches, dome monuments, etc.

Temple Mount Mosques

The main objects of the complex places of worship Haram al-Sharif are two Islamic sanctuaries - the Qubbat al-Sakhra (Dome of the Rock) and Al-Aqsa mosques, considered one of the most important Muslim shrines. In the underground premises of Solomon's stables there is also the El Marwan Mosque.

Islamic Museum

The collection is housed in a historic building built by the Crusaders in the 12th century next to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which was converted at that time into the headquarters of the Knights Templar. The museum opened in 1927.

The collection includes exhibits related to the Islamic history of several Muslim regions, unique manuscripts of the Koran, ceramics, bronze items with characteristic coinage, weapons, ceramic tiles, etc.

Story

The first mention of the Temple Mount goes back to the 10th century BC. e. It talks about King David's purchase of a piece of land from local resident, the construction of an altar to the God of Israel and the construction by Solomon of the First Temple of Jerusalem. It stood for 410 years and was destroyed in the 6th century. BC e. by the Neo-Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II as a result of the suppression of the rebellion of the Jewish king Zedekiah against Babylon.

The second temple, which became the center of social and spiritual life of the Jewish people, was built almost 70 years later. It stood for more than 400 years, was reconstructed and expanded by Herod the Great and destroyed by the Romans during the Jewish War in 70. The colonialists erected the Temple of Jupiter on the mountain, and an equestrian statue of Emperor Hadrian was installed above the Holy of Holies.

During the era of Byzantine rule of Jerusalem, the Temple Mount remained unclaimed and littered. With the arrival of the Muslims in the 7th century, the Dome of the Rock was built over the Foundation Stone and the Al-Aqsa Mosque was erected nearby. In 1099, the era of the Crusaders began, liberating Jerusalem from the Islamic presence and using the Dome of the Rock as the basis for the construction of the Temple of the Lord. However, the power of the Templars did not last long, only until 1187. From this time on, a centuries-long period of Muslim rule began.

After World War I, the modern capital of Israel was placed under the patronage of the British Mandate. Thanks to the efforts of the Jerusalem Mufti, the shrine received the status national treasure Palestinian Arabs, and in 1948 came under Jordanian control.

Until 1967, Jews were prohibited from visiting the Temple Mount. Relaxations began after the events of the Six-Day War, when Israeli paratroopers managed to break through to the shrine. Despite the fact that the administration of the territory was transferred to the Islamic Waqf, Jews received partial access to the Temple Mount.

There are several versions regarding the localization of the First and Second Temples. In addition to the traditional assumption about its location under the Dome of the Rock, researchers are developing versions to the west, north and south of the Qubbat al-Sakhra mosque.

Excavations

If you do not take into account the intensive search by the crusaders for the treasures of King Solomon at the beginning of the 12th century, then large-scale excavations on the mountain have never been carried out. Minor archaeological finds associated with construction work or random events. In particular, sections of stone retaining walls dating back to the Herodian period were discovered, as well as several outbuildings, including Solomon's stables. It is assumed that some of the found artifacts are hidden by the WAKF or deliberately destroyed, but there is no evidence of this, as well as refutations.

In the 19th century, British researchers, with prior permission from the Ottoman side, carried out excavations along the Western Wall outside the Temple Mount, during which they made several finds, including the discovery of an ancient stone arch of an ancient bridge. After Israel gained access to the Western Wall in 1967, excavations from the Jewish Quarter became systematic. Today, the Western Wall Tunnel is open to the public. The cave found there, once used as a synagogue in agreement with the Muslims, is considered the closest place of prayer to the Cornerstone.

How to get to the Temple Mount

Non-Muslims can visit the Temple Mount through the Gigel Gate, formerly the Mughrabi Gate, or the Moroccan Gate. After the partial collapse of the wall supporting the 800-year-old ramp, a temporary one was added pedestrian bridge from the Jewish Quarter. The closest route here is through the Garbage Gate within the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. You can get to them by buses No. 1, 3, 51. The stop is called “Western Wall”. Schemes, stops and transport movements can be viewed online on the official website of the carrier company Egged.

The remaining gates are in the Muslim Quarter. You can get to it by the same buses No. 1, 3, 51. Stops:

• “Rockefeller Muesum/Sultan Suleiman” - at the Flower Gate (or Herod’s Gate);
• "Jericho Road/HaOfel Road" - at the Lion Gate.

When choosing a trip in a Jerusalem taxi, you should keep in mind that white cars go to the Jewish Quarter, and yellow cars go to the Muslim Quarter.

In the capital of Israel there are popular mobile applications taxi - Uber, Gett, Yango, etc.

Temple Mount: video

Address: Israel, Jerusalem
First mention: 10th century BC e.
Main attractions: Dome of the Rock Mosque, Dome of the Chain, Al-Aqsa Mosque, El Qas Fountain, Dome of the Ascension, Western Wall
Coordinates: 31°46"40.6"N 35°14"06.5"E

In the southeastern part of the Old City of Jerusalem, overlooking the Western Wall Temple Mount - sacred place three Abrahamic religions.

Bird's eye view of the Temple Mount

It is a rectangular square surrounded by walls, with the golden Dome of the Rock in the center and the Al-Aqsa Mosque at the edge. Biblical traditions identify the Temple Mount with Mount Moriah, on which God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac. But as soon as Abraham raised the dagger over the victim, an angel sent by God stopped him.

“You did not withhold your only son for Me, and I bless you and will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven and like the sand on the seashore,” the Lord said to Abraham. On the top of the same mountain, during a pestilence, King David saw an angel with a sword stretched out towards Jerusalem, and here he was instructed to build an altar to the Lord. When the sacrifice was made, the plague in the kingdom of Israel ceased.

Wall of Tears

First Temple of Jerusalem

David's son - King Solomon in 967 BC. began to build the House of the Lord on the Temple Mount. 30 thousand Israelis and 150 thousand Phoenicians worked on its construction for 7 years. Their work was supervised by 3.3 thousand supervisors. The consecration of the temple was celebrated for 14 days, and after the priests left, the House of the Lord was filled with shekinah - a cloud personifying the presence of the Most High. In the most sacred part of the Temple, where only the high priest could enter and only once a year, the Ark of the Covenant was kept - a casket with the tablets of Moses. The Jerusalem Temple became the place of worship for all Jews and a symbol of the unification of the Kingdom of Israel. In 586 BC. The Babylonians burned the sanctuary, and King Nebuchadnezzar took all the treasures from the House of the Lord to Babylon.

Dome of the Rock Mosque

Second Temple and Western Wall

Returning from Babylonian captivity (536 BC), the Jews erected the Second Temple of Jerusalem. In the 18th year of his reign (c. 20 BC), King Herod expanded the area of ​​the Temple Mount by erecting powerful retaining walls around it, rising to a height of about 30 meters above street level. The Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, but a small fragment of the fortifications - the Western Wall, or Western Wall - has survived to this day.

Today, thousands of pilgrims from all over the world gather near the wall and, placing notes in the cracks between the stones, ask God to fulfill their hopes and aspirations. For the Jewish people The Wailing Wall is a symbol of grief over the fate of the First and Second Temples and a dream of the Third Temple. For many centuries, the Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, Arabs and Turks expelled Jews from their lands. Once a year, on the Ninth of Av - a day of national mourning for the destroyed temples - Jews were allowed to visit Jerusalem, and at the Western Wall the Israeli people prayed for return from eternal exile.

Dome of the Chain against the backdrop of the Dome of the Rock Mosque

Dome of the Rock Mosque

On the site of the First and Second Temples in 687-691. Muslims erected the Qubbat al-Sakhra mosque ("Dome of the Rock") to emphasize their power and holiness over the Jews. According to legend, the Dome marks the spot on the rock from which the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. Riding a winged horse, accompanied by angels, he made a night migration from Mecca to Jerusalem, and so quickly that the water did not have time to pour out of the overturned bowl. Also, according to Jewish tradition, it was from this rock that the Lord began the Creation of the world. The Foundation Stone, in the middle of which rises a small rock, is considered sacred and is surrounded by a gilded lattice so that no one touches it. In addition to the sacred meaning, The Dome of the Rock is one of the greatest examples of early Islamic architecture . Qubbat al-Sakhru is crowned by a huge golden dome with a crescent moon on top. The walls, vaults and arches of the temple are decorated with magnificent mosaics with floral, geometric patterns and inscriptions made in Arabic script. The mosque contains sacred relics - a foot print and three hairs from the beard of the Prophet Muhammad.

Al Aqsa Mosque

Al-Aqsa - the first qibla of Muslims

Next to the Dome of the Rock is the Al-Aqsa Mosque, also called the Mara Mosque in honor of its founder, Caliph Umar (634 - 644). The gray lead dome of Al-Aqsa is more modest than the golden dome of Qubbat al-Sakhra, but this particular mosque is the third most important shrine in Islam after Mecca and Medina. At the site of the Omar Mosque, Muhammad, during his night ascension to Mecca, met all the prophets sent before him and prayed with them as an imam. At the early stage of Muhammad's prophecy (610 - 623), Al-Aqsa was the first qibla - a landmark to which Muslims around the world turned their faces during prayer. Later, this status passed to the Sacred Mosque in Mecca.

El Cas Fountain

Third Temple

According to the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel, the Antichrist will build the Third Temple on the Temple Mount and resume services there. And then Jesus Christ will appear on Earth to carry out the Last Judgment of the dead and the living. However, Judaism does not recognize the idea of ​​the Second Coming and believes that the Messiah - a descendant of King David - will be sent to Earth by God when people begin to live according to the laws of the Torah, in peace and harmony. The new king will erect the Third Temple, which will become the spiritual center of the Jews and all humanity.

History of the Temple Mount

The Temple Mount, which towers over Jerusalem southeast of the Old City, is crowned by a rectangular square surrounded by an impregnable stone wall. A golden dome shines over the square. This is a mosque that can be seen from all the Jerusalem mountains. As the center of a holy city that unites three religions, the Temple Mount is sacred to Jews, Muslims and Christians.

Wherever a Jew is reading a prayer, his face is turned in the direction in which the Temple Mount is located. This place owes its exceptional status to the construction of the Temple here. Wise Solomon built the First Temple, where the Ark of the Covenant - a symbol of the presence of God - was given a central place. The First Temple became the main and only religious house in the Land of Israel.

Destruction of the first temple

The destruction of the First Temple by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar confirmed the prophecies that the Jewish people would be punished and captured for their failure to keep the commandments. After the 70-year captivity, the tribes of Israel began rebuilding the Temple, rebuilding it.

The First Jewish War was the reason that after this reconstruction, which was started by King Herod, the temple did not last long. The white stone shrine, decorated with silver and gold, was plundered and burned by the Romans. Today we see the last thing that has survived from it - the Western Wall or Western Wall - a symbol of Judaism and a traditional place from which prayers are offered.

There are prophecies in Judaism, as well as in Christianity, about the coming of the Messiah (Mashiach) - the Ideal king, the messenger of God and the savior of all nations, in the minds of Jews and Christians, will announce the beginning of the construction of the Third Temple of Jerusalem - the spiritual center for the people of Israel and all humanity .

Muslims, explaining the sanctity of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, refer to the fact that Temple Square contains the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which they exalt no less than Mecca or Medina. The Dome of the Rock building is the central structure.

According to legend, it stands on the unshakable cornerstone of the universe - this is exactly the place where the shrine of the Jewish Temple stood.

Temple Square contains many architectural monuments - buildings built during the time when this land was under the rule of the Mamluks and the Ottoman Empire, as well as the remains of structures built by the Romans. The Islamic shrines in the Temple Mount area are administered and supervised by the Waqf, an organization dating back to the British Mandate. Since 1993, this institution has been subordinate to the Palestinian Authority.

Ban on visiting the Mountain

In the territory of East Jerusalem occupied by Jordan in the years 49-67 of the last century, there was a ban on holding prayers and visiting the Temple Mount. In addition, most of the buildings in Jewish quarter with its ancient synagogues and biblical and Talmudic tombs, devastating damage was caused.

In June 1967, the main Jewish shrine and messianic hope, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, was liberated by airborne troops commanded by General israeli army Uzi Narkis.

In 1967, Israeli authorities allowed visitors Holy place everyone, but the unsettled situation and the negative position of the Waqf in relation to Israeli services served as the reason for limiting visits. A special schedule was established, which is still in effect today. According to legend, anyone who comes here will not be affected by the Lord's punishment.

Secrets of the Temple Mount

Among the many mysteries and secrets related to the Temple Mount is the question of the true location of the Temple, about which there are many guesses and disagreements that relate to climbing the mountain and the ban on desecration of this holy place.

The location of those riches and sacred relics for which this majestic Temple was famous also raises the question. The temple was subjected to repeated looting, as a result of which the valuables were not discovered. Jewish relics of the First Temple, such as the Ark of the Covenant and the golden Menorah, disappeared without a trace.

The solid forged menorah, as indicated in the Tanakh, was decorated with gold decor, and its weight was at least 30 kg. From the First Temple, the Babylonians took not only the Menorah of Moses, but also the golden lamps. The Babylonians also removed another Golden Menorah that adorned the Second Temple. It is known that many other menorahs of the Temple underwent reconstruction and restoration.

One such golden seven-branched candlestick was captured by Roman soldiers, which is attested in the chronicles. But legend claims that the Menorah, which was hidden by the Jewish priests, disappeared in the turmoil of events. Today, this ancient symbol of the Jewish religion adorns the coat of arms of Israel.

Only the high priest had access to the inner part of the Temple, the so-called Holy of Holies. It is believed that the Holy of Holies was the site of the Lord's appearance, and the Ark of the Covenant itself was the repository of the Tablets presented by God to the people of Israel.

The mysterious disappearance of the ark also dates back to the First Temple period. However, it was never mentioned that the ark was a trophy. But he was not found in the Second Temple either. According to some versions, the ark was hidden under a boulder cornerstone of the universe. The efforts of many famous modern archaeologists are aimed at searching for the Ark and the answer to these questions.

Traces left by events of the distant past testify to the presence on the Land of Israel of messengers of ancient highly developed civilizations, who, according to the definition of our ancestors, were “divine beings.” This is proven by legends and traditions, as well as by the architecture of monuments and some Jewish religious rituals.

According to research scientists, artifacts can be found in Israel that owe their characteristics to high technology, inherent in this ancient “divine” civilization.

Temple Mount today

Biblical historians are mainly concerned with the study of the Temple Mount temples themselves. But the wall surrounding the temples is also a storehouse of secrets. With its architecture, it stands out against the backdrop of imperfect buildings, and modern researchers find similarities with it in dozens of mysterious and perfect structures in different parts of the world.

This proves that the structure of the wall surrounding the Temple Mount was designed long before the historically recorded date, and its creation may have been due to an extraterrestrial "divine" civilization.

Excursions to the Temple Mount leave from almost all cities in Israel: Tel Aviv, Haifa, Hadera, Netanya and many others. When vacationing in or on the Dead Sea, be sure to choose one day and visit this holy place.

Which is located in Jerusalem, visible from all the Jerusalem mountains, since a golden dome shines in its very center.

The famous and sacred was first mentioned since the Last Supper.

The greatest one is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and its construction began in the 10th century BC.