Temple Mount - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

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11/28/2014 Temple Mount - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Mount

Temple Mount

, H a r h a B y i t h

, al-Hara m ash-Sharf,

A e r i a l s o u t h e r n v i e w o f t h e T e m p l e M o u n t

Elevation 7 4 0 m ( 2 ,4 3 0 f t )

Location

J e r u s a l e m

Range J u d e a n

Coordinates 3 1 4 6 4 0 .7 N 3 5 1 4 8 .9 E

Geology

Type Limestone[1]

Temple MountFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Temple Mount, known in Hebrew as Har

haByit (Hebrew: ) or as Har haMoria

(Hebrew: ) and in Arabic as the Haram

al-Sharif (Arabic:

, al-haram al-

quds ash-sharf ), the Noble Sanctuary, is one of the most important religious sites in the Old City

of Jerusalem. It has been used as a religious site

for thousands of years. At least four religious

traditions are known to have made use of the

Temple Mount: Judai sm, Christianity, Roman

religion, and Islam. The present site is dominated

by three monumental structures f rom the early

Umayyad period: the al-Aqsa Mosque, the Dome

of the Rock and the Dome of the Chain. Herodian

walls with additions dating ba ck to the lateByzantine and early Islamic pe riods cut through

the flanks of the Mount. It can be ascended via

four gates, with guard posts of Israeli police in the

vicinity of each.

Traditions of ten identified it with two biblical

mountains of uncertain location: Mount Moriah

where the story of the binding of Isaac is set, and

Mount Zion where the original Jebusite fortress

stood however, bot h interpretations are d isputed.

Judaism regards the Temple Mount as one of the

places where God's divine presence was

manifested. According to the rabbinic sages whose

debates produced the Talmud, it was from here the

world expanded into its present form and where

God gathered the dust used t o create the first

human, Adam. Since at least the first century CE,

the site has been associated in Judaism with the

location of Abraham's binding of Isaac, a traditionassimilated by Islam, which however later

identified the site of that ritual with Mecca. [2]

According to the Bible, both Jewish Temples stood

at the Temple Mount, though there is no proof for

the first temple.[3] However, the identification of

Solomon's Temple with the area of the Temple

Mount is widespread. According to the Bible the site should function as the center of all national lifea

governmental, judicial and, of course, religious center.[4] During the Second Temple period it functioned

also as an economic center. According to Jewish tradition and scripture (2 Chronicles 3:1-2), the first

TempleMount

C o o r d i n a t e s : 3 1 4 6 4 0 . 7 N 3 5 1 4 8 . 9
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Mount

temple was built by King Solomon the son of King David in 957 BCE and destroyed by the Babylonians in

586 BCE. The second was constructed under the auspices of Zerubbabel in 516 BCE and destroyed by the

Roman Empire in 70 CE. Afterwards the site remained undeveloped for six centuries, until the Arab

conquest.[5] Jewish tradition maintains it is here a Third and final Temple will also be built. The location i

the holiest site in Judaism and is the place Jews turn towards during prayer. Due to its extreme sanctity,

many Jews will not walk on the Mount itself, to avoid unintentionally entering the area where the Holy of

Holies stood, since according to Rabbinical law, some aspect of the divine presence is still present at the

site.[6]

It was from the Holy of Holies that the High Priest communicated directly with God.

Among Sunni Muslims, the Mount is widely considered the third holiest site in Islam. Revered as the Nobl

Sanctuary (Bayt al-Maqdes or Bayt al-Muqaddas) and the location of Muhammad's journey to Jerusalem

and ascent to heaven, the site is also associated with Jewish biblical prophets who are also venerated in

Islam (Quran 2:4, 34:13-4). After the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem in 637 CE, Umayyad Caliphs

commissioned the construction of the al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock on the site. [7] The Dome wa

completed in 692 CE, making it one of the oldest extant Islamic structures in the world, after the Kaabah.

The Al Aqsa Mosque rests on the far southern side of the Mount, facing Mecca. The Dome of the Rock

currently sits in the middle, occupying or close to the area where the Holy Temple previously stood. [8]

In light of the dual claims of both Judaism and Islam, it is one of the most contested religious sites in the

world. Since the Crusades, the Muslim community of Jerusalem has managed the site as a Waqf, without

interruption.[9] As the site is part of the Old City, controlled by Israel since 1967, both Israel and the

Palestinian Authority claim sovereignty over it, and it remains a major focal point of the ArabIsraeli

conflict.[10] In an attempt to keep the status quo, the Israeli government enforces a controversial ban on

prayer by non-Muslim visitors.

Contents

1 Location and dimensions

2 History

2.1 Israelite period

2.2 Achaemenid Persian, Hasmonean periods, and Herod's expansion

2.3 Middle Roman period

2.4 Late Roman period

2.5 Byzantine period2.6 Sassanid vassal state period

2.7 Muslim period

2.8 Crusader period

2.9 Ottoman period

2.10 British Mandate period

2.11 Jordanian period

2.12 Israeli period
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Mount 3

The Holyland Model of Jerusalem in the

late Second Temple period. The large

flat expanse was a base for Herod's

Temple, in the center. The view is from

outside the Eastern Wall of the Temple

Mount.

3 Management and access

4 Current features

4.1 Alterations to antiquities and damage to existing structures

5 Religious attitudes

5.1 In Judaism

5.1.1 Jewish religious law concerning entry to the site

5.1.2 Opinions of contemporary rabbis concerning entry to the site

5.2 In Islam

5.3 In Christianity

6 Recent events

7 Panorama

8 See also

9 References

10 Bibliography

11 External links

Location and dimensions

The Temple Mount forms the northern portion of a very narrow

spur of hill that slopes sharply from north to south. Rising above

the Kidron Valley to the east and Tyropoeon Valley to the

west,[11]

its peak reaches a height of 740 m (2,428 ft) above sealevel.[12] In around 19 BCE, Herod the Great extended the

Mount's natural plateau by enclosing the area with four massive

retaining walls and filling the voids. This artificial expansion

resulted in a large flat expanse which today forms the eastern

section of the Old City of Jerusalem. The trapezium shaped

platform measures 488 m along the west, 470 m along the east,

315 m along the north and 280 m along the south, giving a total

area of approximately 150,000 m 2 (37 acres).[13] The northern

wall of the Mount, together with the northern section of the

western wall, is hidden behind residential buildings. Thesouthern section of the western flank is revealed and contains

what is known as the Western Wall. The retaining walls on these two sides descend many meters below

ground level. A northern portion of the western wall may be seen from within the Western Wall Tunnel,

which was excavated through buildings adjacent to the platform. On the southern and eastern sides the

walls are visible almost to their full height. The platform itself is separated from the rest of the Old City by

the Tyropoeon Valley, though this once deep valley is now largely hidden beneath later deposits, and is

imperceptible in places. The platform can be reached via Bridge Street a street in the Muslim Quarter at

the level of the platform, actually sitting on a monumental bridge the bridge is no longer externally visible

due to the change in ground level, but it may be seen from beneath via the Western Wall Tunnel.
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A stone (2.43x1 m) with Hebrewinscription " T o t h e

Trumpeting Place" excavated by

Benjamin Mazar at the southern foot

of the Temple Mount is believed to

be a part of the Second Temple

History

Israelite period

The hill is believed to have been inhabited since the 4th millennium BCE.

Assuming colocation with the biblical Mount Zion, its southern section would have been walled at the

beginning of the 2nd millennium BCE, in around 1850 BCE, by Canaanites who established a settlementthere (or in the vicinity) named Jebus.

Biblical scholars have also identified it with Mount Moriah where the binding of Isaac took place.

According to the Hebrew Bible, Mount Moriah was originally a threshing-floor owned by Araunah, a

Jebusite. The prophet Gad suggested the area to King David as a fitting place for the erection of an altar to

YHWH, since it was there a destroying angel was standing when God stopped a great plague in

Jerusalem.[14] David then bought the property from Araunah, for fifty pieces of silver, and erected the alta

YHWH instructed David to build a sanctuary on the site, outside the city walls on the northern edge of the

hill. The building was to replace the Tabernacle, and serve as the Temple of the Israelites in Jerusalem. [15]

The Temple Mount is an important part of Biblical archaeology.

Achaemenid Persian, Hasmonean periods, and Herod's expansion

Much of the Mount's early history is synonymous with events

pertaining to the Temple itself. After the alleged destruction of

Solomon's Temple by Nebuchadnezzar II, construction of the

Second Temple began under Cyrus in around 538 BCE, and

completed in 516 BCE. Evidence of a Hasmonean expansion of the

Temple Mount has been recovered by archaeologist Leen Ritmeyer.

Around 19 BCE, Herod the Great further expanded the Mount andrebuilt the temple. The ambitious project, which involved the

employment of 10,000 workers,[16] more than doubled the size of

Temple Mount to approximately 36 acres (150,000 m2). Herod

leveled the area by cutting away rock on the northwest side and

raising the sloping ground to the south. He achieved this by

constructing huge buttress walls and vaults, filling the necessary

sections with earth and rubble. [17] A basilica (the Royal Stoa) was constructed on the southern end of the

expanded platform, which provided a focus for the city's commercial and legal transactions, and which wa

provided with separate access to the city below via the Robinson's Arch overpass.[18] In addition torestoration of the Temple, its courtyards, and porticoes, Herod also built Antonia Fortress abutting the

northwestern corner of the Temple Mount, and a rainwater reservoir, Birket Israel, in the northeast. As a

result of the First Jewish-Roman War, the fortress was destroyed by Roman emperor Vespasian, in 70 CE,

under the command of his son and imperial heir, Titus.

Middle Roman period

The city of Aelia Capitolina was built in 130 CE by the Roman emperor Hadrian, and occupied by a Roma

colony on the site of Jerusalem, which was still in ruins from the First Jewish Revolt in 70 CE.
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Stones from the walls of the Temple

Mount

elia came from Hadrian'snomen gentile,Aelius, while Capitolina meant that the new city was dedicated

toJupiter Capitolinus, to whom a temple was built on the site of the former second Jewish temple, the

Temple Mount.[19]

Hadrian had intended the construction of the new city as a gift

to the Jews, but since he had constructed a giant statue of

himself in front of the Temple of Jupiter and the Temple of

Jupiter had a huge statue of Jupiter inside of it, there were now

two enormous graven images on the Temple Mount. It was also

the normal practice of the adherents of the Hellenic religion to

sacrifice pigs before their deities. In addition to this, Hadrian

issued a decree prohibiting the practice of circumcision. These

three factors, the graven images, the sacrifice of pigs before the

altar, and the prohibition of circumcision, constituted for non-

Hellenized Jews a new abomination of desolation, and thus Bar

Kochba launched the Third Jewish Revolt. After the Third

Jewish Revolt failed, all Jews were forbidden on pain of death

from entering the city.

Late Roman period

From the 1st through the 7th centuries Christianity spread

throughout the Roman Empire and Jerusalem became

predominantly Christian.[20][21]

In 363, Emperor Julian, on his way to engage Persia, stopped at the ruins of the Second Temple in

Jerusalem. Julian granted the Jews permission to begin rebuilding the Temple. [22] To Christians, the

destroyed Temple was a symbol of Christianity's triumph over Judaism, and Julian, was an opponent of Christianity.[22] Rebuilding work began, but was ended by the Galilee earthquake of 363.[22][23]

There are records of Jews continuing to offer sacrifices on the Foundation Stone after the destruction of the

Temple and into the Byzantine period. [22]

Byzantine period

Archaeological evidence in the form of an elaborate mosaic floor similar to the one in the Church of the

Nativity in Bethlehem and multiple fragments of an elaborate marble Templon (chancel screen) prove that

an elaborate Byzantine church or monastery or other public building stood on the Temple Mount inByzantine times.[24]

Sassanid vassal state period

In 610, the Sassanid Empire drove the Byzantine Empire out of the Middle East, giving the Jews control of

Jerusalem for the first time in centuries. The Jews in Palestine were allowed to set up a vassal state under

the Sassanid Empire called the Sassanid Jewish Commonwealth which lasted for five years. Jewish rabbis

ordered the restart of animal sacrifice for the first time since the time of Second Temple and started to
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Southwest qanatir of the Haram a

Sharif

A model of the Haram-al-Sharif

made in 1879 by Conrad Schlick.

The model can be seen in theBijbels Museum in Amsterdam

reconstruct the Jewish Temple. Shortly before the Byzantines took the area back five years later in 615, the

Persians gave control to the Christian population, who tore down the partially built Jewish Temple edifice

and turned it into a garbage dump, [25] which is what it was when the Caliph Omar took the city in the 630

Muslim period

Upon the capture of Jerusalem by the victorious Caliph Omar, Omar

immediately headed to the Temple Mount with his advisor, Ka'ab al-Ahbar, a former rabbi who had converted to Islam, in order to find the

holy site of the "Furthest Mosque" orAl Masjid al Aqsa which was

mentioned in the Quran and specified in the Hadiths of being in

Jerusalem. Ka'ab al-Ahbar suggested to Caliph Omar to build the Dome

of the Rock monument on the site that Ka'ab believed to be the biblical

Holy of Holies, believing that this site is where Mohammad ascended

to heaven during the Isra and Mi'raj miracle. The actual construction of

the Muslim monuments at the southeast corner, facing Mecca, near

which the al-Aqsa Mosque was built 78 years later. The original

building is now known to have been wooden and to have beenconstructed on the site of a Byzantine public building with an elaborate

mosaic floor.[24]

In 691 an octagonal Islamic building topped by a dome was built by the

Caliph Abd al-Malik around the rock, for a myriad of political, dynastic

and religious reasons, built on local and Quranic traditions articulating

the site's holiness, a process in which textual and architectural

narratives reinforced one another.[26] The shrine became known as the

Dome of the Rock (Qubbat as-Sakhra). (The dome itself was

covered in gold in 1920.) In 715 the Umayyads, led by the Caliph al-Walid I, rebuilt the Temple's nearby Chanuyot into a mosque (see

illustrations [4] (http://www.campsci.com/museum/room18.htm) and

detailed drawing [5]

(https://reader010.{domain}/reader010/html5/0607/5b18703a2e5cb/5b18703d42289.jpg)), which they namal-Masjid al-Aqsa

, th

al-Aqsa Mosque or in translation "the furthest mosque", corresponding to the Islamic belief of Muhammad

miraculous nocturnal journey as recounted in the Quran and hadith. The term al-Haram al-Sharif

(the Noble Sanctuary), as it was called later by the Mamluks and Ottomans, refers to the whole area

that surrounds that Rock. [27]

For Muslims, the importance of the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque makes Jerusalem the third-holiest city, after Mecca and Medina. The mosque and shrine are currently administered by a Waqf (an

Islamic trust). The various inscriptions on the Dome walls and the artistic decorations imply a symbolic

eschatological significance of the structure.

Crusader period

The Crusader period began in 1099 with the First Crusade's capture of Jerusalem. After the city's conquest

the Crusading order Knights Templar was granted use of the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount by

Baldwin II of Jerusalem and Warmund, Patriarch of Jerusalem probably at the Council of Nablus in Januar
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1120, giving the Templars a headquarters in the captured Al-Aqsa Mosque. [28] The Temple Mount had a

mystique because it was above what was believed to be the ruins of the Temple of Solomon.[29][30] TheCrusaders therefore referred to the Al Aqsa Mosque as Solomon's Temple, and it was from this location th

the new Order took the name of Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon, or "Templar" knights.

Ottoman period

Following the Ottoman conquest of Palestine in 1516, the Ottoman authorities continued the policy of prohibiting non-Muslims from setting foot on the Temple Mount until the early 19th century, when non-

Muslims were again permitted to visit the site. [22]

In 1867, a team from the Royal Engineers, led by Lieutenant Charles Warren and financed by the Palestine

Exploration Fund (P.E.F.), discovered a series of underground tunnels near the Temple Mount. Warren

secretly excavated some tunnels near the Temple Mount walls and was the first one to document their low

courses. Warren also conducted some small scale excavations inside the Temple Mount, by removing

rubble that blocked passages leading from the Double Gate chamber.

British Mandate period

Between 1922 and 1924, the Dome of the Rock was restored by the Islamic Higher Council. [31]

Jordanian period

Jordan undertook two renovations of the Dome of the Rock, replacing the leaking, wooden dome with an

aluminum dome in 1952, and, when the new dome leaked, carrying out a second restoration between 1959

and 1964.[31]

Neither Israeli Arabs nor Israeli Jews could visit their holy places in the Jordanian territories during this

period.[32][33]

Israeli period

On 7 June 1967, during the Six-Day War, Israeli forces advanced beyond the 1949 Armistice Agreement

Line into West Bank territories, taking control of the Old City of Jerusalem, inclusive of the Temple Moun

The Chief Rabbi of the Israeli Defense Forces, Shlomo Goren, led the soldiers in religious celebrations on

the Temple Mount and at the Western Wall. The Israeli Chief Rabbinate also declared a religious holidayon the anniversary, called "Yom Yerushalayim" (Jerusalem Day), which became a national holiday to

commemorate the reunification of Jerusalem. Many Jews saw the capture of Jerusalem and the Temple

Mount as a miraculous liberation of biblical-messianic proportion. A few days after the war was over

200,000 Jews flocked to the Western Wall in the first mass Jewish pilgrimage near the Mount since the

destruction of the Temple in 70 CE.

The then Prime Minister of Israel, Levi Eshkol, gave control of access to the Temple Mount to the

Jerusalem Islamic Waqf. The site has since been a flash-point between Israel and local Muslims.
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Sign in Hebrew and English outside

the Temple Mount stating the Chief

Rabbinate's preference that no person

should enter the site, since it is the

holiest site in Judaism

On October 8, 1990, Israeli forces patrolling the site blocked worshipers from accessing it. A tear gas

canister was detonated among the female worshipers, which caused events to escalate. [34] Rocks were

eventually thrown, while security forces fired rounds that ended up killing 20 people and injured around

140 more. An Israeli enquiry found Israeli forces at fault, but it also concluded that charges could not be

brought against any particular individuals.[35]

Between 1992 and 1994, the Jordanian government undertook the unprecedented step of gilding the dome

of the Dome of the Rock, covering it with 5000 gold plates, and restoring and reinforcing the structure. ThSalah Eddin minbar was also restored. The project was paid for by King Hussein personally, at a cost of $8

million.[31] Under the terms of the IsraelJordan peace treaty, the Temple Mount remains under Jordanian

custodianship, and Jews may enter the compound, but are forbidden from praying or conducting religious

rites there.[36]

On September 28, 2000, Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon visited the Temple Mount. He toured the

site, together with a Likud party delegation and a large number of Israeli riot police. The visit was seen as

provocative gesture by many Palestinians, who gathered around the site. Demonstrations soon turned

violent, with both rubber bullets and tear gas being used. This event is often cited as one of the catalysts of

the Second Palestinian Intifada.[37]

Also in this period, Palestinian authorities began excavations at the Temple Mount, damaging the structura

integrity of the site see below.

Management and access

An Islamic Waqf has managed the Temple Mount continuously

since the Muslim reconquest of the Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1187.

On June 7, 1967, soon after Israel had taken control of the area

during the Six-Day War, Prime Minister Levi Eshkol assured that

"no harm whatsoever shall come to the places sacred to all

religions". Together with the extension of Israeli jurisdiction and

administration over east Jerusalem, the Knesset passed the

Preservation of the Holy Places Law, [38] ensuring protection of the

Holy Places against desecration, as well as freedom of access

thereto.[39] The site remains within the national boundaries of Israel

with administration of the site remaining in the hands of the

Jerusalem Islamic Waqf.

Although freedom of access was enshrined in the law, as a security

measure, the Israeli government currently enforces a ban on non-

Muslim prayer on the site. Non-Muslims who are observed praying

on the site are subject to expulsion by the police. [40] At various

times, when there is fear of Arab rioting upon the mount resulting in

throwing stones from above towards the Western Wall Plaza, Israel

has prevented Muslim men under 45 from praying in the compound,

citing these concerns.[41] Sometimes such restrictions have

coincided with Friday prayers during the Islamic holy month of
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The eastern set of Hulda gates.

Robinson's Arch, situated on the

southwestern flank, once

supported a staircase that led to

the Mount.

cavern, the roof supported by pillars carved from the rock the chamber is particularly cave-like and

atmospheric,[48] and its maximum water capacity is several hundred thousand gallons.

Cistern 9 (located just south of cistern 8, and directly under the al-Aqsa Mosque) known as the

Well of the Leaf due to its leaf-shaped plan, also rock hewn.

Cistern 11 (located east of cistern 9) a set of vaulted rooms forming a plan shaped like the letter E

Probably the largest cistern, it has the potential to house over 700,000 gallons of water.

Cistern 16/17 (located at the centre of the far northern end of the Temple Mount). Despite the

currently narrow entrances, this cistern (17 and 16 are the same cistern) is a large vaulted chamber,

which Warren described as looking like the inside of the cathedral at Cordoba (which was previously

a mosque). Warren believed that it was almost certainly built for some other purpose, and was only

adapted into a cistern at a later date he suggested that it might have been part of a general vault

supporting the northern side of the platform, in which case substantially more of the chamber exists

than is used for a cistern.

The walls of the platform contain several gateways, all currently

blocked. In the east wall is the Golden Gate, through which legend

states the Jewish Messiah would enter Jerusalem. On the southern face

are the Hulda Gates the triple gate (which has three arches) and the

double gate (which has two arches, and is partly obscured by a

Crusader building) these were the entrance and exit (respectively) to

the Temple Mount from Ophel (the oldest part of Jerusalem), and the

main access to the Mount for ordinary Jews. In the western face, near

the southern corner, is the Barclay's Gate only half visible due to a

building on the northern side. Also in the western face, hidden by later

construction but visible via the recent Western Wall Tunnels, and only

rediscovered by Warren, is Warren's Gate the function of these

western gates is obscure, but many Jews view Warren's Gate as

particularly holy, due to its location due west of the Dome of the Rock.

Traditional belief considers the Dome of the Rock to have earlier been

the location at which the Holy of Holies was placed numerous

alternative opinions exist, based on study and calculations, such as

those of Tuvia Sagiv. [49]

Warren was able to investigate the inside of these gates. Warren's Gate

and the Golden Gate simply head towards the centre of the Mount,

fairly quickly giving access to the surface by steps. [50] Barclay's Gate is

similar, but abruptly turns south as it does so the reason for this is

currently unknown. The double and triple gates (theHuldah Gates) are

more substantial heading into the Mount for some distance they each

finally have steps rising to the surface just north of the al-Aqsa

Mosque. [51] The passageway for each is vaulted, and has two aisles (in

the case of the triple gate, a third aisle exists for a brief distance beyond
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the gate) the eastern aisle of the double gates and western of the triple gates reach the surface, the other

aisles terminating some way before the steps Warren believed that one aisle of each original passage was

extended when the al-Aqsa Mosque blocked the original surface exits.

East of and joined to the triple gate passageway is a large vaulted area, supporting the southeastern corner

of the Temple Mount platform which is substantially above the bedrock at this point the vaulted

chambers here are popularly referred to as King Solomon's Stables. [52] They were used as stables by the

Crusaders, but were built by Herod the Great along with the platform they were built to support. In the

process of investigating Cistern 10, Warren discovered tunnels that lay under the Triple Gate

passageway.[53] These passages lead in erratic directions, some leading beyond the southern edge of the

Temple Mount (they are at a depth below the base of the walls) their purpose is currently unknown as is

whether they predate the Temple Mount a situation not helped by the fact that apart from Warren's

expedition no one else is known to have visited them.

The existing four minarets include three near the Western Wall and one near the northern wall. The first

minaret was constructed on the southwest corner of the Temple Mount in 1278. The second was built in

1297 by order of a Mameluk king, the third by a governor of Jerusalem in 1329, and the last in 1367.

Alterations to antiquities and damage to existing structures

Due to the extreme political sensitivity of the site, no real archaeological excavations have ever been

conducted on the Temple Mount itself. Protests commonly occur whenever archaeologists conduct project

near the Mount. This sensitivity has not, however, prevented the Muslim Waqf from destroying

archeological evidence on a number of occasions.[54][55][56][57] Aside from visual observation of surface

features, most other archaeological knowledge of the site comes from the 19th-century survey carried out

by Charles Wilson and Charles Warren and others.

After the Six-Day War of 1967, Israeli archeologists began a series of excavations near the site at thesouthern wall that uncovered finds from the Second Temple period through Roman, Umayyad and Crusade

times.[58] Over the period 197088, a number of tunnels were excavated in the vicinity, including one that

passed to the west of the Mount and became known as the Western Wall Tunnel, which was opened to the

public in 1996.[59][60] The same year the Waqf began construction of a new mosque in the structures know

since Crusader times as Solomon's Stables. Many Israelis regarded this as a radical change of the status quo

which should not have been undertaken without first consulting the Israeli government. The project was

done without attention to the possibility of disturbing historically significant archaeological material, with

stone and ancient artifacts treated without regard to their preservation. [61]

In October 1999, the Islamic Waqf, and the Islamic Movement conducted an illegal dig which inflictedmuch archaeological damage. The earth from this operation, which has archeological wealth relevant to

Jewish, Christian and Muslim history, was removed by heavy machinery and unceremoniously dumped by

trucks into the nearby Kidron Valley. Although the archeological finds in the earth are already not in situ,

this soil still contains great archeological potential. No archeological excavation was ever conducted on the

Temple Mount, and this soil was the only archeological information that has ever been available to anyone

For this reason Israeli archaeologists Dr. Gabriel Barkay and Zachi Zweig established a project sifting all

the earth in this dump: the Temple Mount Sifting Project. Among finds uncovered in rubble removed from

the Temple Mount were:
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Presumed to be The

Foundation Stone, or a

large part of it

Jewish connection and veneration to the site arguably stems from the fact that it contains the Foundation

Stone which, according to the rabbis of the Talmud, was the spot from where

the world was created and expanded into its current form. [71][72] It was

subsequently the Holy of Holies of the Temple, the Most Holy Place in

Judaism.[22] Jewish tradition names it as the location for a number of important

events which occurred in the Bible, including the Binding of Isaac, Jacob's

dream, and the prayer of Isaac and Rebekah. [73] Similarly, when the Bible

recounts that King David purchased a threshing floor owned by Araunah theJebusite,[74] tradition locates it as being on this mount. An early Jewish text, the

Genesis Rabba, states that this site is one of three about which the nations of

the world cannot taunt Israel and say "you have stolen them," since it was

purchased "for its full price" by David.[75] According to the Bible, David

wanted to construct a sanctuary there, but this was left to his son Solomon, who

completed the task in c. 950 BCE with the construction of the First Temple. [76]

In 1217, Spanish Rabbi Judah al-Harizi found the sight of the Muslim

structures on the mount profoundly disturbing. "What torment to see our holy

courts converted into an alien temple!" he wrote. [77]

Due to religious restrictions on entering the most sacred areas of the Temple Mount (see following section)

the Western Wall, a retaining wall for the Temple Mount and remnant of the Second Temple structure, is

considered by some rabbinical authorities the holiest accessible site for Jews to pray. Jewish texts record

that the Mount will be the site of the Third Temple, which will be rebuilt with the coming of the Jewish

Messiah. A number of vocal Jewish groups now advocate building the Third Holy Temple without delay in

order to bring to pass God's "end-time prophetic plans for Israel and the entire world. [78]

A 2013 Knesset committee hearing considered allowing Jews to pray at the site, amidst heated debate.

Arab-Israeli MPs were ejected for disrupting the hearing, after shouting at the chairman, calling her a

"pyromaniac". Religious Affairs Minister Eli Ben-Dahan of Jewish Home said his ministry was seeking

legal ways to enable Jews to pray at the site. [79]

Jewish religious law concerning entry to the site

During Temple times, entry to the Mount was limited by a complex set of purity laws. Those who were no

of the Jewish nation were prohibited from entering the inner court of the Temple. A hewn stone measuring

60 x 90 cm. and engraved with Greek uncials was discovered in 1871 near a court on the Temple Mount in

Jerusalem in which it outlined this prohibition:
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1978 sign warning against entry to the Mount

Translation: "Let no foreigner enter within the parapet and the partition which surrounds the Temple

precincts. Anyone caught [violating] will be held accountable for his ensuing death." Today, the stone is

preserved in Istanbul's Museum of Antiquities.

Maimonides wrote that it was only permitted to enter the site to fulfill a religious precept. After the

destruction of the Temple there was discussion as to whether the site, bereft of the Temple, still maintained

its holiness or not. Jewish codifiers accepted the opinion of Maimonides who ruled that the holiness of the

Temple sanctified the site for eternity and consequently the restrictions on entry to the site are still currentl

in force.[22] While secular Jews ascend freely, the question of whether ascending is permitted is a matter

some debate among religious authorities, with a majority holding that it is permitted to ascend to the

Temple Mount, but not to step on the site of the inner courtyards of the ancient Temple. [22] The question

then becomes whether the site can be ascertained accurately. [22] A second complex legal debate centers

around the precise divine punishment for stepping onto these forbidden spots.

There is debate over whether reports that Maimonides himself ascended the Mount are reliable. [80] One

such report claims he did so on Thursday, October 21, 1165, during the Crusader period. Some earlyscholars however, claim that entry onto certain areas of the Mount are permitted. It appears that Radbaz

also entered the Mount and advised others how to do this. He permits entry from all the gates into the

135135 cubits of the Women's Courtyard in the east, since the biblical prohibition only applies to the

187135 cubits of the Temple in the west. [81] There are also Christian and Islamic sources which indicate

that Jews accessed the site, [82] but these visits may have been made under duress.[83]

Opinions of contemporary rabbis concerning entryto the site

A few hours after the Temple Mount came under Israe

control during the Six-Day War, a message from the

Chief Rabbis of Israel, Isser Yehuda Unterman and

Yitzhak Nissim was broadcast, warning that Jews were

not permitted to enter the site. [84] This warning was

reiterated by the Council of the Chief Rabbinate a few

days later, which issued an explanation written by

Rabbi Bezalel Jolti (Zolti) that "Since the sanctity of th

site has never ended, it is forbidden to enter the Templ

Mount until the Temple is built."[84] The signatures ofmore than 300 prominent rabbis were later obtained. [85]

A major critic of the decision of the Chief Rabbinate was Rabbi Shlomo Goren, the chief rabbi of the

IDF. [84] According to General Uzi Narkiss, who led the Israeli force that conquered the Temple Mount,

Goren proposed to him that the Dome of the Rock be immediately blown up. [85] After Narkiss refused,

Goren unsuccessfully petitioned the government to close off the Mount to Jews and non-Jews alike. [85]

Later he established his office on the Mount and conducted a series of demonstrations on the Mount in

support of the right of Jewish men to enter there.[84] His behavior displeased the government, which
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restricted his public actions, censored his writings, and in August prevented him from attending the annual

Oral Law Conference at which the question of access to the Mount was debated. [86] Although there was

considerable opposition, the conference consensus was to confirm the ban on entry to Jews. [86] The rulingsaid We have been warned, since time immemorial [lit. for generations and generations], against entering

the entire area of the Temple Mount and have indeed avoided doing so." [86][85] According to Ron Hassnerthe ruling "brilliantly" solved the government's problem of avoiding ethnic conflict, since those Jews who

most respected rabbinical authority were those most likely to clash with Muslims on the Mount. [86]

Rabbinical consensus in the post-1967 period in the Religious Zionist stream of Orthodox Judaism held th

it is forbidden for Jews to enter any part of the Temple Mount,[87] and in January 2005 a declaration was

signed confirming the 1967 decision. [88]

Nearly all Haredi rabbis are also of the opinion that the Mount is off limits to Jews and non-Jews alike.[89]

Their opinions against entering the Temple Mount are based on the danger of entering the hallowed area of

the Temple courtyard and the impossibility of fulfilling the ritual requirement of cleansing oneself with the

ashes of a red heifer.[90][91] The boundaries of the areas which are completely forbidden, while having larg

portions in common, are delineated differently by various rabbinic authorities.

However, there is a growing body of Modern Orthodox and national religious rabbis who encourage visits

to certain parts of the Mount, which they believe are permitted according to most medieval rabbinical

authorities.[22] These rabbis include: Shlomo Goren (former Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel) Chaim Dav

Halevi (former Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv and Yaffo) Dov Lior (Rabbi of Kiryat Arba) Yosef Elboim

Yisrael Ariel She'ar Yashuv Cohen (Chief Rabbi of Haifa) Yuval Sherlo (rosh yeshiva of the hesder

eshiva of Petah Tikva) Meir Kahane. One of them, Shlomo Goren, held that it is possible that Jews are

even allowed to enter the heart of the Dome of the Rock in time of war, according to Jewish Law of

Conquest.[92] These authorities demand an attitude of veneration on the part of Jews ascending the Temple

Mount, ablution in a mikveh prior to the ascent, and the wearing of non-leather shoes. [22] Some rabbinicauthorities are now of the opinion that it is imperative for Jews to ascend in order to halt the ongoing

process of Islamization of the Temple Mount. Maimonides, perhaps the greatest codifier of Jewish Law,

wrote inLaws of the Chosen House ch 7 Law 15 "One may bring a dead body in to the (lower sanctified

areas of the) Temple Mount and there is no need to say that the ritually impure (from the dead) may enter

there, because the dead body itself can enter". One who is ritually impure through direct or in-direct contac

of the dead cannot walk in the higher sanctified areas. For those who are visibly Jewish, they have no

choice, but to follow this peripheral route (http://www.templeinstitute.org/birds_eye.htm) as it has become

unofficially part of the status quo on the Mount. Many of these recent opinions rely on archaeological

evidence.[22]

In December 2013, the two Chief Rabbis of Israel, David Lau and Yitzhak Yosef, reiterated the ban on

Jews entering the Temple Mount. [93] They wrote, "In light of [those] neglecting [this ruling], we once aga

warn that nothing has changed and this strict prohibition remains in effect for the entire area [of the Templ

Mount]". [93] In November 2014, the Sephardic chief rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, reiterated the point of view held

by many rabbinic authorities that Jews should not visit the Mount.[36]

In Islam
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Facade of the Al-Aqsa Mosque

In Islam, the Mount is called al-haram al-quds ash-sharf (Arabic:

) theNoble Sanctuary.

The site contains the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a mosque that is regarded as

being the third holiest site in Islam.2,3

A 13th-century claim to an extended region of holiness was made by

Ibn Taymiyyah who asserted: "Al-Masjid al-Aqsa is the name for the

whole of the place of worship built by Sulaymaan..." which, accordingto western tradition, presents: "...the place of worship built by

Solomon" known as Solomon's Temple. Ibn Taymiyyah had also

opposed giving any undue religious honors to mosques (even that of Jerusalem), to approach or rival in any

way the perceived Islamic sanctity of the two most holy mosques within Islam, Masjid al-Haram (in Mecca

and Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (in Madina). [94]

Muslims view the site as being one of the earliest and most noteworthy places of worship of God. For a few

ears in the early stages of Islam, Muhammad instructed his followers to face the Mount during prayer.

The site is also important as being the site of the "Farthest Mosque" (mentioned in the Quran as the locatioof Muhammad's miraculous Night Journey) to heaven.:

"Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque) to al-Masjid

al-Aqsa (the Further Mosque), whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, H

is the Hearing, the Seeing." Quran 17:1 [95]

The hadith, a collection of the sayings of the Prophet Mohammad, confirm that the location of the Al-Aqsa

mosque is indeed in Jerusalem:

"When the people of Quraish did not believe me (i.e. the story of my Night Journey), I stood up in Al-Hijrand Allah displayed Jerusalem in front of me, and I began describing Jerusalem to them while I was lookin

at it." Sahih Bukhari: Volume 5, Book 58, Number 226. [96]

Muslim interpretations of the Quran agree that the Mount is the site of a Temple built by Sulayman,

considered a prophet in Islam, that was later destroyed. [97]

After the construction, Muslims believe, the temple was used for the worship of one God by many prophet

of Islam, including Jesus.[98][99][100] Other Muslim scholars have used the Torah (called Tawrat in Arabic)

to expand on the details of the temple. [101]

In Christianity

The Mount has great significance in Christianity due to the role the Temple played in the life of Jesus. As

twelve-year-old boy, Jesus was found in the Temple where he confounded the Jewish theologians with his

knowledge of the Torah. (Luke 2:41-50 (http://tools.wmflabs.org/bibleversefinder/?

book=Luke&verse=2:41-50&src=NKJV)) During his ministry, Jesus challenged the corruption of those

who used the Temple for commerce and extortion (Matthew 21:12-17

(http://tools.wmflabs.org/bibleversefinder/?book=Matthew&verse=21:12-17&src=NKJV)) and prophesied

the temple's destruction, which came to pass in AD 70. (Mark 13:1-2
http://tools.wmflabs.org/bibleversefinder/?book=Mark&verse=13:1-2&src=NKJVhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meccahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masjid_al-Haramhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Taymiyyahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tawrathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Aqsa_Mosquehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Aqsa_Mosquehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Masjid_al-Nabawihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holiest_sites_in_Sufi_Islamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_languagehttp://tools.wmflabs.org/bibleversefinder/?book=Mark&verse=13:1-2&src=NKJVhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Al-Aqsa05.JPGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_concept_of_Godhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isra_and_Mi%27rajhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon%27s_Templehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holiest_sites_in_Sunni_Islamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_view_of_Solomonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_in_Islamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquehttp://tools.wmflabs.org/bibleversefinder/?book=Matthew&verse=21:12-17&src=NKJVhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadithhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holiest_sites_in_Shia_Islamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquehttp://tools.wmflabs.org/bibleversefinder/?book=Luke&verse=2:41-50&src=NKJVhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madina


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(http://tools.wmflabs.org/bibleversefinder/?book=Mark&verse=13:1-2&src=NKJV)) During the Byzantine

era, Jerusalem was primarily Christian and pilgrims came by the tens of thousands to experience the places

where Jesus walked.

With the Persian invasion in 614 followed by the Muslim Siege of Jerusalem in 637, many churches were

razed[102] but for some time pilgrims still were able to come and experience the Temple Mount area.

Increasing Muslim violence against these pilgrims to Jerusalem instigated the Crusades. The Crusaders re-

captured Jerusalem in 1099 and the Dome of the Rock was given to the Augustinians, who turned it into a

church, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque became the royal palace of Baldwin I of Jerusalem in 1104. The Knights

Templar, who believed the Dome of the Rock was the site of the Solomon's Temple, gave it the name

"Templum Domini" and set up their headquarters in the Al-Aqsa Mosque adjacent to the Dome for much o

the 12th century.

Though some Christians believe that the Temple will be reconstructed before, or concurrent with, the

Second Coming of Jesus (also see dispensationalism), pilgrimage to the Temple Mount is not viewed as

essential in the beliefs and worship of most Christians. The New Testament recounts a story of a Samaritan

woman asking Jesus about the appropriate place to worship, Jerusalem or the Samaritan holy place at

Mount Gerizim, to which Jesus replies,

"Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will

you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know we worship what we know, for

salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers

will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship

him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."(John 4:21-24

(http://tools.wmflabs.org/bibleversefinder/?book=John&verse=4:21-24&src=ESV))

This has been construed to mean that Jesus dispensed with physical location for worship, which was amatter rather of spirit and truth.[103]

Recent events

February 2004

Partially collapsed Mughrabi-Bridge: An 800 year-old wall holding back part of the hill jutting o

from the Western Wall leading up to the Mughrabi Gate partially collapsed. Authorities believed a

recent earthquake may have been responsible. [104][105]

March 2005

Allah inscription: The word "Allah", in approximately a foot-tall Arabic script, was found newly

carved into the ancient stones, an act viewed by Jews as vandalism. The carving was attributed to a

team of Jordanian engineers and Palestinian laborers in charge of strengthening that section of the

wall. The discovery caused outrage among Israeli archaeologists and many Jews were angered by th

inscription at Judaism's holiest site.[106]

October 2006
http://tools.wmflabs.org/bibleversefinder/?book=Mark&verse=13:1-2&src=NKJVhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mughrabi-Bridgehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustinianshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Cominghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantinehttp://tools.wmflabs.org/bibleversefinder/?book=Mark&verse=13:1-2&src=NKJVhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Jerusalem_(637)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crusadeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Templum_Dominihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Wallhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dispensationalismhttp://tools.wmflabs.org/bibleversefinder/?book=John&verse=4:21-24&src=ESVhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Testamenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Solomonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_I_of_Jerusalemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Gerizim


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Synagogue proposal: Uri Ariel, a member of the Knesset from the National Union party (a right

wing opposition party) ascended to the mount,[107] and said that he is preparing a plan where a

synagogue will be built on the mount. His proposed synagogue would not be built instead of the

mosques but in a separate area in accordance with rulings of 'prominent rabbis.' He said he believed

that this will be correcting a historical injustice and that it is an opportunity for the Muslim world to

prove that it is tolerant to all faiths.[108]

Minaret proposal: Plans are mooted to build a new minaret on the mount, the first of its kind for 6

years.[109] King Abdullah II of Jordan announced a competition to design a fifth minaret for the wal

of the Temple Mount complex. He said it would "reflect the Islamic significance and sanctity of the

mosque". The scheme, estimated to cost $300,000, is for a seven-sided tower after the seven-

pointed Hashemite star and at 42 metres (138 ft), it would be 3.5 metres (11 ft) taller than the next

largest minaret. The minaret would be constructed on the eastern wall of the Temple Mount near the

Golden Gate.

February 2007

Mugrabi Gate ramp reconstruction: Repairs to an earthen ramp leading to the Mugrabi Gate

sparked Arab protests.

May 2007

Right-wing Jews ascend the Mount: A group of right-wing Religious Zionist rabbis entered the

Temple Mount.[110] This elicited widespread criticism from other religious Jews and from secular

Israelis, accusing the rabbis of provoking the Arabs. An editorial in the newspaper Haaretz accusedthe rabbis of 'knowingly and irresponsibly bringing a burning torch closer to the most flammable hil

in the Middle East,' and noted that rabbinical consensus in both the Haredi and the Religious Zionist

worlds forbids Jews from entering the Temple Mount.[111] On May 16, Rabbi Avraham Shapiro,

former Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel and rosh yeshiva of the Mercaz HaRav yeshiva, reiterated hi

opinion that it is forbidden for Jews to enter the Temple Mount. [112] The Litvish Haredi newspaper

Yated Ne'eman, which is controlled by leading Litvish Haredi rabbis including Rabbi Yosef Sholom

Eliashiv and Rabbi Nissim Karelitz, accused the rabbis of transgressing a decree punishable by 'deat

through the hands of heaven.' [91]

July 2007

Temple Mount cable replacement: The Waqf began digging a ditch from the northern side of the

Temple Mount compound to the Dome of the Rock as a prelude to infrastructure work in the area.

Although the dig was approved by the police, it generated protests from archaeologists.

October 2009

Clashes: Palestinian protesters gathered at the site after rumours that an extreme Israeli group would
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Gate_(Jerusalem)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mugrabi_Gatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercaz_HaRavhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avraham_Shapirohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synagoguehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excavations_at_the_Temple_Mount#Mughrabi_Gate_ramp_reconstruction_.28February_2007.29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissim_Karelitzhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haaretzhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Mount_cable_replacement_controversyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeshivahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosef_Sholom_Eliashivhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uri_Arielhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdullah_II_of_Jordanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosh_yeshivahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waqfhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yated_Ne%27eman_(Israel)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Union_(Israel)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knesset


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harm the site, which the Israeli government denied. [113] Israeli police assembled at the Temple Mou

complex to disperse Palestinian protesters who were throwing stones at them. The police used stun

grenades on the protesters, of which 15 were later arrested, including the Palestinian President's

adviser on Jerusalem affairs.[114][115] 18 Palestinians and 3 police officers were injured.[116]

July 2010

A public opinion poll in Israel showed that 50% of Israelis believe that the Temple should be rebuiThe poll was conducted by channel 99, the government owned Knesset channel, in advance of the 9t

day of the Hebrew month of Av on which Jews commemorate the destruction of both the first and

second Temples that both stood at this site. [117]

July 2010

Knesset Member Danny Danon visited the Temple Mount in accordance with rabbinical views of

Jewish Law on the 9th of the Hebrew Month of Av, which commemorates the destruction of both th

First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. The Knesset Member condemned the conditions imposed byMuslims upon religious Jews at the site and vowed to work to better conditions. [118]

Panorama

Panorama of the Temple Mount, seen from the Mount of Olives
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_of_Oliveshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stun_grenadehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jerusalem_BW_1.JPG


20/27

11/28/2014 Temple Mount - Wi kipedia, the free encyclopedia


Wikimedia Commons has

media related to Temple

Mount.

See also

Jerusalem in Judaism

Jerusalem in Christianity

Jerusalem in Islam

Excavations at the Temple Mount

Gates of the Temple Mount

Committee for the Prevention of Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount

Temple Mount Sifting Project

Ayodhya dispute - similarly disputed location in India

References

1. ^ New Jerusalem Finds Point to the Temple Mount (http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/insideisrael/2010/March/NewJerusalem-Finds-Point-to-the-Temple-Mount)

2. ^ Carol Delaney,Abraham on Trial: The Social Legacy of Biblical Myth, Princeton University Press 2000 p.12

3. ^ BBC Science and Nature (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/horizon/solomon_qa.shtml)

4. ^ Deuteronomy 12:5-26 14:23-25 15:20 16:2-16 17:8-10 26: 2 31: 11 Isaiah 2: 2-5 Obadiah 1:21 Psalms

5. ^ Dictionary of Islamic Architecture (http://books.google.com/books?id=9A-

EAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA134&dq=jerusalem+old+city+islamic+architecture&hl=nl&sa=X&ei=NIe0U8q6Fsa8PfW

gbgJ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=jerusalem%20old%20city%20islamic%20architecture&f=false)

6. ^ Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Avoda (Divine Service): The laws of the Temple in Jerusalem, chapter 6, rule 1

7. ^ Nicolle, David (1994). Yarmuk AD 636: The Muslim Conquest of Syria. Osprey Publishing.

8. ^ Rizwi Faizer (1998). "The Shape of the Holy: Early Islamic Jerusalem"

(https://web.archive.org/web/20020210164811/http://us.geocities.com/rfaizer/reviews/book9.html). Rizwi's

Bibliography for Medieval Islam. Archived from the original (http://us.geocities.com/rfaizer/reviews/book9.htm

on 2002-02-10.

9. ^ Haram al-Sharif (http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=8180), ArchNet

10. ^ Israeli Police Storm Disputed Jerusalem Holy Site (http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-10-25-voa6.cfm)

11. ^ Gonen (2003), pp. 9-11

12. ^ Lundquist (2007), p. 103

13. ^ Finkelstein, Horbury, Davies & Sturdy (1999), p. 43

14. ^ II Sam. xxiv. 16 et seq. I Chron. xxi. 15 et seq.

15. ^ "Moriah" (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/easton/ebd2.html?term=Moriah).Easton's Bible Dictionary. Retrieved Jul

14, 2008.

16. ^ Gonen (2003), p. 69

17. ^ Negev (2005), p. 265

18. ^ Mazar (1975), pp. 124-126, 132

19. ^Encyclopdia Britannica 11th Edition (http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Aelia_Capitolina/)

20. ^ Krautheimer Richard. "Earl Christian and B zantine Architecture" htt ://books. oo le.com/books?
http://books.google.com/books?id=WXwX7fQ2DkUC&printsec=frontcover&dq=byzantine+architecture&hl=en&sa=X&ei=V27kUa7mKKbvygG0zoDQCA&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAQ#v=snippet&q=islam&f=falsehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayodhya_disputehttps://web.archive.org/web/20020210164811/http://us.geocities.com/rfaizer/reviews/book9.htmlhttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Temple_Mounthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mishneh_Torahhttp://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Aelia_Capitolina/http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-10-25-voa6.cfmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excavations_at_the_Temple_Mounthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Mount_Sifting_Projecthttp://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/insideisrael/2010/March/New-Jerusalem-Finds-Point-to-the-Temple-Mounthttp://us.geocities.com/rfaizer/reviews/book9.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_in_Christianityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gates_of_the_Temple_Mounthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee_for_the_Prevention_of_Destruction_of_Antiquities_on_the_Temple_Mounthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maimonideshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_in_Islamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_in_Judaismhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/horizon/solomon_qa.shtmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easton%27s_Bible_Dictionary_(1897)http://www.ccel.org/ccel/easton/ebd2.html?term=Moriahhttp://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=8180http://books.google.com/books?id=WXwX7fQ2DkUC&printsec=frontcover&dq=byzantine+architecture&hl=en&sa=X&ei=V27kUa7mKKbvygG0zoDQCA&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAQ#v=snippet&q=islam&f=falsehttp://books.google.com/books?id=9A-EAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA134&dq=jerusalem+old+city+islamic+architecture&hl=nl&sa=X&ei=NIe0U8q6Fsa8PfWbgbgJ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=jerusalem%20old%20city%20islamic%20architecture&f=false


21/27



id=WXwX7fQ2DkUC&printsec=frontcover&dq=byzantine+architecture&hl=en&sa=X&ei=V27kUa7mKKbvyg

0zoDQCA&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAQ#v=snippet&q=islam&f=false) Fourth Edition, p. 25.

21. ^ Har-El, Menashe "Golden Jerusalem" (http://books.google.com/books?

id=9Z2cFY9iGqgC&prints ec=frontcover&dq=this+is +jerusalem&hl=en&sa=X&ei=xqHqUdm6AYi2yAHuu4DY

AQ&ved=0CEgQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=this%20is%20jerusalem&f=false) p. 29

22. ^ abcdefghijkl "Entering the Temple Mount - in Halacha and Jewish History," Gedalia Meyer and Henoch

Messner, PDF available at [1] (http://hakirah.org/), VOl 10, Summer 2010, Hakirah.23. ^ See "Julian and the Jews 361-363 CE" (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/jewish/julian-jews.html) and "Julian

the Apostate and the Holy Temple" (http://www.gibsoncondo.com/~david/convert/history.html).

24. ^ ab Was the Aksa Mosque built over the remains of a Byzantine church? (http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Was-th

Aksa-Mosque-built-over-the-remains-of-a-Byzantine-church), By Etgar Lefkovits,Jerusalem Post, November

16, 2008

25. ^ Karmi, Ghada (1997).Jerusalem Today: What Future for the Peace Process?. Garnet & Ithaca Press. p. 116.

ISBN 0-86372-226-1.

26. ^ The Dome of the Rock as Palimpsest, Necipoglu, Muqarnas 2008

27. ^ Oleg Grabar,The Haram ak-Sharif: An essay in interpretation, BRIIFS vol. 2 no 2 (Autumn 2000)

(http://www.riifs.org/journal/essy_v2no2_grbar.htm)."Entering the Temple Mount

in Halacha and Jewish History," Gedalia Meyer and Henoch Messner, PDF available at [2] (http://hakirah.org/),

Vol 10, Summer 2010, Hakirah.

28. ^ Selwood, Dominic. "Birth of the Order" (http://www.dominicselwood.com/birth-of-the-order/). Retrieved 20

April 2013.

29. ^ The History Channel,Decoding the Past: The Templar Code, 7 November 2005, video documentary written b

Marcy Marzuni.

30. ^ Barber,The New Knighthood, p . 7 .

31. ^ abc "Hashemite Restorations of the Islamic Holy Places in Jerusalem"

(http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/islam_restoration.html), Jordanian government website.

32. ^ Martin Gilbert, Jerusalem in the Twentieth Century (New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1996, p254.

33. ^ Israeli, Raphael (2002). "Introduction: Everyday Life in Divided Jerusalem".Jerusalem Divided: The Armisti

Regime, 19471967. Jerusalem: Routledge. p. 23. ISBN 0-7146-5266-0.

34. ^ "RECONSTRUCTION OF EVENTS (REVISED) AL-HARAM AL-SHARIF, JERUSALEM MONDAY, 8

OCTOBER 1990" (http://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/C6AA06BDFB5B5453052566DB0055512F). United

Nations. October 8, 1990. Retrieved April 12, 2012.

35. ^ "Judge Blames Israeli Police In Killing Of Palestinians" (http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1991-07-19/news/9101260807_1_criminal-charges-killings-ezra-kama). Sun Sentinel. July 19, 1991. Retrieved April 12,

2012.

36. ^ ab Itamar Sharon, 'Jews must stop Temple Mount visits, Sephardi chief rabbi says,'

(http://www.timesofisrael.com/jews-must-stop-going-to-temple-mount-sephardic-chief-rabbi-says/)The Times o

Israel, 7 November 2014.

37. ^ "2000: 'Provocative' mosque visit sparks riots"

(http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/28/newsid_3687000/3687762.stm). BBC. April 12,

2012. Retrieved April 12, 2012.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7146-5266-0http://hakirah.org/http://hakirah.org/http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Was-the-Aksa-Mosque-built-over-the-remains-of-a-Byzantine-churchhttp://www.fordham.edu/halsall/jewish/julian-jews.htmlhttp://www.timesofisrael.com/jews-must-stop-going-to-temple-mount-sephardic-chief-rabbi-says/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Routledgehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Numberhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Numberhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Times_of_Israelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Sentinelhttp://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/C6AA06BDFB5B5453052566DB0055512Fhttp://books.google.com/books?id=9Z2cFY9iGqgC&printsec=frontcover&dq=this+is+jerusalem&hl=en&sa=X&ei=xqHqUdm6AYi2yAHuu4DYAQ&ved=0CEgQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=this%20is%20jerusalem&f=falsehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_(U.S._TV_channel)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalemhttp://www.riifs.org/journal/essy_v2no2_grbar.htmhttp://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/islam_restoration.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-86372-226-1http://www.dominicselwood.com/birth-of-the-order/http://books.google.com/books?id=WXwX7fQ2DkUC&printsec=frontcover&dq=byzantine+architecture&hl=en&sa=X&ei=V27kUa7mKKbvygG0zoDQCA&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAQ#v=snippet&q=islam&f=falsehttp://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/28/newsid_3687000/3687762.stmhttp://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1991-07-19/news/9101260807_1_criminal-charges-killings-ezra-kamahttp://www.gibsoncondo.com/~david/convert/history.html


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38. ^ Preservation of the Holy Places Law

(http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Peace%20Process/Guide%20to%20the%20Peace%20Process/Protection%20of%2

Holy%20Places%20Law), 1967.

39. ^Jerusalem - The Legal and Political Background

(http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Peace%20Process/Guide%20to%20the%20Peace%20Process/Jerusalem-

%20Legal%20and%20Political%20Background), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Israel.

40. ^ Nadav Shragai, "Three Jews expelled from Temple Mount for praying"

(http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?

itemNo=335211&contrassID=2&subContrassID=1&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y).

41. ^ "Heavy security around al-Aqsa

(http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/10/200910572553875419.html)," Al Jazeera English, October

5, 2009.

42. ^ "PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS 16 29 SEPTEMBER 2009

(http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_protection_of_civilians_weekly_report_2009_09_29_english.pdf)

UNITED NATIONS Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs occupied Palestinian territory.

43. ^ http://news.yahoo.com/palestinians-flock-jerusalem-israeli-restrictions-eased-152403694.html44. ^ Photograph of the northern wall area (https://reader010.{domain}/reader010/html5/0607/5b18703a2e5cb/5b18

45. ^ Wilson's map of the features under the Temple Mount (http://www.campsci.com/museum/images/map.gif)

46. ^ Kaufman, Asher (May 23, 1991). "The Temple Site" (http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/jpost/access/99716364.htm

dids=99716364:99716364&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=May+12%2C+1991&author=Asher+Kaufman&

ub=Jerusalem+Post&edition=&startpage=13&desc=THE+TEMPLE+SITE) (Abstract). The Jerusalem Post.

p. 13. Retrieved March 4, 2007. "The most important findings of the superposition of the Second Temple on the

Temple area are that the Dome of the Rock was not built on the site of the Temple, and that the Temple was

taper-shaped on the western side, a form hitherto unknown to the scholars."

47. ^ "Researcher says found location of the Holy Temple" (http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-

3362927,00.html). Ynetnews. February 9, 2007. Retrieved March 4, 2007. "Archaeology Professor Joseph

Patrich uncovered a large water cistern that points, in his opinion, to the exact location of the altar and sanctuary

on the Temple Mount. According to his findings, the rock on which the Dome of the Rock is built is outside the

confines of the Temple."

48. ^ Under the Temple Mount (https://reader010.{domain}/reader010/html5/0607/5b18703a2e5cb/5b1870446456c

49. ^ Tuvia Sagiv, Determination of the location of the Temple (http://www.templemount.org/sagiv2/index.html)

50. ^ Photograph of the inside of the Golden Gate (https://reader010.{domain}/reader010/html5/0607/5b18703a2e5

51. ^ image of the double gate passage (https://reader010.{domain}/reader010/html5/0607/5b18703a2e5cb/5b18704

52. ^ Photograph of King Solomon's Stables (https://reader010.{domain}/reader010/html5/0607/5b18703a2e5cb/5b

53. ^ Photograph of one of the chambersunder the Triple Gate passageway

(https://reader010.{domain}/reader010/html5/0607/5b18703a2e5cb/5b1870451b5a6.jpg)

54. ^ See "The Washington Post, Opinion Columns, July 17, 2000 Protect the Temple Mount by Hershel Shanks

55. ^ Policeman Assaulted Trying to Stop Illegal Temple Mount Dig - Jewish World - Israel News - Arutz Sheva

(http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/123525)

56. ^ Jerusalem's Temple Mount Flap (http://www.archaeology.org/0003/newsbriefs/flap.html)

57. ^ Waqf Temple Mount excavation raises archaeologists' protests - Haaretz - Israel News

htt ://www.haaretz.com/hasen/s a es/880761.html
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3362927,00.htmlhttp://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/123525http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Peace%20Process/Guide%20to%20the%20Peace%20Process/Jerusalem-%20Legal%20and%20Political%20Backgroundhttp://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_protection_of_civilians_weekly_report_2009_09_29_english.pdfhttp://news.yahoo.com/palestinians-flock-jerusalem-israeli-restrictions-eased-152403694.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Jazeera_Englishhttp://www.campsci.com/museum/images/45o.jpghttp://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/jpost/access/99716364.html?dids=99716364:99716364&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=May+12%2C+1991&author=Asher+Kaufman&pub=Jerusalem+Post&edition=&startpage=13&desc=THE+TEMPLE+SITEhttp://www.campsci.com/museum/images/48c.jpghttp://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=335211&contrassID=2&subContrassID=1&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Yhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jerusalem_Posthttp://www.campsci.com/museum/images/43e.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ynetnewshttp://www.archaeology.org/0003/newsbriefs/flap.htmlhttp://www.campsci.com/museum/images/47a.jpghttp://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Peace%20Process/Guide%20to%20the%20Peace%20Process/Protection%20of%20Holy%20Places%20Lawhttp://www.templemount.org/sagiv2/index.htmlhttp://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/10/200910572553875419.htmlhttp://www.campsci.com/museum/images/38g.jpghttp://www.campsci.com/museum/images/46e.jpghttp://www.campsci.com/museum/images/map.gifhttp://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/880761.html


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11/28/2014 Temple Mount - Wi kipedia, the free encyclopedia


58. ^ Jacqueline Schaalje,Special: The Temple Mount in Jerusalem

(http://www.jewishmag.com/42mag/templemount/templemount.htm).

59. ^ Violent clashes at key Jerusalem mosque on 'da

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