Little Western Wall - is a Jewish religious site located in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem - Temple in Jerusalem - Walls of Jerusalem

 Little Western Wall 

A man and a women praying one next to the other at the Little Western Wall (not possible at the main western wall)

The Little Western Wall, also known as HaKotel HaKatan (or just Kotel Hakatan) and the Small Kotel, (Hebrew: הכותל הקטן‎‎), is a Jewish religious site located in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem near the Iron Gate to the Temple Mount.[1] The wall itself dates from the Second Temple period, (516 BCE – 70 CE). It is the continuation of the Larger part of the Kotel and almost exactly faces the Holy of Holies.[2] HaKotel HaKatan is not as well-known and not as crowded as the larger part of the Western Wall.[3] This section of the wall is of deep spiritual significance because of its close proximity to the Holy of Holies. However, it is not the closest location to the Holy of Holies, as there is a location in the Kotel Tunnels which directly faces the Holy of Holies.[2]

Dimensions

Unlike the more famous Western Wall, the Kotel Katan does not have a large plaza facing it, by which it resembles quite exactly the situation of the "Wailing Wall" until 1967. It is a narrow alley and only the two lowest courses (rows of building stones) date from the Second Temple period. Unlike those on the Western Wall, the stones have not been worn smooth by the touch of millions of worshippers. The Kotel Katan resembles the Western Wall as it appeared before the Six Day War. After it was recaptured by Israel, the Western Wall plaza was expanded to its current size.

History

The passage alongside the wall is a courtyard of Ribat Kurd, a hospice for Muslim pilgrims founded in 1293 or 96 by Sayf al-Din Kurd al-Mansuri, a mamluk of Sultan Qalawun.[4] The entrance portal and passage are original, but other parts of the structure date from later periods.[4] [5]

Because the Kotel Katan is much closer to the site of the possible location of theHoly of Holies than the larger Western Wall, it has significance to Jews, who wish to continue to pray at the site.[6]

1971 tunnelling damage

In late 1971, extensive tunnelling along the wall by the Israeli Department of Religious Affairs caused the partial collapse of Ribat Kurd.[4] The Department sought to take advantage of the situation by demolishing the 670-year-old structure to create a new plaza, but backed off after an international outcry.[4] Instead, repairs consisting of a concrete buttress and steel supports were undertaken.[4] During the repairs, workmen drilled some small holes in the Haram wall. This caused protests from Haredi Jews, who collected the fragments of stone and ceremoniously buried them at the Western Wall.[7]

In the news

In October 2011, a group called Kotleinu ("our wall") and another group known asLegal Forum for the Land of Israel petitioned the government to include the Katan as part of the Law for the Protection of Holy Places as it is recognized as part of the Western Wall.[8] The groups advocate for cleanup and the placement of benches, prayer books and an ark for the Torah be permanently placed at the site.

On Rosh Hashana in 2006, a young Jewish boy was arrested for blowing a shofar(ceremonial horn instrument) while at the wall. The Muslim occupants of the area complained to the police for the breach of the peace and the police warned the boy to stop blowing the shofar in that area and instead invited him to do so at the main area of the Kotel in the Western Wall Plaza. The boy refused to obey the order of the police and continued to blow the shofar at the Kotel Katan. The police arrested the boy and seized his shofar. They let him go after three hours of questioning, keeping the shofar. He was admonished not to visit the area for 15 days. The boy later sued the police for wrongful arrest and theft of the shofar.

In 2012, the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court ruled against the boy and in favor of the police on both issues,[9] determining that the actions of the police were "legitimate".

References

1. http://www.myrova.com/index.php?/content/view/44/28/
2. http://www.ateret.org.il/english/buildings/hakotel-hakatan.asp
3. http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2006/04/16/travel/20060416_JERU_SLIDESHOW_8.html
4. M. H. Burgoyne (1973). "The Continued Survey Of The Ribāt Kurd/Madrasa Jawhariyya Complex In Ṭarīq Bāb Al-Ḥadīd, Jerusalem". Levant 5: 12–35.
5. http://archnet.org/sites/1777/media_contents/35238
6. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/122285
7. Meron Benvenisti (1996). City of Stone. University of California Press. p. 89.
8. http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=242584&R=R2
9. http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=256101

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Little Western Wall.

 Old City (Jerusalem) 

The Old City (Hebrew: העיר העתיקה‎‎, Ha'Ir Ha'Atiqah, Arabic:البلدة القديمة‎‎, al-Balda al-Qadimah, Turkish: Kudüs,Armenian: Երուսաղեմի հին քաղաք, Yerusaghemi hin k'aghak' ) is a 0.9 square kilometers (0.35 sq mi) walled area[2] within the modern city of Jerusalem. Until 1860, when the Jewish neighborhood Mishkenot Sha'ananimwas established, this area constituted the entire city of Jerusalem. The Old City is home to several sites of key religious importance: theDome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque forMuslims, the Temple Mount and Western Wall for Jews and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians, It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site List in 1981.

Traditionally, the Old City has been divided into four uneven quarters, although the current designations were introduced only in the 19th century.[3] Today, the Old City is roughly divided (going counterclockwise from the northeastern corner) into theMuslim Quarter, Christian Quarter, Armenian Quarter and Jewish Quarter. The Old City's monumental defensive walls and city gates were built in the years 1535-1542 by the Turkish sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.[4] The current population of the Old City resides mostly in the Muslim and Christian quarters. As of 2007 the total population was 36,965; the breakdown of religious groups in 2006 was 27,500 Muslims (up from ca. 17,000 in 1967, with over 30,000 by 2013, tendency: growing); 5,681 Christians (ca. 6,000 in 1967), not including the 790 Armenians (down to ca. 500 by 2011, tendency: decreasing); and 3,089 Jews (starting with none in 1967, as they were evicted after the Old City was captured by Jordan following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, with almost 3,000 plus some 1,500 yeshiva students by 2013, tendency: growing).[5] [6] [7]

Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the Old City was captured by Jordan and all its Jewish residents were evicted. During the Six-Day War in 1967, which saw hand-to-hand fighting on the Temple Mount, Israeli forces captured the Old City along with the rest of East Jerusalem, subsequently annexing them as Israeli territory and reuniting them with the western part of the city. Today, the Israeli government controls the entire area, which it considers part of its national capital. However, theJerusalem Law of 1980, which effectively annexed East Jerusalem to Israel, was declared null and void by United Nations Security Council Resolution 478. East Jerusalem is now regarded by the international community as part of occupiedPalestinian territory.[8] [9]

In 2010, Jerusalem's oldest fragment of writing was found outside the Old City's walls.[10]

History

According to the Bible, before King David's conquest of Jerusalem in the 11th century BCE the city was home to the Jebusites. The Bible describes the city as heavily fortified with a strong city wall. The city ruled by King David, known as Ir David, or the City of David, was southeast of the Old City walls, outside the Dung Gate. His son King Solomon extended the city walls and then, in about 440 BCE, during the Persian period, Nehemiah returned from Babylon and rebuilt them. In 41-44 CE, Agrippa, king of Judea, built a new city wall known as the "Third Wall."

Muslims occupied Jerusalem in the 7th Century (637 CE) under the second caliph,`Umar Ibn al-Khattab who annexed it to the Islamic Arab Empire. He granted its inhabitants an assurance treaty. After the siege of Jerusalem, Sophronius welcomed `Umar because, according to biblical prophecies allegedly known to the church in Jerusalem, "a poor, but just and powerful man" would rise to be a protector and ally to the Christians of Jerusalem. Sophronius believed that `Umar, a great warrior who led an austere life, was a fulfillment of this prophecy. In the account by the Patriarch of Alexandria, Eutychius, it is said that `Umar paid a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and sat in its courtyard. When the time for prayer arrived, however, he left the church and prayed outside the compound, in order to avoid having future generations of Muslims use his prayer there as a pretext for converting the church into a mosque. Eutychius adds that `Umar also wrote a decree which he handed to the Patriarch, in which he prohibited Muslims gathering in prayer at the site.[11] In 1099, Jerusalem was captured by the Western Christian army of the First Crusadeand it remained in their hands until recaptured by the Arab Muslims, led by Saladin, on October 2, 1187. He summoned the Jews and permitted them to resettle in the city. In 1219, the walls of the city were razed by Mu'azzim Sultan of Damascus; in 1229, by treaty with Egypt, Jerusalem came into the hands of Frederick II of Germany. In 1239 he began to rebuild the walls, but they were demolished again byDa'ud, the emir of Kerak. In 1243, Jerusalem came again under the control of the Christians, and the walls were repaired. The Kharezmian Tatars took the city in 1244 and Sultan Malik al-Muattam razed the walls, rendering it again defenseless and dealing a heavy blow to the city's status.

The current walls of the Old City were built in 1535-42 by the Ottoman Turkish sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. The walls stretch for approximately 4.5 km (2.8 miles), and rise to a height of between 5 and 15 metres (16.4–49 ft), with a thickness of 3 metres (10 feet) at the base of the wall.[4] Altogether, the Old City walls contain 35 towers, most of which (15) are in the more exposed northern wall.[4] Suleiman's wall had six gates, to which a seventh, the New Gate, was added in 1887; several other, older gates, have been walled up over the centuries. The Golden Gate was at first rebuilt and left open by Suleiman's architects, only to be walled up a short while later.

In 1980, Jordan proposed that the Old City be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[12] It was added to the List in 1981.[13] In 1982, Jordan requested that it be added to the List of World Heritage in Danger. The United States government opposed the request, noting that the Jordanian government had no standing to make such a nomination and that the consent of the Israeli government would be required since it effectively controlled Jerusalem.[14] In 2011, UNESCO issued a statement reiterating its view that East Jerusalem is "part of the occupied Palestinian territory, and that the status of Jerusalem must be resolved in permanent status negotiations."[15]

Jerusalem Quarters

Arab market

Old City promenade in snow, 2008

Muslim Quarter

The Muslim Quarter (Arabic: حارَة المُسلِمين‎‎, Hārat al-Muslimīn) is the largest and most populous of the four quarters and is situated in the northeastern corner of the Old City, extending from the Lions' Gate in the east, along the northern wall of the Temple Mount in the south, to the Western Wall – Damascus Gate route in the west. Its population was 22,000 in 2005. Like the other three quarters of the Old City, until theriots of 1929 the Muslim quarter had a mixed population of Muslims, Christians, and also Jews.[16] Today, there are "many Israeli settler homes" and "several yeshivas", including Yeshivat Ateret Yerushalayim, in the Muslim Quarter.[5]

Christian Quarter

The Christian Quarter (Arabic: حارة النصارى‎‎, Ḩārat an-Naşāra) is situated in the northwestern corner of the Old City, extending from the New Gate in the north, along the western wall of the Old City as far as the Jaffa Gate, along the Jaffa Gate – Western Wallroute in the south, bordering the Jewish and Armenian Quarters, as far as theDamascus Gate in the east, where it borders the Muslim Quarter. The quarter contains the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, viewed by many as Christianity's holiest place.

Armenian Quarter

The Armenian Quarter (Armenian: Հայկական Թաղամաս, Haygagan T'aġamas,Arabic: حارة الأرمن‎‎, Ḩārat al-Arman) is the smallest of the four quarters of the Old City. Although the Armenians are Christian, the Armenian Quarter is distinct from theChristian Quarter. Despite the small size and population of this quarter, the Armenians and their Patriarchate remain staunchly independent and form a vigorous presence in the Old City. After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the four quarters of the city came under Jordanian control. Jordanian law required Armenians and other Christians to "give equal time to the Bible and Qur'an" in private Christian schools, and restricted the expansion of church assets. The 1967 war is remembered by residents of the quarter as a miracle, after two unexploded bombs were found inside the Armenian monastery. Today, more than 3,000 Armenians live in Jerusalem, 500 of them in the Armenian Quarter.[17] [18] Some are temporary residents studying at the seminary or working as church functionaries. The Patriarchate owns the land in this quarter as well as valuable property in West Jerusalem and elsewhere. In 1975, a theological seminary was established in the Armenian Quarter. After the 1967 war, the Israeli government gave compensation for repairing any churches or holy sites damaged in the fighting, regardless of who caused the damage.

Jewish Quarter

Western Wall plaza

Jewish Quarter.

The Jewish Quarter (Hebrew: הרובע היהודי‎‎, HaRova HaYehudi, known colloquially to residents as HaRova,Arabic: حارة اليهود‎‎, Ḩārat al-Yahūd) lies in the southeastern sector of the walled city, and stretches from the Zion Gate in the south, bordering the Armenian Quarter on the west, along the Cardo to Chain Street in the north and extends east to the Western Wall and the Temple Mount. The quarter has a rich history, with several long periods of Jewish presence covering much of the time since the eighth century BCE.[19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] In 1948, its population of about 2,000 Jews was besieged, and forced to leave en masse.[25] The quarter was completely sacked by Arab forces during the Battle for Jerusalem and ancient synagogues were destroyed.

The Jewish quarter remained under Jordanian control until its recapture by Israeli paratroopers in the Six-Day War of 1967. A few days later, Israeli authorities ordered the demolition of the adjacent Moroccan Quarter, forcibly relocating all of its inhabitants, in order to facilitate public access to the Western Wall.

The section of the Jewish quarter destroyed prior to 1967 has since been rebuilt and settled and has a population of 2,348 (as of 2005).[26] Many large educational institutions have taken up residence. Before being rebuilt, the quarter was carefully excavated under the supervision of Hebrew University archaeologist Nahman Avigad. The archaeological remains are on display in a series of museums and outdoor parks, which tourists can visit by descending two or three stories beneath the level of the current city. The former Chief Rabbi is Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzahl, and the current Chief Rabbi is his son Rabbi Chizkiyahu Nebenzahl, who is on the faculty of Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh, which is situated directly across from the Kotel.

The quarter includes the "Karaites' street" (Hebrew: רחוב הקראים, Rhehov Ha'karaim), on which the old Anan ben David Kenesa is located.[27]

Moroccan Quarter

Clearing the plaza in front of the Kotel, July 1967

There was previously a small Moroccan quarterin the Old City. Within a week of the Six-Day War's end, the Moroccan quarter was largely destroyed in order to give visitors better access to the Western Wall by creating the Western Wall plaza. The parts of the Moroccan Quarter that were not destroyed are now part of the Jewish Quarter. Simultaneously with the demolition, a new regulation was set into place by which the only access point for non-Muslims to the Temple Mount is through the Gate of the Moors, which is reached via the so-called Mughrabi Bridge.[28] [29]

City walls

Gates

Jaffa Gate

During different periods, the city walls followed different outlines and had a varying number of gates. During the era of the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem for instance, Jerusalem had four gates, one on each side. The current walls were built by Suleiman the Magnificent, who provided them with six gates; several older gates, which had been walled up before the arrival of the Ottomans, were left as they were. As to the previously sealed Golden Gate, Suleiman at first opened and rebuilt it, but then walled it up again as well. The number of operational gates increased to seven after the addition of the New Gate in 1887; a smaller eighth one, the Tanners' Gate, has been opened for visitors after being discovered and unsealed during excavations in the 1990's. The sealed historic gates comprise four that are at least partially preserved (the double Golden Gate in the eastern wall, and the Single, Triple, and Double Gates in the southern wall), with several other gates discovered by archaeologists of which only traces remain (the Gate of the Essenes on Mount Zion, the gate of Herod's royal palace south of the citadel, and the vague remains of what 19th-century explorers identified as the Gate of the Funerals (Bab al-Jana'iz) or of al-Buraq (Bab al-Buraq) south of the Golden Gate[30] ).

Until 1887, each gate was closed before sunset and opened at sunrise. As indicated by the chart below, these gates have been known by a variety of names used in different historical periods and by different communities.

Open gates

English	Hebrew	Arabic	Alternative names	Construction Year	Location
New Gate	HaSha'ar HeHadash השער החדש	Al-Bab al-Jedid الباب الجديد	Gate of Hammid	1887	West of northern side
Damascus Gate	Sha'ar Shkhem שער שכם	Bab al-Amoud باب العمود	Sha'ar Damesek, Nablus Gate, Gate of the Pillar	1537	Middle of northern side
Herod's Gate	Sha'ar HaPerachim שער הפרחים	Bab al-Sahira باب الساهرة	Sha'ar Hordos, Flower Gate, Sheep Gate	1875	East of northern side
Lions' Gate	Sha'ar HaArayot שער האריות	Bab al-Asbatt باب الأسباط	Gate of Yehoshafat, St. Stephen's Gate, Gate of the Tribes, Bab Sittna Maryam (باب ستي مريم, "St. Mary's Gate")	1538–39	North of eastern side
Excavators' Gate			Excavation Gate. (Eastern gate of the main Umayyad palace, attributed to Caliph Al-Walid I (705-715). Destroyed by an earthquake around 749, walled up to support Ottoman wall (1537–41), reopened and rebuilt by archaeologists led by Benjamin Mazar and Meir Ben-Dov in 1968.) [31] [32]	705-715, 1968	Wall south of Al-Aqsa Mosque
Dung Gate	Sha'ar HaAshpot שער האשפות	Bab al-Maghariba باب المغاربة	Gate of Silwan, Sha'ar HaMugrabim	1538–40	East of southern side
Tanners' Gate	Sha'ar HaBursekaim שער הבורסקאים			12th century	East of southern side
Zion Gate	Sha'ar Tzion שער ציון	Bab al-Nabi Da'oud باب النبي داود	Gate to the Jewish Quarter	1540	Middle of southern side
Jaffa Gate	Sha'ar Yaffo שער יפו	Bab al-Khalil باب الخليل	The Gate of David's Prayer Shrine, Porta Davidi	1530–40	Middle of western side

Sealed gates

English	Hebrew	Arabic	Description	Period	Location
Golden Gate	Sha'ar HaRahamim שער הרחמים	Bab al-Dhahabi / al-Zahabi, "Golden Gate" باب الذهبي	A double gate, last sealed in 1541. In Arabic also known as the Gate of Eternal Life. In Arabic each door has its own name: Gate of Mercy, Bab al-Rahma (باب الرحمة) - the southern door Gate of Repentance, Bab al-Taubah (باب التوبة) - the northern door	6th century	Northern third of eastern side
Single Gate			This gate led to the underground area of the Temple Mount known as Solomon's Stables	Herodian period	Southern wall ofTemple Mount
Huldah Gates	Sha'arei Chulda שערי חולדה		Two gates: The Triple Gate, as it comprises three arches. Also known as Bab an-Nabi (باب النبي, "Gate of the Prophet [Muhammad]") The Double Gate, two arches, partially hidden from view by mediaeval building	Herodian period	Southern wall ofTemple Mount

See also

• Demographic history of Jerusalem
• Gates of the Temple Mount
• List of cities with defensive walls
• List of places in Jerusalem
• Timeline of Jerusalem
• Walls of Jerusalem
• Zedekiah's Cave
• Bezetha

References

1. "Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls". UNESCO. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
2. Kollek, Teddy (1977). "Afterword". In John Phillips. A Will to Survive - Israel: the Faces of the Terror 1948-the Faces of Hope Today. Dial Press/James Wade.about 225 acres
3. Ben-Arieh, Yehoshua (1984). Jerusalem in the 19th Century, The Old City. Yad Izhak Ben Zvi & St. Martin's Press. p. 14. ISBN 0-312-44187-8.
4. Eliyahu Wager (1988). Illustrated guide to Jerusalem. Jerusalem: The Jerusalem Publishing House. p. 138.
5. "Jerusalem The Old City: Urban Fabric and Geopolitical Implications" (PDF). International Peace and Cooperation Center. 2009.
6. Bracha Slae (13 July 2013). "Demography in Jerusalem's Old City". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
7. Beltran, Gray (9 May 2011). "Torn between two worlds and an uncertain future".Columbia Journalism School.
8. East Jerusalem: Key Humanitarian Concerns United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs occupied Palestinian territory. December 2012
9. Benveniśtî, Eyāl (2004). The international law of occupation. Princeton University Press. pp. 112–113. ISBN 978-0-691-12130-7.
10. "Tiny fragment bears oldest script found in Jerusalem". Telegraph.co.uk. 2010-07-12. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
11. "The Holy Sepulchre - first destructions and reconstructions". Christusrex.org. 2001-12-26. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
12. Advisory Body Evaluation (PDF file)
13. "Report of the 1st Extraordinary Session of the World Heritage Committee". Whc.unesco.org. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
14. "Justification for inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger, 1982: Report of the 6th Session of the World Heritage Committee". Whc.unesco.org. Retrieved2013-10-14.
15. "UNESCO replies to allegations". UNESCO. 15 July 2011. The Old City of Jerusalem is inscribed on the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger. UNESCO continues to work to ensure respect for the outstanding universal value of the cultural heritage of the Old City of Jerusalem. This position is reflected on UNESCO’s official website (www.unesco.org). In line with relevant UN resolutions, East Jerusalem remains part of the occupied Palestinian territory, and the status of Jerusalem must be resolved in permanent status negotiations.
16. "שבתי זכריה עו"ד חצרו של ר' משה רכטמן ברחוב מעלה חלדיה בירושלים העתיקה". Jerusalem-stories.com. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
17. Հայաստան սփյուռք [Armenia Diaspora] (in Armenian).
18. Առաքելական Աթոռ Սրբոց Յակովբեանց Յերուսաղեմ [Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem (literally "Apostolic See of St. James in Jerusalem")] (in Armenian).
19. University of Cape Town, Proceedings of the Ninth Annual Congress, South African Judaica Society 81(1986) (referencing archaeological evidence of "Israelite settlement of the Western Hill from the 8th Century BCE onwards").
20. Simon Goldhill, Jerusalem: City of Longing 4 (2008) (conquered by "early Israelites" after the "ninth century B.C.")
21. William G. Dever & Seymour Gitin (eds.), Symbiosis, Symbolism, and the Power of the Past: Canaan, Ancient Israel, and Their Neighbors from the Late Bronze Age Through Roman Palaestina 534 (2003) ("in the 8th-7th centuries B.C.E. . . . Jerusalem was the capital of the Judean kingdom . . . . It encompassed the entire City of David, the Temple Mount, and the Western Hill, now the Jewish Quarter of the Old City.")
22. John A. Emerton (ed.), Congress Volume, Jerusalem: 1986 2 (1986) (describing fortification work undertaken by "Hezekiah[] . . . in Jerusalem at the close of the 8th century B.C.E.")
23. Hillel Geva (ed.), 1 Jewish Quarter Excavations in the Old City of Jerusalem Conducted by Nahman Avigad, 1969-1982 81 (2000) ("The settlement in the Jewish Quarter began during the 8th century BCE. . . . the Broad Wall was apparently erected by King Hezekiah of Judah at the end of the 8th century BCE.")
24. Koert van Bekkum, From Conquest to Coexistence: Ideology and Antiquarian Intent in the Historiography of Israel’s Settlement in Canaan 513 (2011) ("During the last decennia, a general consensus was reached concerning Jerusalem at the end of Iron IIB. The extensive excavations conducted . . . in the Jewish Quarter . . . revealed domestic constructions, industrial installations and large fortifications, all from the second half of the 8th century BCE.")
25. Mordechai Weingarten
26. Staff. "Table III/14 - Population of Jerusalem, by Age, Quarter, Sub-Quarter, and Statistical Area, 2003" (PDF). Institute for Israel Studies (in Hebrew and English). Institute for Israel Studies, Jerusalem. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
27. Staff (2010). "Our communities". God's name to succeed (in Hebrew). World Karaite Judaism. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
28. Nadav Shragai (8 March 2007). "The Gate of the Jews". Haaretz. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
29. Steinberg, Gerald M. (2013). "False Witness? EU Funded NGOs and Policymaking in the Arab-Israeli Conflict" (PDF). Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs.
30. Gülru Necipoğlu (2008). "The Dome of the Rock as a palimpsest: 'Abd al-Malik's grand narrative and Sultan Süleyman's glosses" (PDF). Muqarnas: An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic. Leiden: Brill. 25: 20–21. ISBN 9789004173279. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
31. "The Function and Plan of the 'Palaces'". The Jerusalem Archaeological Park - Davidson Center. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
32. Meir Ben-Dov (1987). The Excavation Gate (18). The Ophel archaeological garden. Jerusalem: East Jerusalem Development Ltd. p. 20. Thus for all intents and purposes, a ninth gate has been opened in the walls of Jerusalem.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Old City (Jerusalem).

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Jerusalem/Old City.

Virtual tours

• Virtual tour of the Old City's historic sites
• Virtual tour of the Muslim Quarter
• Virtual tour of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
• Virtual tour of the Cardo
• Virtual tour of the Damascus gate
• Virtual tour of the Kotel

 Greater Jerusalem 

Greater Jerusalem is the area encompassing the approximately one hundred square miles surrounding the Old City of Jerusalem.[1][2] The expansion of Jerusalem under Israeli law followed its de facto annexation of the city in the aftermath of the 1967 Six-Day War, however such expansion has remained unrecognized by the International community[3] which considers all Israeli migration and housing establishments in the area a violation of international law, labeling such housing projects Israeli settlements.[4]

References

1. ""Greater" Jerusalem". Jewish Virtual Library. 2006-07-12. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
2. [1]
3. Griff Witte (1 April 2008). "Israel Planning to Build Hundreds of New Homes". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
4. "State of Palestine Mission to the United Nations — State of Palestine Mission to the United Nations". United Nations. Archived from the original on May 13, 2009. Retrieved 2014-01-05.

Temple in Jerusalem 

The Temple in Jerusalem orHoly Temple (Hebrew:בֵּית־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ‎‎, Modern: Bet HaMikdash, Tiberian: Beṯ HamMiqdāš, Ashkenazi: Beis HaMikdosh;Arabic: بيت القدس‎‎: Beit al-Quds or بيت المقدس: Bait-ul-Muqaddas; Ge'ez: ቤተ መቅደስ: Betä Mäqdäs) was any of a series of structures which were located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. These successive temples stood at this location and functioned as a site of ancient Israelite and later Jewish worship.

Etymology

The Hebrew name given in the Hebrew Biblefor the building complex is either Beit YHWH (House of Yahweh, or Jehovah), Beit HaElohim "House of God," or simply Beiti "my house", Beitekhah "your house" etc. The termhekhal "hall" or main building is often translated "temple" in older English Bibles. In rabbinical literature the temple is Beit HaMikdash, "The Sanctified House", and only the Temple in Jerusalem is referred to by this name.

First Temple

The Hebrew Bible says that the First Temple was built in 957 BCE[1] by King Solomon.[2] According to the Book of Deuteronomy, as the sole place of Israelite sacrifice (Deuteronomy 12:2-27), the Temple replaced the Tabernacle constructed in the Sinai Desert under the auspices of Moses, as well as local sanctuaries, and altars in the hills.[3] This temple was sacked a few decades later by Shoshenq I, Pharaoh of Egypt.

Although efforts were made at partial reconstruction, it was only in 835 BCE when Jehoash, King of Judah in the second year of his reign invested considerable sums in reconstruction, only to have it stripped again for Sennacherib, King of Assyria c. 700 BCE. The First Temple was totally destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE (425 BCE according to historical Jewish sources), when they sacked the city.[4]

Second Temple

According to the Book of Ezra, construction of the Second Temple was authorized by Cyrus the Great and began in 538 BCE, after the fall of the Babylonian Empire the year before. It was completed 23 years later, on the third day of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the Great (12 March 515 BCE),[5] dedicated by the Jewish governor Zerubbabel. Despite the fact that the new temple was not as extravagant or imposing as its predecessor, it still dominated the Jerusalem skyline and remained an important structure throughout the time of Persian suzerainty. The temple narrowly avoided being destroyed again in 332 BCE when the Jews refused to acknowledge the deification of Alexander the Great of Macedonia. Alexander was allegedly "turned from his anger" at the last minute by astute diplomacy and flattery. After the death of Alexander on 13 June 323 BCE, and the dismembering of his empire, the Ptolemies came to rule over Judea and the Temple. Under the Ptolemies, the Jews were given many civil liberties and lived content under their rule. However, when the Ptolemaic army was defeated at Panium by Antiochus III of the Seleucids in 198 BCE, this policy changed. Antiochus wanted to Hellenize the Jews, attempting to introduce the Greek pantheon into the temple. A rebellion ensued and was brutally crushed, but no further action by Antiochus was taken. When Antiochus died in 187 BCE at Luristan, his son Seleucus IV Philopator succeeded him. However, his policies never took effect in Judea, since he was assassinated the year after his ascension.

Antiochus IV Epiphanes succeeded his older brother to the Seleucid throne and immediately adopted his father's previous policy of universal Hellenisation. The Jews rebelled again and Antiochus, in a rage, retaliated in force. Considering the previous episodes of discontent, the Jews became incensed when the religious observances of Sabbath and circumcision were officially outlawed. When Antiochus erected a statue of Zeus in their temple and Hellenic priests began sacrificing pigs(the usual sacrifice offered to the Greek gods in the Hellenic religion), their anger began to spiral. When a Greek official ordered a Jewish priest to perform a Hellenic sacrifice, the priest (Mattathias) killed him. In 167 BCE, the Jews rose up en masse behind Mattathias and his five sons to fight and win their freedom from Seleucid authority. Mattathias' son Judas Maccabaeus, now called "The Hammer", re-dedicated the temple in 165 BCE and the Jews celebrate this event to this day as a major part of the festival of Hanukkah.

The temple was rededicated under Judas Maccabaeus in 164 BCE.[2] During the Roman era, Pompey entered (and thereby desecrated) the Holy of Holies in 63 BCE, but left the Temple intact.[6] [7] [8] In 54 BCE, Crassus looted the Temple treasury,[9] [10]only for him to die the year after at the Battle of Carrhae against Parthia. According to folklore he was executed by having molten gold poured down his throat. When news of this reached the Jews, they revolted again, only to be put down in 43 BCE.

Around 20 BCE, the building was renovated and expanded by Herod the Great, and became known as Herod's Temple. It was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE during the Siege of Jerusalem. During the Bar Kokhba revolt against the Romans in 132–135 CE, Simon bar Kokhba and Rabbi Akiva wanted to rebuild the Temple, but bar Kokhba's revolt failed and the Jews were banned from Jerusalem (except for Tisha B'Av) by the Roman Empire. The emperor Julian allowed to have the Temple rebuilt but the Galilee earthquake of 363 ended all attempts ever since.

After the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem in the 7th century, Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan ordered the construction of an Islamic shrine, the Dome of the Rock, on the site of the Temple. The shrine has stood on the mount since 691 CE; the al-Aqsa Mosque, from roughly the same period, also stands in the Temple courtyard.

Recent history

The Temple Mount, along with the entire Old City of Jerusalem, was captured from Jordan by Israel in 1967 during the Six-Day War, allowing Jews once again to pray at the holy site. Jordan had occupied East Jerusalem and the Temple Mount immediately following Israel's declaration of independence on May 14, 1948. Israel officially unified East Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount, with the rest of Jerusalem in 1980 under the Jerusalem Law, though United Nations Security Council Resolution 478 declared the Jerusalem Law to be in violation of international law.[11] The Muslim Waqf, based in Jordan, has administrative control of the Temple Mount.

Location

There are four theories as to where the Temple stood; where the Dome of the Rockis now located, to the north of the Dome of the Rock (Professor Asher Kaufman), to the east of the Dome of the Rock (Professor Joseph Patrich of the Hebrew University).[12] and to the south of the Temple Mount on Mount Ophel.[13] [14] [15]

Physical layout

Remnants of the 1st century Stairs of Ascent, discovered by archaeologistBenjamin Mazar, to the entrance of the Temple Courtyard. Pilgrims coming to make sacrifices at the Temple would have entered and exited by this stairway.

The Temple of Solomon or First Temple consisted of three main elements:

• the Great or Outer Court, where that people assembled to worship (Jeremiah 19:14; 26:2);
• the Inner Court (1 Kings 6:36) or Court of the Priests (2 Chr. 4:9);

• the larger hekhal, or Holy Place, called the "greater house" in 2 Chr. 3:5 and the "temple" in 1 Kings 6:17, and
• the smaller "inner sanctum", known as the Holy of Holies or Kodesh HaKodashim.

In the case of the last and most elaborate structure, the Herodian Temple, the structure consisted of the wider Temple precinct, the restricted Temple courts, and the Temple building itself:

• Temple precinct, located on the extended Temple Mount platform, and including the Court of the Gentiles
• Court of the Women or Ezrat HaNashim
• Court of the Israelites, reserved for ritually pure Jewish men
• Court of the Priests, whose relation to the Temple Court is interpreted in different ways by scholars
• Temple Court or Azarah, with the Brazen Laver (kiyor), the Altar of Burnt Offerings (mizbe'ah), the Place of Slaughtering, and the Temple building itself

The Temple edifice had three distinct chambers:

• Temple vestibule or porch (ulam)
• Temple sanctuary (hekhal or heikal), the main part of the building
• Holy of Holies (Kodesh HaKodashim or debir), the innermost chamber

According to the Talmud, the Women's Court was to the east and the main area of the Temple to the west.[16] The main area contained the butchering area for the sacrifices and the Outer Altar on which portions of most offerings were burned. An edifice contained the ulam (antechamber), the hekhal (the "sanctuary"), and the Holy of Holies. The sanctuary and the Holy of Holies were separated by a wall in the First Temple and by two curtains in the Second Temple. The sanctuary contained theseven branched candlestick, the table of showbread and the Incense Altar.

The main courtyard had thirteen gates. On the south side, beginning with the southwest corner, there were four gates:

• Shaar Ha'Elyon (the Upper Gate)
• Shaar HaDelek (the Kindling Gate), where wood was brought in
• Shaar HaBechorot (the Gate of Firstborns), where people with first-born animal offerings entered.
• Shaar HaMayim (the Water Gate), where the Water Libation entered on Sukkot.

On the north side, beginning with the northwest corner, there were four gates:

• Shaar Yechonyah (The Gate of Jeconiah), where kings of the Davidic line enter and Jeconiah left for the last time to captivity
• Shaar HaKorban (The gate of the Offering), where priests entered with kodshei kodashim offerings
• Shaar HaNashim (The Women's Gate), where women entered into the Azara or main courtyard to perform offerings[17]
• Shaar Hashir (The Gate of Song), where the Levites entered with their musical instruments

On the east side was Shaar Nikanor, between the Women's Courtyard and the main Temple Courtyard, which had two minor doorways, one on its right and one on its left. On the western wall, which was relatively unimportant, there were two gates that did not have any name.

The Mishnah lists concentric circles of holiness surrounding the Temple: Holy of Holies; Sanctuary; Vestibule; Court of the Priests; Court of the Israelites; Court of the Women; Temple Mount; the walled city of Jerusalem; all the walled cities of the Land of Israel; and the borders of the Land of Israel.

Temple services

Model of Second Temple made by Michael Osnis from Kedumim.

The Temple was the place where offerings described in the course of the Hebrew Bible were carried out, including daily morning and afternoon offerings and special offerings on Sabbath and Jewish holidays. Levites recited Psalms at appropriate moments during the offerings, including the Psalm of the Day, special psalms for the new month, and other occasions, the Hallel during major Jewish holidays, and psalms for special sacrifices such as the "Psalm for the Thanksgiving Offering" (Psalm 100).

As part of the daily offering, a prayer service was performed in the Temple which was used as the basis of the traditional Jewish (morning) service recited to this day, including well-known prayers such as the Shema, and the Priestly Blessing. The Mishna describes it as follows:

The superintendent said to them, bless one benediction! and they blessed, and read the Ten Commandments, and the Shema, "And it shall come to pass if you will hearken", and "And [God] spoke...". They pronounced three benedictions with the people present: "True and firm", and the "Avodah" "Accept, Lord our God, the service of your people Israel, and the fire-offerings of Israel and their prayer receive with favor. Blessed is He who receives the service of His people Israel with favor" (similar to what is today the 17th blessing of the Amidah), and the Priestly Blessing, and on the Sabbath they recited one blessing; "May He who causes His name to dwell in this House, cause to dwell among you love and brotherliness, peace and friendship" on behalf of the weekly Priestly Guard that departed.

— Mishna Tamid 5:1

In the Talmud

The Talmud (Yoma 9b) provides traditional theological reasons for the destruction: "Why was the first Temple destroyed? Because the three cardinal sins were rampant in society: idol worship, licentiousness, and murder… And why then was the second Temple – wherein the society was involved in Torah, commandments and acts of kindness – destroyed? Because gratuitous hatred was rampant in society. This teaches you that gratuitous hatred is equal in severity to the three cardinal sins: idol worship, licentiousness, and murder."[18] [19]

Role in contemporary Jewish services

Part of the traditional Jewish morning service, the part surrounding the Shemaprayer, is essentially unchanged from the daily worship service performed in the Temple. In addition, the Amidah prayer traditionally replaces the Temple's daily tamid and special-occasion Mussaf (additional) offerings (there are separate versions for the different types of sacrifices). They are recited during the times their corresponding offerings were performed in the Temple.

The Temple is mentioned extensively in Orthodox services. Conservative Judaism retains mentions of the Temple and its restoration, but removes references to the sacrifices. References to sacrifices on holidays are made in the past tense, and petitions for their restoration are removed. Mentions in Orthodox Jewish services include:

• A daily recital of Biblical and Talmudic passages related to the korbanot (sacrifices) performed in the Temple (See korbanot in siddur).
• References to the restoration of the Temple and sacrificial worships in the daily Amidah prayer, the central prayer in Judaism.
• A traditional personal plea for the restoration of the Temple at the end of private recitation of the Amidah.
• A prayer for the restoration of the "house of our lives" and the shekhinah (divine presence) "to dwell among us" is recited during the Amidah prayer.
• Recitation of the Psalm of the day; the psalm sung by the Levites in the Temple for that day during the daily morning service.
• Numerous psalms sung as part of the ordinary service make extensive references to the Temple and Temple worship.
• Recitation of the special Jewish holiday prayers for the restoration of the Temple and their offering, during the Mussaf services on Jewish holidays.
• An extensive recitation of the special Temple service for Yom Kippur during the service for that holiday.
• Special services for Sukkot (Hakafot) contain extensive (but generally obscure) references to the special Temple service performed on that day.

The destruction of the Temple is mourned on the Jewish fast day of Tisha B'Av. Three other minor fasts (Tenth of Tevet, 17th of Tammuz, and Third of Tishrei), also mourn events leading to or following the destruction of the Temple. There are also mourning practices which are observed at all times, for example, the requirement to leave part of the house unplastered.

In other religions

Christianity

The Temple is mentioned many times in the New Testament. In these scriptures,Jesus prays there (Mark 11:12–19) and chases away money changers and other merchants from the courtyard, turning over their tables and accusing them of desecrating a sacred place with secular ways. According to the New Testament Gospels, it was to the Temple Court that Jesus was brought as a child, to be presented at the Temple (Luke 2:22) and to attend festivals (Luke 2:41). Jerusalem historian Dan Mazar reported in the Jerusalem Christian Review on the numerous archaeological discoveries made at this location by his grandfather, Prof. Benjamin Mazar, which included the 1st century stairs of ascent, where Jesus and his disciples preached, as well as the "mikvaot" (or baptismals) used by both Christian and Jewish pilgrims. The events of Pentecost, which are recorded in the Book of Acts, also took place at this location. At the area in which Jesus cleanses the Temple of the money changers, chasing various commercial traders of doves necessary for the sacrificial rituals away from the sacred precincts (Mark 11), remarkable findings were uncovered by the elder Mazar, such as a 1st-century vessel with the Hebrew word "Korban", meaning sacrifice(s). It was believed by Benjamin Mazar that inside this vessel, merchants would have stored the sacrifices sold at the Temple Court.[20]

Jesus predicts the destruction of the Second Temple (Matthew 24:2) and allegorically compares his body to a Temple that will be torn down and raised up again in three days. This idea, of the Temple as the body of Christ, became a rich and multi-layered theme in medieval Christian thought (where Temple/body can be the heavenly body of Christ, the ecclesial body of the Church, and the Eucharistic body on the altar).[21]

Islam

The Temple Mount bears significance in Islam as it acted as a sanctuary for many Hebrew prophets. Islamic tradition says that a temple was first built on the Temple Mount by Jacob and later renovated by Solomon, son of David. In addition, it is considered to be the site of Muhammad's Night Journey and his ascent into Heaven(Isra and Mi'raj), one of the most significant events recounted in the Qur'an.

According to Muslim scholar Seyyed Hossein Nasr, professor of Islamic Studies at George Washington University, Jerusalem has the significance as a holy site for Muslims primarily in three ways.[22] First, while in Mecca, Muhammad used the Temple in Jerusalem as his first qiblah (prayer direction); then, after Muhammad emigrated from Mecca to Medina, Allah permitted his prophet to turn towards Mecca in prayer sixteen months after he arrived (Sura 2:144, 149-150). Second, while Muhammad was still living in Mecca, he reports that he took a Night Journey to Bait-ul-Maqdis (i.e. Temple in Jerusalem) which is considered as a very auspicious event in Islam known as Isra. The third factor, says Nasr, is the Muslim belief in the Second Coming of Christ to Bait-ul-Maqdis (i.e. Temple in Jerusalem).

Imam Abdul Hadi Palazzi, leader of Italian Muslim Assembly, quotes the Qur'an to support Judaism's special connection to the Temple Mount. According to Palazzi, "The most authoritative Islamic sources affirm the Temples". He adds that Jerusalem is sacred to Muslims because of its prior holiness to Jews and its standing as home to the biblical prophets and kings David and Solomon, all of whom he says are sacred figures in Islam. He claims that the Qur'an "expressly recognizes that Jerusalem plays the same role for Jews that Mecca has for Muslims".[23]

In his 2007 book, The Fight for Jerusalem: Radical Islam, the West, and the Future of the Holy City, Dore Gold calls assertions that the Temple in Jerusalem never existed or was not located on the Mount "Temple Denial". David Hazony has described the phenomenon as "a campaign of intellectual erasure [by Palestinian leaders, writers, and scholars] ... aimed at undermining the Jewish claim to any part of the land" and compared the phenomenon to Holocaust denial.[24]

Archaeological evidence

The Trumpeting Place inscription, a stone (2.43×1 m) with Hebrew writing "To the Trumpeting Place" uncovered during archaeological excavations byBenjamin Mazar at the southern foot of the Temple Mount is believed to be a part of the complex of the Second Temple.

Archaeological excavations have found dozens of ritual immersion or baptismal pools dating to the First Temple in this area surrounding the Temple Mount.[25]

Building a Third Temple

Ever since the Second Temple's destruction, a prayer for the construction of a Third Temple has been a formal and, by some authorities, optional part of the thrice-daily Jewish prayer services. However, the question of whether and when to construct the Third Temple is disputed both within the Jewish community and without; groups within Judaism argue both for and against construction of a new Temple, while the expansion of Abrahamic religion since the 1st century CE has made the issue contentious within Christian and Islamic thought as well. Furthermore, the complicated political status of Jerusalem makes reconstruction difficult, while Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock have been constructed at the traditional physical location of the Temple. When the Umayyad Caliph Abdel-Malik ibn Marwan built the Dome of the Rock, some reports indicated that the Jews were filled with elation. Some even believed that this Islamic shrine was the third temple. For a century, Jews had full access to this holiest of sites.

In 363 CE, the Roman emperor Julian ordered Alypius of Antioch to rebuild the Temple as part of his campaign to strengthen non-Christian religions.[26] The attempt failed, perhaps due to sabotage, an accidental fire, or an earthquake in Galilee.

In media

Journalistic depiction of the controversies around the Jerusalem Temple was presented in the 2010 documentary Lost Temple by Serge Grankin. The film contains interviews with religious and academic authorities involved in the issue. German journalist Dirk-Martin Heinzelmann, featured in the film, presents the point of view of Prof. Joseph Patrich (the Hebrew University), stemming from the underground cistern mapping made by Charles William Wilson (1836-1905).[27]

See also

• Jewish Temple at Elephantine
• Jewish Temple of Leontopolis

References

1. New American Heritage Dictionary, entry: 'Temple'
2. "Temple, the." Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005
3. Durant, Will. Our Oriental Heritage. New York: Simon and Schuster. 1954. p. 307. See 1 Kings 3:2.
4. New American Oxford Dictionary:Temple
5. Philip E. Goble, ed. (February 2003). The Orthodox Jewish Bible: Tanakh and Orthodox Jewish Brit Chadasha. AFI International Publishers. p. 751. ISBN 978-0-939341-04-7. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
6. Josephus, The New Complete Works, translated by William Whiston, Kregel Publications, 1999, "Antiquites" Book 14:4, p.459-460
7. Michael Grant, The Jews in the Roman World, Barnes & Noble, 1973, p.54
8. Peter Richardson, Herod: King of the Jews and Friend of the Romans, Univ. of South Carolina Press, 1996, p.98-99
9. Josephus, The New Complete Works, translated by William Whiston, Kregel Publications, 1999, "Antiquites" Book 14:7, p.463
10. Michael Grant, The Jews in the Roman World, Barnes & Noble, 1973, p.58
11. Ibn Kathir (2008). "Stories of the Prophets", p. 164-165 (Hi by Rafiq Abdur Rahman, Idara Isha'at-e-diniyat publishers, India ed.). ISBN 81-7101-558-1.
12. See article in the World Jewish Digest, April 2007
13. Buchanan, George Wesley (August 2011). "Misunderstandings about Jerusalem's Temple Mount". Magazine. Washington Report on Middle Eastern Affairs. pp. 16, 64. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
14. Martin, Ernest L. '"The Temples that Jerusalem Forgot."(2000). p.iv ISBN 0-945657-95-1
15. Gladstone, Rick (8 October 2015). "Historical Certainty Proves Elusive at Jerusalem's Holiest Place". Newspaper. The New York Times. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
16. Mishna Tractate Midos.
17. Sheyibaneh Beit Hamikdash: Women in the Azara?
18. Gratuitous Hatred – What is it and Why is it so bad?
19. Gratuitous hatred
20. By Dan Mazar published in Vol. 12 Issue 8 of Jerusalem Christian Review newspaper.
21. See Jennifer A. Harris, "The Body as Temple in the High Middle Ages", in Albert I. Baumgarten ed., Sacrifice in Religious Experience, Leiden, 2002, pp. 233–256.
22. "The Spiritual Significance of Jerusalem: The Islamic Vision. The Islamic Quarterly. 4 (1998): pp.233-242
23. Margolis, David (February 23, 2001). "The Muslim Zionist". Los Angeles Jewish Journal.
24. Hazony, David. "Temple Denial In the Holy City", The New York Sun, March 7, 2007.
25. http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.681589
26. Ammianus Marcellinus, Res Gestae, 23.1.2–3.
27. IMDb [1]

Further reading

• Biblical Archaeology Review, issues: July/August 1983, November/December 1989, March/April 1992, July/August 1999, September/October 1999, March/April 2000, September/October 2005
• Ritmeyer, Leen. The Quest: Revealing the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Jerusalem: Carta, 2006. ISBN 965-220-628-8
• Hamblin, William and David Seely, Solomon's Temple: Myth and History (Thames and Hudson, 2007) ISBN 0-500-25133-9
• Yaron Eliav, God's Mountain: The Temple Mount in Time, Place and Memory (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005)
• Rachel Elior, The Jerusalem Temple: The Representation of the Imperceptible", Studies in Spirituality 11 (2001), pp. 126–143

External links

• Seek Out the Welfare of Jerusalem Analytical studies by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson on the Rambam's rulings concerning the construction and the design of the Beis HaMikdosh.
• visit of the Temple Institute Museum in Jerusalem conducted by Rav Israel Ariel
• Video tour of a model of the future temple described in Ezekiel chapters 40–49 from a Christian perspective.
• The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology’s New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts

• Rachel Elior, "The Jerusalem Temple - The Representation of the Imperceptible",Studies in Spirituality 11 (2001): 126-143

 Walls of Jerusalem 

The Walls of Jerusalem(Arabic: أسوار القدس‎‎; Hebrew: חומות ירושלים‎‎) surround the Old City of Jerusalem(approx. 1 km²). In 1535, when Jerusalem was part of the Ottoman Empire, Sultan Suleiman I ordered the ruined city walls to be rebuilt. The work took some four years, between 1537 and 1541.[2] [3]

The length of the walls is 4,018 meters (2.4966 mi), their average height is 12 meters (39.37 feet) and the average thickness is 2.5 meters (8.2 feet). The walls contain 34 watchtowers and seven main gates open for traffic, with two minor gates reopened by archaeologists.

In 1981, the Jerusalem walls were added, along with the Old City of Jerusalem, to the UNESCO World Heritage Site List.[4]

Today the walls of Jerusalem, which were originally built to protect the city against intrusions, mainly serve as an attraction for tourists.

History

Pre-Israelite city

The city of Jerusalem has been surrounded by walls for its defense since ancient times. In the Middle Bronze Age, a period also known in biblical terms as the era of the Patriarchs, a city named Jebus was built on the south-eastern hill of Jerusalem, relatively small (50,000 square meters) but well fortified. Remains of its walls are located above the Siloam Tunnel.

Israelite city (ca. 1000-587/86 BCE)

According to Jewish tradition, as expressed in the Tanakh, Jerusalem remained a Jebusite city until the rise of David, who conquered Jebus, renamed it City of David and started expanding it. His city was still located on the low southeastern hill, outside today's Old City area. Solomon, David's son, built the so-called First Temple on the hilltop rising right above the city he had inherited, the so-called Temple Mount, and then extended the city walls in order to protect the temple.

During the First Temple period the city walls were extended to include the northwest hill as well, i.e. the area where today's Jewish and Armenian Quarter (Jerusalem) Quarters are located.

The entire city was destroyed in 587/86 BCE during the siege led by Nebukhadnezzar of Babylon.

Jewish post-exilic city

After the Babylonian captivity and the Persian conquest of Babylonia, Cyrus II of Persia allowed the Jews to return to Judea and rebuild the Temple. The construction was finished in 516 BCE or 430 BCE. Then, Artaxerxes I or possibly Darius II allowed Ezra and Nehemiah to return and rebuild the city's walls and to govern Judea, which was ruled as Yehud province under the Persians. During the Second Temple period, especially during the Hasmonean period, the city walls were expanded and renovated, constituting what Josephus calls the First Wall. Herod the Great added what Josephus called the Second Wall somewhere in the area between today's Jaffa Gate and Temple Mount. Agrippa I later began the construction of the Third Wall, which was completed just at the beginning of the First Jewish–Roman War. Some remains of this wall are located today near the Mandelbaum Gate gas station.

Aelia Capitolina and Byzantine Jerusalem

In 70 CE, as a result of the Roman siege during the First Jewish–Roman War, the walls were almost completely destroyed. Jerusalem would remain in ruins for some six decades, and without protective walls for over two centuries.

The pagan Roman city, Aelia Capitolina, which was built after 130 by EmperorHadrian, was at first left without protective walls. After some two centuries without walls, a new set was erected around the city, probably during the reign of Emperor Diocletian sometime between 289 and the turn of the century. These walls were extensively renewed by the Empress Aelia Eudocia during her banishment to Jerusalem (443-460).

Middle Ages

In 1033, most of the walls constructed by Empress Eudocia were destroyed by an earthquake. They had to be rebuilt by the Fatimids, who left out the southernmost parts previously included: Mount Zion with its churches, and the southeastern hill (the City of David) with the Jewish neighborhoods which stood south of the Temple Mount. In preparation for the expected Crusader siege of 1099, the walls were strengthened yet again, but to little avail. The conquest brought some destruction followed by reconstruction, as did the reconquest by Saladin in 1187. In 1202-1212 Saladin's nephew, Al-Malik al-Mu'azzam 'Isa, ordered the reconstruction of the city walls, but later on, in 1219, he reconsidered the situation after most of the watchtowers had been built and had the walls torn down, mainly because he feared that the Crusaders would benefit of the fortifications if they managed to reconquer the city. For the next three centuries the city remained without protective walls, the Temple Mount/Haram ash-Sharif and the citadel being the only well fortified areas during this period.

Ottoman period

In the 16th century, during the reign of the Ottoman Empire in the region, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent decided to fully rebuild the city walls, partially on the remains of the ancient walls. The construction lasted from 1535–1538, and these are the walls that exist today.

An inscription in Arabic from the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent states:

Has decreed the construction of the wall he who has protected the home of Islam with his might and main and wiped out the tyranny of idols with his power and strength, he whom alone God has enabled to enslave the necks of kings in countries (far and wide) and deservedly acquire the throne of the Caliphate, the Sultan son of the Sultan son of the Sultan son of the Sultan, Suleyman.[5]

See also

• Broad Wall (Jerusalem) - city wall of Jerusalem from the time of Hezekiah (ca. 700 BCE)
• First Temple-period structures at the Jerusalem Ophel, the so-called "Solomonic gate", tower and wall of archaeologist Eilat Mazar
• City gates of the Old City of Jerusalem
• Southern Wall of the Temple Mount
• Western Wall - aka Wailing Wall, the accessible part of the western retaining wall of the Temple Mount

References

1. "Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls". UNESCO. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
2. Jerome Murphy-O’Connor (2008). The Holy Land: An Oxford Archaeological Guide from Earliest Times to 1700. Oxford Archaeological Guides. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-19-923666-4. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
3. http://www.antiquities.org.il/jerusalemwalls/hstry_12_eng.asp
4. Report of the 1st Extraordinary Session of the World Heritage Committee
5. Building inscription commemorating the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, Accession number: IAA 1942-265