Tag: Solomon’s Temple

Jerusalem: Marble floor tiles from the Holy Temple in Jerusalem (photo Zachi Dvira)

2000 year old marble floor tiles from the Holy Temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem brought to light.

Marble floor tile from Holy Temple Jerusalem (credit Zachi Dvira Temple Mount Sifting Project)

For the first time in history, actual decorative elements from the Holy Temple in Jerusalem have been brought to light! Exquisite marble floor tiles, made with meticulously cut stones of different colors – yellow, black, red, purple, white, and more have been recently recovered and pieced together, giving us insight into the great beauty of the Holy Temple of the Jews that stood on Mount Moriah and was destroyed by Titus the Roman in the year 70 AD. Archaeologists have so far been able to identify seven distinct floor tile patterns.

Marble floor tile from Holy Temple Jerusalem (credit Zachi Dvira)

We read about the impressive Temple floor tiles in various literary sources: Josephus Flavius, the Jewish historian who actually served as a priest in the Jerusalem Temple wrote (Jewish Wars V,5,2), “Open courts were laid with stones of various colors.” In the Babylonian Talmud (Baba Bathra 4a) we read, “It used to be said, He who has not seen the Temple of Herod [in Jerusalem] as never seen a beautiful building. Of what did he build it? Rabbah said: Of yellow and white marble. Some say, of blue, yellow, and white marble.”

Marble floor tile from Holy Temple Jerusalem (credit Zachi Dvira)

Hundreds of colorful marble floor tile pieces have been discovered in a major sifting project undertaken by Israel Antiquities authority after Moslem religious authorities on the Temple Mount (where the golden dome Mosque of Omar and El Aksa mosques are located) illegally removed rubble beneath Mount Moriah, without conducting a proper archaeological excavation. The floor tiles were probably part of the monumental subterranean passageway built by Herod the Great that led up to the Courtyard of the Gentiles on the Temple Mount, and was used by pilgrims – such as Jesus, Mary, & Joseph – when they came to Jerusalem for Passover.

Visit Israel & see remains of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem
I invite you to join me here in Israel and experience a 3-D living color Bible- a blessing without measure! We’ll learn about the Holy Temple that stood on Mount Moriah, visit the Temple Mount excavations, and even help wash the archaeological remains in search of artifacts.

Shalom! Shalom! Zack Shavin, Jerusalem

16 September, 2016
Golden Menorah

Menorah: Golden Lampstand

The seven branch Menorah or Golden Lampstand, a reminder of the seven days of Creation, was cast from one talent of gold and stood in the Tabernacle of Moses and later in Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem.

Golden Menorah

Divinely inspired
Did you know that the Menorah or Golden Lampstand, as it is translated in many Bibles, was specially designed by God? It’s a “divine design” by the Master Creator of the universe and, following God’s instructions detailed in the Bible (Exodus 25:31-40). It had seven branches and was cast in one piece using 1 talent of pure gold: “Make a lampstand of pure gold. Hammer out its base and shaft, and make its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them… A talent of pure gold is to be used for the lampstand and all these accessories.”

Where was the Menorah placed?
God proscribed that it should be placed in the Tabernacle – the portable temple – that the Israelites carried through the wilderness for 40 years, on the way from Egypt to the Promised Land. Later on it was places in the Holy Temple that king Solomon built on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem (“Solomon’s Temple”). Throughout history the Jewish people have incorporated it into synagogue design and today it is the symbol of the modern state of Israel- it’s that important! Let’s look at the meaning of the word Menorah. In most bibles it is translated as Golden Candlestick or Candelabrum. What is so special about it? Why is it holy and what does it represent?

How much is one talent of gold?
One talent (kikar in Hebrew) is worth 3000 shekels. There are various evaluations of how much a shekel weighs, but if we take an average of 12 grams/ shekel X 3000 = 3.6 kilos. At a gold value of $1,108 per troy ounce = approximately $128,000!

Why the number seven?
The seven branches or lights are not by coincidence. In the Bible, the number seven reminds us of the seven days of creation in the biblical book of Genesis. Seven in Hebrew- sheva – means fullness- to be totally filled and fulfilled. It was indeed what God felt when he finished his masterwork of Creation and His jewel-in-the- crown: Us! And then he “rested” on the seventh day- i.e. kicked back and said “Wow!”. He had humanity to lavish his love upon, with the hope, since we were created in His image, that we’d turn around and to the same with each other in fulfilling the commandment “love your neighbor as yourself”.

What is the significance of the lights?
The name “menorah” comes from the Hebrew root meaning “light” . So the emphasis is not on the actual candle holder but on the subject of “light” within the biblical creation story of the seven days. Indeed, the first thing God did – on the 1st day was to create light- “Let there be light!”. What kind of light was it? Not necessarily a physical light, but more importantly the Divine Light – which increased day by day throughout the Creation story as God planted himself in every nook and cranny of Creation- until it was All Pervading- as represented by the Menorah. But God’s menorah is not candles or oil lamps- it is people. Indeed in the book of Proverbs it says, “The spark, the lamp, of God (i.e. the divine light) is the soul of man.”. In other words, we, each human being, is a divine light, carrying the divine spark that was created on the 1st day. Through our actions we can choose to increase the divine light within ourselves or diminish it. The choice is ours, in the way we conduct our daily lives.

What happened to the original Menorah?
When Titus burned down the Holy Temple in Jerusalem he looted it and removed the Golden Lampstand. It was then paraded through the streets of Rome along with Jewish prisoners of war as depicted on the Arch of Titus near the Colosseum in Rome. His father Vespasian deposited the Menorah together with the other booty in the special temple which he erected after the Jewish Revolt against Rome in the years 66-73 AD. (Josephus Flavius: Wars 1:148-50) The subsequent fate of the Golden Lampstand is uncertain. It was probably melted down since it was made with 1 talent (3.6 kg) of pure gold.

8 January, 2013
Western Wall

Western (Wailing) Wall

Touch biblical Jerusalem! Israel’s Western Wall or Wailing Wall, built by King Herod, supports the huge Temple Mount platform over Mount Moriah where Solomon’s Temple stood. Ask Zack Shavin about visiting and even celebrating your Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah there!

Biblical Jerusalem
Imagine a piece of ancient Jerusalem, so authentic, so well preserved, that what you see today is exactly what was seen by the local people and tens of thousands of Passover pilgrims that made their way up to the great Holy Temple 2000 years ago! It is called in Hebrew the Kotel Ma-aravi or Western Wall, and is a perfectly preserved remnant of the massive outer retainer walls that encompassed the Temple itself. Originally over 1500 feet long and 100 feet high, the Western Wall was one of four incredibly massive walls that not only protected the Temple, but also supported a massive platform which covered an area equivalent to 15 football fields and upon which the 200 foot high marble and gold Temple stood.

Wasn’t the Temple destroyed by the Romans?
Indeed, the Temple building itself – considered one of the wonders of the ancient world – was destroyed by the Romans in the year 70 A.D. But the platform upon which the Temple stood, covering an area of 15 football fields, and the outer retainer walls, were preserved. It was just too massive to totally demolish. The smallest of the stones in the Western Wall weigh 3 tons each, the largest about 500 tons- as much as 10 fully loaded semi-trailer trucks!

Why do we pray at the Western Wall? Why this spot?
It is important to understand, that this place is Mount Moriahitself, where Abraham brought Isaac, almost 4000 years ago. About 1000 years after Abraham, King Solomon was given the privilege of building the Temple here, permanently replacing the desert Tabernacle. The Bible tells us that upon completing the Temple, ruach elohim- the spirit of God- filled the House. Otherwise it would have remained just a beautiful man-made building.

Shekinah: Divine Presence
In other words, the Shekinah- the Divine Presence- is intimately associated with the area. Indeed, the Temple is called “Beit HaMikdash” in Hebrew, which means “House of Holiness”. God is pure holiness; divine holiness came to rest here. God, Yahweh- HaShem- chose this place- it is unique in all the world! Two thousand years ago Jewish people prayed at the Temple itself. Today, the gold-domed Mosque of Omar stands over the spot and is closed to non-Moslems for prayer purposes. While we cannot pray on the Temple Mount itself, we can do so at the Western Wall. There we literally touch a remnant of the Temple complex and connect with our roots, faith, and heritage.

8 January, 2013
Abraham Overlook

Abraham & Isaac Overlook

Imagine opening the Bible here in Israel and standing at the very place where a biblical event unfolded! Today we are at the Abraham & Isaac Overlook in Jerusalem. Here Abraham and Isaac first beheld Moriah – place of the Sacrifice or Binding of Isaac, following a three day journey from Beersheba. Later King Solomon built Solomon’s Temple on Mount Moriah itself.

Jerusalem panorama

View of Moriah
This particular spot on the southern end of Jerusalem is called by locals the Tayelet, which means in Hebrew “promenade”. I like to call it the Abraham and Isaac Overlook overlook since it’s where they beheld Jerusalem and Mount Moriah some 4000 years ago! I’ve been bringing groups here for years- to read and reflect on Abraham’s journey with Isaac from Beersheba, where they lived, to this very spot. God had called Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac and with a heavy but obedient heart sets out on the three day journey, without of course letting Isaac in on the details of exactly what was happening.

Beersheba to Moriah
Here is what the Bible says: “Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, Abraham! Here I am, he replied. Then God said, Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you. Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.” (Gen. 22:1-4)

Where is the lamb?
Upon arrival here, at this southern overlook of Jerusalem, Abraham leaves his servants behind to keep an eye on the camp, while he continues with Isaac on into Jerusalem itself and on up Mount Moriah. He tells them that he was going “yonder” with Isaac to worship and would be back soon. It’s about a 45 minute brisk walk from where we are standing at the Abraham & Isaac overlook to Moriah. On the way Abe & Isaac obviously had time to talk a bit. Isaac, who was younger, stronger, and therefore carrying the wood for the sacrifice, gets to thinking. He turns to his father, saying, hey dad, haven’t we forgotten something? “Where’s the lamb”? Abraham replies, “God will provide.” The rest is history: The angel stops Abraham’s hand as he raised the knife after binding is son on the altar, indeed providing the lamb:

Binding of Isaac
Here is what happens next: “When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, Abraham! Abraham! Here I am, he replied.Do not lay a hand on the boy, he said. Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son. (Genesis 22:10-12)

Abraham takes the ram instead
Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.” (Genesis 22:13)

Solomon’s Temple
Almost 1,000 years later, King Solomon builds the Jerusalem Temple on the very spot on Mount Moriah: “Then Solomon began to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David. It was on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the place provided by David.” (2Chronicles 3:1)

8 January, 2013